Scripture Text: 1 Thess 5:1-11
Apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians of the coming of the Lord, and to watch and be sober. The things around us are only temporal but it is good enough to make us realize that we are not living in good times forever.
1 Thess 5 serves as a warning. The uncertainties of life here make us think of where we come from, what we are doing here and what we are here for. For those who are left behind (unbelievers), the day of the Lord is a period of time in which the Lord will deal directly with the wicked ones dramatically in fearful judgment. No one will be able to escape from His consuming fire.
1 Thess 5 tells us what the day of the Lord is and what we are to do to prepare for it. In v 1, Jesus did not make known unto us when He will come. The exact time of His coming is not revealed to us.
In v 2, the day of the Lord is a sure event. “Darkness” here is two-fold – physical and spiritual. In the literal darkness, plants (without sunlight), animals (without food) and man will die. As children of God, we are the children of light, shining for the Lord. When the day of the Lord comes, every light will be taken away and there will be no more light. The sin of men will only become worse and worse because there is no more testimony to be seen. The physical and spiritual darkness cover the sinfulness of man.
In v 3, men will try to comfort themselves and find some hope and help. In the first 3 ½ years of the great tribulation, there will be a false peace. When men think that there is peace, sudden destruction shall come upon them because the Prince of Peace is not with them. Only Jesus can give us true peace. To the unbelievers, the day of the Lord is a day of destruction, pain and despair. But to the believers, it is a comfort because it is a day of deliverance.
V 4 mentions that we are not in the dark concerning future events. There are signs to prove and show us that the day is nearer than we think. God wants us to know of His coming so that we are not caught unaware.
V 5 says that we ought to live in the day (light) and not in the night (darkness). Light symbolizes truth and righteousness. We are to reflect His light in the present world of darkness that we live in.
There are 3 words of command in v 6 – don’t sleep, watch, be sober. As Christians, we are engaged in spiritual warfare – a spiritual battle against sin, against the evil one. As good soldiers of Christ, we must always be watchful and on our guard to defend the faith, which is the responsibility of every believer because all of us are members of the same body. There is no such thing as an inactive member - we can at least pray for one another or be involved in some service or ministry to express our gratitude and love for the Lord. We must be serious of our faith and duty that we owe unto God.
In v 7, we are called not to live in an unchristian-like manner. Being sober means that we must know what we are doing - what we believe, whom we believe and be fully persuaded and fully convinced that God has saved us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
In v 8, being sober is to be on high alert and to be ready for the battle. In order to fight effectively, we go to war prepared and equipped with the necessary armour, protection and weapon. We protect ourselves by trusting in God and loving others especially fellow believers (putting on the breastplate of faith and love). We must have strong faith not in ourselves but in God. No Christian fights the battle alone. We have one another for support, for encouragement. Surely Satan would want to confuse and divide us but the God of all truth will unite us if we keep ourselves pure from all sin and obey His Word, and live a righteous life. Then we can overcome all spiritual attacks that come upon us. We need the protective helmet of salvation to guide our thoughts from Satan’s fiery darts. Although our salvation is intact, we may lose the assurance of salvation. Why let Satan steal our blessings and assurance when we can guard, keep and enjoy it? God has given us a perfect salvation.
V 9: It is the Lord’s promise to His children that His wrath will not come upon them. To everyone who believes, he will be saved.
V 10: Because He lives, we will all live together with Him. Whether we wake or sleep, Jesus will come. In which state will He find you?
V 11: Our blessed hope is the coming of the Lord.
1 Thess 5 serves as a warning. The uncertainties of life here make us think of where we come from, what we are doing here and what we are here for. For those who are left behind (unbelievers), the day of the Lord is a period of time in which the Lord will deal directly with the wicked ones dramatically in fearful judgment. No one will be able to escape from His consuming fire.
1 Thess 5 tells us what the day of the Lord is and what we are to do to prepare for it. In v 1, Jesus did not make known unto us when He will come. The exact time of His coming is not revealed to us.
In v 2, the day of the Lord is a sure event. “Darkness” here is two-fold – physical and spiritual. In the literal darkness, plants (without sunlight), animals (without food) and man will die. As children of God, we are the children of light, shining for the Lord. When the day of the Lord comes, every light will be taken away and there will be no more light. The sin of men will only become worse and worse because there is no more testimony to be seen. The physical and spiritual darkness cover the sinfulness of man.
In v 3, men will try to comfort themselves and find some hope and help. In the first 3 ½ years of the great tribulation, there will be a false peace. When men think that there is peace, sudden destruction shall come upon them because the Prince of Peace is not with them. Only Jesus can give us true peace. To the unbelievers, the day of the Lord is a day of destruction, pain and despair. But to the believers, it is a comfort because it is a day of deliverance.
V 4 mentions that we are not in the dark concerning future events. There are signs to prove and show us that the day is nearer than we think. God wants us to know of His coming so that we are not caught unaware.
V 5 says that we ought to live in the day (light) and not in the night (darkness). Light symbolizes truth and righteousness. We are to reflect His light in the present world of darkness that we live in.
There are 3 words of command in v 6 – don’t sleep, watch, be sober. As Christians, we are engaged in spiritual warfare – a spiritual battle against sin, against the evil one. As good soldiers of Christ, we must always be watchful and on our guard to defend the faith, which is the responsibility of every believer because all of us are members of the same body. There is no such thing as an inactive member - we can at least pray for one another or be involved in some service or ministry to express our gratitude and love for the Lord. We must be serious of our faith and duty that we owe unto God.
In v 7, we are called not to live in an unchristian-like manner. Being sober means that we must know what we are doing - what we believe, whom we believe and be fully persuaded and fully convinced that God has saved us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
In v 8, being sober is to be on high alert and to be ready for the battle. In order to fight effectively, we go to war prepared and equipped with the necessary armour, protection and weapon. We protect ourselves by trusting in God and loving others especially fellow believers (putting on the breastplate of faith and love). We must have strong faith not in ourselves but in God. No Christian fights the battle alone. We have one another for support, for encouragement. Surely Satan would want to confuse and divide us but the God of all truth will unite us if we keep ourselves pure from all sin and obey His Word, and live a righteous life. Then we can overcome all spiritual attacks that come upon us. We need the protective helmet of salvation to guide our thoughts from Satan’s fiery darts. Although our salvation is intact, we may lose the assurance of salvation. Why let Satan steal our blessings and assurance when we can guard, keep and enjoy it? God has given us a perfect salvation.
V 9: It is the Lord’s promise to His children that His wrath will not come upon them. To everyone who believes, he will be saved.
V 10: Because He lives, we will all live together with Him. Whether we wake or sleep, Jesus will come. In which state will He find you?
V 11: Our blessed hope is the coming of the Lord.
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