Tuesday, December 31, 2013
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 Be not man pleasers or self-pleasers, but instead God pleasers whose desire for you is to be holy and to love one another
Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God; that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he who rejects this doesn't reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you. But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you; that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
It sounds simple enough, to not be led astray by the lusts of the world, but to love God by taking good care of his temple which is your body. Because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, do not use your body for self pleasure as the gentiles do who do not know God, but honor God with your body and your concern for one another, giving as you have been given to and setting ones self apart from the world. For this is God's desire for us because when we concern ourselves with others instead of ourselves, God renders this as righteousness.
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