Day 28. He's coming. Now What?

1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 About the times and the seasons: brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, "Peace and security," then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in the dark, so that this day would overtake you like a thief. 5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We're not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, we must be sober and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

The church at Thessalonica had endured some false teaching. There were rumors that Jesus had already come. There were other rumors that since Jesus already returned everyone who believed in Christ, but had already died were lost for good. Paul wrote his first letter to address these and other issues that the church faced.

Question: Are you ever worried about what is coming? When Jesus will come? How it will happen?

Paul addresses this concern here in the beginning of 1 Thessalonians 5. In verse 1 Paul discusses the uselessness of trying to figure out seasons and times in order to know exactly when Jesus will come back. In fact if someone tells you that they can predict this, they are contradicting the words of Jesus himself to his disciples in Matthew 24:36 that no one knows the day or the hour when he will return except the father. Paul appears to confirm this to the church of Thessalonica. Now, we certainly are closer to Christ’s return with every passing moment, but the Bible teaches that Christ’s return could happen at any time. The fancy word for this is imminence.  This is important because it excludes people from pursuing Jesus with wrong motives. Ever hear someone say “Well I’ll accept Jesus before I die,” or “I’ll ask Jesus to forgive me if I get in an accident.” This is a VERY DANGEROUS presumption! Jesus’ return is going to catch every unbeliever by surprise “like a thief in the night.” His return will come in the midst of unbeliever’s declaring “peace and safety.” Paul says they will not escape the judgment to follow.

As believers, Paul assumes that we are already living according to the “light” of God’s truth, so then this sudden return of Christ will be joyful since we are expecting and longing for His return. Since this is the reality and direction of the believers in Thessalonica and ought to be in every believer’s life. This is true because God “appointed us” to salvation, not wrath and judgment. The verb appointed in verse 9 speaks of a one-time action. When we were saved we were placed on a new course. Before we were on a course ending in wrath. Now we are on a course ending in salvation in the end through Jesus Christ. Because of this reality Paul tells the church to:

1.   Be sober.

In other words, remain alert in your mind. Be renewed by scripture. Live according to truth as is delivered in God’s Holy Word.

2.   Put on the armor of faith and love on our chests

Yes, think armor of God from Ephesians 6. The breastplate covers your vital organs and faith in Jesus provides our righteousness, saving us from the deadly blow of condemnation for our sin. Love is the means by which Christ’s sin paying, God satisfying blood was shed for us, and God pours this love into our hearts by The Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The love of God is demonstrated in the death of Jesus. Our ability to be forgiven and pleasing to God comes only through faith in Jesus’s death and shed blood. Our victory over sin is only a sure hope if Jesus rose again, showing that he defeated death and sin for us. In the meantime, we live spiritually with Jesus, because we died to our old self to live with him anew.

3.   Put on the helmet of Salvation.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste. We should keep it fixed on things that are above. In other words we should be looking forward to our reward, our inheretance, not our current situation on earth. We should renew it every day in the truth of God's word and prayer. Salvation has a future when we meet the Judge who is our savior and enter into His presence. Keep your focus on that Day.

4.   Encourage one another.

Bottom line. Life stinks sometimes. But fellowship with God’s family can be sweet all the time. Encourage each other in the truth of Jesus’ return!