October 20, 2019

Brotherly Love

For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality,  that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor,  not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.  In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.  For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.  And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.  In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

(Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian church, chapter 4.)

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