¹Now then, brothers and sisters, because of the Lord Jesus we ask and encourage you to excel in living a God-pleasing life even more than you already do. Do this the way we taught you. ²You know what orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³It is God’s will that you keep away from sexual sin as a mark of your devotion to him. ⁴Each of you should know that finding a husband or wife for yourself is to be done in a holy and honorable way, ⁵not in the passionate, lustful way of people who don’t know God. ⁶No one should take advantage of or exploit other believers that way. The Lord is the one who punishes people for all these things. We’ve already told you and warned you about this. ⁷God didn’t call us to be sexually immoral but to be holy. ⁸Therefore, whoever rejects this ⸤order⸥ is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

⁹You don’t need anyone to write to you about the way Christians should love each other. God has taught you to love each other. ¹⁰In fact, you are showing love to all the Christians throughout the province of Macedonia. We encourage you as believers to excel in love even more. ¹¹Also, make it your goal to live quietly, do your work, and earn your own living, as we ordered you. ¹²Then your way of life will win respect from those outside ⸤the church⸥, and you won’t have to depend on anyone else for what you need.

Read in Logos

1 Thessalonians 4:3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality …