1 Thessalonians 5 reminds me of school mornings as a child. Some of my earliest memories are of mom calling all of us to wake up. Before cellphones, we trusted she would get us up in time. Today’s lesson is about getting ready for the day. Paul wraps up his letter with a series of cautions. He begins with a note to anyone attempting to predict when Christ will return. Paul calls it the “Day of the Lord”. Much like people trying to look busy when the boss is on site, anyone trying to time the rapture will eventually look silly. Paul says that Jesus will come “like a thief in the night”. That is, since we do not know when a thief might come, we need to remain vigilant at all times. In fact, when world leaders are saying “Peace and safety”, be on guard because “destruction will come on them suddenly”. Jesus came the first time as the Lamb of God, a perfect sacrifice. His blood covered the sin of Adam. Salvation by faith is free for every soul that would receive Him. When Christ returns, it will be in righteous judgment. Today is the day of man. Satan deceives many, and sin is rampant. Paul taught that the church will be snatched up prior to judgement and those that remain “will not escape”. Paul says, he taught them the truth; they “are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you”. He calls them “children of the day”. The night owls have a hard time waking up early. Paul continues, “We do not belong to the darkness”. There were things we were not allowed to do on a school night. Probably because mom knew it would be harder to get us up on time.
Missing the school bus in my town meant a long cold walk. Paul continues, “let us not be like others”. That is, those that are spiritually asleep. If we live with anticipation, we will be “awake and sober”. In contrast, “those who get drunk, get drunk at night” and then sleep through morning. Paul encourages believers to get up and get dressed, “putting on faith and love”. Before leaving, he tells us to cover our head with “the hope of salvation”. I think that means we are to take on the day with confident knowledge that we are completely forgiven. With that security, we are to “encourage one another and build each other up”. Every morning brings a new day and a new promise. God loves you more than you can believe.
The book closes with a series of instructions for the day ahead. First, Paul urges us to “acknowledge” people that minister to us. He says, appreciate and affirm “those who work hard among you… who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you”. Notice he ties both caring and correcting together. We need people to remind us who we are in Christ, and hold us accountable. He again reminds them to “Live in peace with each other”. In the next sentence he describes how that looks. He says “warn those who are idle and disruptive”. With seven kids and two bathrooms, it was never ok to be idle very long. Warnings were swift and direct. At the same time, we need to “encourage the disheartened”. This is where rushing has to pause and notice others. If we want to represent the love of God we need to “help the weak”. In large families it is normal for older ones to look after the younger. The idea is to help them learn and grow. Paul says to, “be patient with everyone” because we all have different abilities. How can anyone do all of this? Paul tells us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances”. Friends, that is a great way to live. He closes with a universal command to believers, “Do not quench the Spirit”. Each of us are unique and can be useful right where we are. We need discernment to consider everything we are taught. Even scripture should be verified because some people desire to manipulate. He says, “test them… hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil”. In closing, he says, remember always, “The One who calls you is faithful”. My friend, will you hear the call today?