“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another withy these words.”

-1st Thessalonians 4 : 1 - 18

authority of the Lord Jesus - supreme, all encompassing, derived from God the Father, covering heaven, earth, nature, demons, sickness and death

sexual immorality - refers to any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage between one man and one wife; such as premarital sex, adultery, incest, homosexual acts, lust and lustful thoughts

lust - uncontrolled, excessive or illicit desire often sexual that turns people into objects of selfish gratification instead of God’s design for love and selflessness

pagans - anyone who does not follow Jesus Christ the Son of God

holy - being set apart for God’s special purpose. Distant from the common or profane, implies purity

honorable - worthy or respect, morally upright, reflecting a life of integrity, truth and seriousness that brings glory to God. Contrasting worldly honor with vitreous character, respect for authority and selfless service to others.

sin - fundamentally missing the mark of God’s perfect standard, meaning any thought, word or action that goes against His holy law, will, character, encompassing doing both wrong and failing to do right. Lawlessness, a rebellion or a broken relationship with Jesus our Lord and Savior.

impure - ceremonially, morally, spiritually unclean, defiled by anything not aligned to God’s holiness.

Macedonia - signifies the first European territory where the Gospel was preached. Marking a pivotal movement in Christianity’s expansion through apostle Paul. Leading to the establishment of key churches in Philippi (Kavala), Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) and Berea (Veria) located in modern day northern Greece.

archangel - a high ranking angel, a leader among angels, tasked with crucial divine missions loyal to Jesus Christ and God the Father.

trumpet call of God - a divine announcement, proclaiming the return of Jesus Christ for his followers, the resurrection of believers and gathering of the saints to meet him in the air

1-13-26

VI