Like a Thief
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 NASB
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Savior and God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy
Spirit – came to earth, took on human flesh, and suffered and was tempted as we
suffer and are tempted, yet without sin. He healed the sick and afflicted,
raised the dead, comforted the sorrowful, and delivered people from demons. He
performed many miracles, too. And, he taught the need to repent of our sins and
to believe in him in order to have eternal life in him. Thus, he confronted
people with their sins, and many hated him for it, and eventually they had him
put to death on a cross.
But, when he died, our sins
died with him, so that, through faith in him, we might die with him to our
sins. But, he did not stay dead. He rose again victorious over sin, hell, Satan
and death, on our behalf, in order that we might also live with him to his
righteousness. And, then he ascended back to heaven where he is seated in power
and authority over all other powers and authorities, and one day he is coming
back both to judge and to take his followers to be with him, to live forever
with him in glory.
But, none of us knows the day
or the hour at which time he will return, though we can know when it is near by
the signs that he has given to us, if we are watching and if we are waiting for
his return. But, not everyone is watching or is paying attention to the signs.
Many, even many who profess to know Jesus Christ, are busy with their own
lives, assuming that life will continue as it always has, not even giving our
Lord’s return a thought, or not taking seriously what that means for those who
are living to the flesh and not to the Spirit, who are still walking in
darkness and not in the Light.
Sons of Light
1 Thessalonians 5:4-10 NASB
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
If we are truly in Christ
Jesus, by genuine God-given faith in him, we have turned from our sins, and we
have turned to follow our Lord Jesus with our lives, then we should be watching
and waiting for our Lord’s return, so that we are not surprised when he comes
back.
But, even true followers of
Christ can, if we are not careful, be lulled back to sleep by the cares of this
world, or by getting caught up in worldly pleasures, and we can get careless
about our lives, if we are not diligent in following our Lord in obedience and
in daily putting to death the deeds of the flesh and in putting on the armor of
God.
Therefore, we are to be
serious-minded about our walks of faith in our Lord Jesus, and to not get lazy
or side-tracked by the things of this world. We are to live holy lives,
pleasing to God, set apart (unlike, different) from this world because we are
being conformed to the likeness of Christ. So, we put off those things which
hinder our walks of faith, and we forsake our idols and the sins which entangle
us, so that we can run this race, this Christian life, which God has marked out
for us to run with perseverance.
Encourage One Another
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NASB
“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Heb. 3:13
The point of this
encouragement is to help one another to walk according to the Spirit and no
longer according to the flesh. It is not to encourage one another in our sins,
but to help one another out of our sins and to walk in love, in Christ Jesus,
in purity, righteousness, holiness and in integrity.
To encourage, in this sense,
means to entreat, admonish and exhort one another. It means to urge, insist and
spur one another on toward love and good deeds; towards forsaking sin and
following our Lord in obedience. The building up that needs to be done here is
not to puff up, but to help one another grow in maturity in Christ and in our
walks of faith and purity.
Hold Fast to Good
1 Thessalonians 5:13-22 NASB
Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
In today’s church I don’t see
this being done much at all. So much of what is being taught in today’s church
is that we are to “stay in our own lane,” and that we are not to get in anyone’s
face about anything, and we are just to make one another feel good about
ourselves, even if we are steeped in sin’s deceitfulness. And, this is promoted
as loving one another, but is it? Is it really love, or is it selfishness? For,
who are we really thinking about?
When we love one another with
God-like love, we prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous,
pure, honest, just, and honorable. When we love one another with this kind of
love we will do what is in the best interest of others, i.e. what is for their
good, as God defines good, i.e. what is God’s best for them. And, we will not
do harm to another. We will not only not sin against one another, but we will
not lead one another to sin, nor will we ignore sinful practices in one another,
but we will encourage faithfulness.
But, we must guard against
false judgments, critical spirits, hypocritical judgments and judging one
another based on human opinions, philosophy, prejudices or human traditions, or
judging one another by ourselves. We must judge in truth and righteousness, and
in love, with the goal of restoring one another to walks of faith in the Spirit
of God, according to God’s Word and for his glory and purposes and will.
And, when our brothers and
sisters in Christ share with us the truths of scripture in all practicality to
our world and lives today, in order to help us walk according to the Spirit,
and no longer according to the flesh, we must not ignore their words, for we
could be quenching the Spirit of God.
But, we must test their words
against scripture to make certain what they are teaching is scriptural, and
then we must hold on to what is truth, and what is good, and what is healthful
and profitable for our Christian lives and walks and ministry. And, we must reject
what is evil, humanistic and worldly, and live righteously, so that, when our
Lord returns one day to take us to be with him forever, we are ready spiritually
for his return.
10,000 Reasons
Matt Redman
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
Bless You Lord
And on that day
When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will
Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore…
Monday, May 7, 2018, 5:33
a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from Your Word. May we take it to
heart and apply its truths to our lives. Amen!
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