1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV)

Passage

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

1 Thessalonians 4:6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "hath", "uncleanness", and "holiness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "That no man go beyond and defraud..." into verse 8's "He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man...", so "called" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In 1 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.