A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more.^(A)

¹⁰ so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.^(A)

Thanksgiving

³ We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.^(A)

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.^[a]

¹⁶ Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

⁹ And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight^(A)

⁵ For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge,^{(A) 6} and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(B) 9} For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.^{(C) 10} Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble.

²² and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.^(A)

¹⁰ and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ¹¹ to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you,^{(A) 12} so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.^(B)