1 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. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own bodyb in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 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. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, dear friends, to do so more and more, 11 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, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
(1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 tniv)

For our thought and contemplation based on the previous verse:
  • Why do you think Paul uses the imagery of family to describe their relationship with others who belong to Christ?

  • If they are already doing some of these things, why does Paul "ask and urge" them to "do this more and more"?

  • Why do you think sexual morality and also loving each other is tied together in a discussion about holy living?
  • What do you think the significance of the Holy Spirit being in the middle of the passage plays in this discussion?

  • Paul emphasizes the impact of sexual morality and loving each other through responsible living and stresses that doing this is important in both their influence among other believers and also their influence on outsiders. Which of these is most important for us as Jesus' followers today?

Focus 2011   |   1 Thess. 4:1-12