A Life Pleasing to God
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Finally, then, brothers,a we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you 1received from us 2how you ought to walk and 3to please God, just as you are doing, that you 4do so more and more.
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that no one transgress and 13wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is 14an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
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Therefore 17whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, 18who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
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Now concerning 19brotherly love 20you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been 21taught by God 22to love one another,
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for that indeed is what 23you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to 24do this more and more,
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and to aspire 25to live quietly, and 26to mind your own affairs, and 27to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
The Coming of the Lord
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But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, 30that you may not grieve as others do 31who have no hope.
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For 32since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him 33those who have fallen asleep.
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For this we declare to you 34by a word from the Lord,d that 35we who are alive, who are left until 36the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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For 37the Lord himself will descend 38from heaven 39with a cry of command, with the voice of 40an archangel, and 41with the sound of the trumpet of God. And 42the dead in Christ will rise first.
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Then we who are alive, who are left, will be 43caught up together with them 44in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so 45we will always be with the Lord.
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Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)