Or, Lord Willing, All the Called Will Be Ready
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28
Date: December 28, 2014
Speaker: Sean Higgins
The apostle Peter read 1 Thessalonians. In Peter’s second letter he uses terminology about a thief that Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 5 and then follows it with a comment about how difficult it can be to understand Paul.
The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:10–16)
Peter probably wrote 15 to 16 years after 1 Thessalonians and the revelation about the Lord’s coming was still important wisdom. It is important wisdom for us as well, as we continue to wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God (2 Peter 3:12)
The fifth and final chapter in 1 Thessalonians extends the discussion about the end times from 4:13-18 and it picks up the prayer for and instruction about holiness from 3:11-13 and 4:1-8. It also fits with the personal love and investment that writers communicated for the readers from the start of the letter.
Christian rock musician Larry Norman wrote in 1969 that he wished we’d all been ready. When the Lord returns for His anytime advent, all of the called will be ready. It is the Lord’s will that we be ready, in terms of what He exhorts, what He empowers, and what He has designed. We’ll see four parts to His will that we be ready. He wills our eternal life with Him (1-11), He wills our current obedience to Him (12-22), He wills our complete blamelessness before Him (23-24), and He wills our access to revelation from Him (25-28).
Paul says, “God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Christ” (verse 9). The Lord appointed, He willed that we “live with him” (verse 10). This colors our view of Christ’s second coming and should give us material with which to encourage one another (verse 11).
Unlike the concern of the Thessalonians about believing brothers who had already died—would they participate in the glories of Christ’s return, the Thessalonians already had information about the manner of His return. Compare 4:13, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers,” with the beginning of chapter five.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:1–3)
The phrase times and seasons was used by Jesus in Acts 1:7 and refers to how long away the day of the Lord is and what things will be like when it occurs. But they have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware . The disciples of Jesus asked about the end times multiple times, and certainly the prophets before them wrote much about it. But this was basic material already covered by the teaching of the missionaries so that the Thessalonians knew “very well” (NIV).
What did they know? What they knew for certain is that no one knows for certain about the time or the seasons. We can suspect that this destruction , this judgment on Christ’s enemies is close when none of His enemies suspects that it is close. It will happen without warning, like a thief in the night . The point isn’t that the Lord is stealing but that the world will not be prepared. They will think that everything is great, saying to themselves, There is peace and security” . But they will not escape the pain of wrath (see 1:10).
On the other hand, believers will be ready, not because they have accurate countdown calendars from heaven but because of their character.
But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:4–8)
The moral perception of a believer is different. Those in darkness , those blinded by sin, will be surprised as if they were sleeping. Sleep illustrated death in 4:13, but here it illustrates indifference. Christians, on the other hand, are children (or “sons”) of light, children of the day , that is, full of the character of daylight. We are different due to God’s own doing. So let us not sleep , that is, let us be alert rather than lethargic. Let us put on the armor of faith and love and hope . Faith and love and hope make us ready for the anytime advent, and the breastplate and helmet let us know that this is war. These virtues also remind us of why we can know for sure that we’ll be ready. Who is our faith in? What do we hope for? Verses 9 and 10 answer.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9–10)
This is the gospel of sovereign grace. God chose us to believe in the Son that He sent to die in place of the chosen so that the chosen would be spared wrath and brought into eternal fellowship with God. That is salvation. Even physical death cannot separate us from Him.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
As Paul exhorted in 4:18, eschatology is encouraging for believers even as it warns unbelievers. Those with faith and hope in Christ can comfort and strengthen one another more and more. God wills our deliverance. God wills our confidence. God wills our expectation of Christ’s righteous triumph. Keep encouraging one another as children of light.
Immediately before talking about the anytime rapture Paul instructed the church about holy relationships and hard work. Immediately after talking about the unexpected day of the Lord he gives more instructions for life here and now. The future motivates us in the present, it does not make excuses for us.
We know that God wills our obedience because there are a total of 17 exhortations in 11 verses. We also know that God wills it because “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (verse 17). It’s quite an assorted collection, and any of these could fill their own sermons.
The first set of three exhortations regard how to think about leaders in the church.
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13)
The leaders (plural) are identified not by titles but by their “threefold function” (Hiebert). They labor among you —referring to teaching and equipping, they are over you in the Lord —meaning that they provide direction and rule, and admonish you —not just teaching someone who is ignorant but addressing someone who is wrong in his thinking or conduct. Once the leaders are identified by the church, the followers should respect and esteem them very highly in love because of their work . How many problems arise when leaders want respect (and benefits) without working? How many problems arise when leaders work and the people resent being corrected? God wills leaders and the lead to be at peace .
The second set of six exhortations regard different sorts of need or troublesome people.
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:14–15)
The idle , that is, the lazy, need to be admonished . Warn with them in a sharp and firm manner. The fainthearted or “timid” (NIV) or “little-souled” need to be encouraged . Don’t pound on those “who instinctively fear the worse” (Hiebert). And the weak or the ones who have trouble standing on their own need to be helped .
All of the above and more, require us to be patient ; “nothing are we more prone to than to feel wearied out when we set ourselves to cure the diseases of our brethren” (Calvin). We don’t join them in their idleness, faintheartedness, or weakness, but we don’t kick them out of fellowship either. Diagnosis and treatment were not only the responsibility of the leaders but of everyone in the church.
Christians must also avoid personal retaliation. Rather than try to get justice for ourselves by our own hands, we’re to trust God, do good, and let Him take care of fixing the wrongs. Since this is required to one another and to everyone it applies even those outside the church.
The third set of three exhortations regard our individual responses, perhaps even to the types of people mentioned in the previous verses. Here is a “triplet for personal development” (Thomas).
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
Personal, comprehensive, and clear, Paul lays out three imperatives for Christian attitudes and responses: rejoice , pray , and give thanks . The qualifiers expand rather than narrow: always , without ceasing , and in all circumstances . Wow. Here would be some challenging New Year’s Resolutions.
Will 2015 be a good year or a bad one? Either way it wouldn’t change anything about these commands. Will Christ return sometime this next year? If He does or doesn’t, this is part of what it looks like to be ready. All of this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you . Do you wonder how He wants you to respond to bad news, loss of health or money, difficulties with friends or family? Rejoice and pray and give thanks.
The fourth set of five exhortations regard our attitude toward prophecy.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19–22)
1 Thessalonians was the first or second inspired letter that Paul wrote. Most of the New Testament was written after this epistle, including the Gospels. The spiritual gift of prophecy (as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14) was especially important for the first century church as God gave revelation and instructions for living in light of the gospel. But it is easy to imagine how easy this might be misused and then how believers could become dismissive or cynical, tired of the parades of foolishness. Especially as relates to end times predictions, the church could start to despise prophecies .
Even today with a completed canon, it is easy for men to twist things that they don’t understand or that they don’t like. Every Christian should test everything in light of the Scriptures (like the Bereans in Acts 17). Then they should hold fast the good and abstain from the bad; sort of wax on, wax off. This section addresses what happens corporately, though it extends to cover needed discernment about our books and podcasts today. This is also one benefit of our Life to Life groups, testing what has been said in order to hold fast to the good. We must never become so cynical that we stop being teachable.
We have responsibility to pursue sanctification. God reveals His will for us to obey and abstain from sexual immorality, to work diligently, to respect leaders, to exercise patience, and so forth. And our trust is not in us. God’s Himself ordains to make us ready. Similar to his prayer in 3:11-13, Paul finishes with a benediction of reliance on God.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24)
God wills that all the called will be ready for the return of Jesus. He knew the end at the beginning, and He works to complete what He started (see Philippians 1:6). He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2, KJV). He will sanctify you completely . No part left untouched: whole spirit and soul and body . It is difficult to separate the spirit and soul, but it is possible (at least for the Spirit in Hebrews 4:12), just as we distinguish between the immaterial and material (presenting a trichotomous view of man). But all (the adjective whole in Greek is singular) of us will be made holy and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ .
It depends on God. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it . Because God is sovereign we don’t quit obeying or worshipping, we obey and worship with confidence. It can be so discouraging to see the state of our souls or the state of the church. How Arminians sleep, I don’t know. Our theology brings us back to pray and trust and be bold.
The final sentences of this letter include a charge that Paul never gave to any other congregation. He wanted all the church in Thessalonica to hear the letter read.
Brothers, pray for us.
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:25–28)
He prayed and wanted prayers. He wanted everyone greeted; a kiss was a common greeting between family and a holy kiss recommended the nature of it between saints. Here was the ancient “convene and kiss” similar to our “meet and greet.” All the brothers should be greeted and all the brothers should get to hear this letter read . I put you under oath , “I charge you” to do this. All of the word is for all of the people, even if they aren’t equally able to comprehend it, even if some would purposefully twist it. (Are you making plans to read it in 2015?)
Finally, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you . Won’t grace be with us no matter what? Yes, but God chooses channels for His grace, including blessings from one to another.
Beloved, the Lord is coming. The Lord has revealed that He doesn’t want us to know when, but He has also revealed what He wants us to do while we wait for Him, what sorts of rejoicing people we are to be, how we ought to admonish and encourage and build up and be at peace and be patient with one another. The Lord has also revealed, through the Word, that He is faithful and He purposes to sanctify us, even as He uses the admonishing and encouraging and teaching among one another to do it.
The anytime advent should tie us together as one lace. We wait together, work with each other, and worship the One who died for us so that we might live with Him.
And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend
Even so it is well with my soul