Daily Writing

Thursday, 24 August 2017

…who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:10

Paul now completes the thought of the previous verse, beginning with the words, “who died for us.” He is certainly tying this into the thought of both clauses of the previous verse –

1) For God did not appoint us to wrath – because Jesus took our wrath upon Himself in His death.

2) …but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ – He died for us, giving up His human, earthly life so that we could be saved.

It is Christ’s death which “delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10), and it is belief in His work, including His atoning death, which God credits to us for righteousness (Romans 4). And this is true “whether we wake or sleep.” Paul is ensuring that the believers in Thessalonica (and thus us!) understand that Christ’s return is for all believers, both those who have died (or, as Paul says, “sleep”), and those who are awake. At His coming all will be gathered together as one and will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye. There will be none lost, but all shall be saved and given new and eternal life at that time.

It is from this moment, that “we should live together with Him.” Christ was raised to eternal life, and so we too will be raised to eternal life. Christ ascended to heaven, and so we too shall ascend to heaven. We will participate in the events that He has laid out for us as is detailed in the final chapters of Revelation, and the saints of God shall rejoice in an existence which will never end. It will be one of marvelous wonder, endless delight, and eternal joy. Stay tuned; Christ is coming again to make all of this come about.

Having said that, the word “together” isn’t to be connected to the words “with Him.” Rather, it refers to those who are awake and those who are asleep. The event which occurs at the rapture will occur for the living and the dead at that time, as is detailed in verse 4:13-18.

Life application: Death has no hold on those in Christ. If you are facing the death of a loved one who believes, or if you are facing your own earthly end, you should not worry. God cherishes your faith at all times. How much more when that faith is demonstrated at the door of the great unknown encounter we call “death.” In Christ, death is defeated; and in Christ, death has no sting. Let us stand firm on this truth and receive additional rewards for continued faith at such a time.

Heavenly Father, as mortal beings, we are all sure to face death unless you come first for us at the rapture. Help us to maintain our faith, even in the face of this great unknown door which we have never passed through before. As it approaches, let us be confident in the promises which are found in Christ, and which tell us that death is a defeated enemy. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ who delivers us even from death itself. Amen.

Wednesday, 23 August 2017

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9

The word “For” is given to explain further what Paul has just said concerning right living as we wait on the Lord. Because of this hope, “God did not appoint us to wrath.” The point of living in a right manner is because we have a true hope of not being caught up in God’s wrath. If such were the case, there would be little point in right living. Every good thing we did would be in vain, and all that we could expect is a reward of pain and misery for our efforts.

But such is not the case at all. Instead of being appointed to wrath, we have been appointed “to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word translated as “obtain” is peripoíēsis. It is a word which means “to make one’s own,” or to “completely obtain.” Literally, it signifies “for abundant (all-around) gain.”

Believers have made a choice in Christ Jesus. They have put their trust in Him, and God has used that trust to guarantee our salvation. There is nothing the believer has done to merit this, but rather it is a choice of trusting solely in the merits of Christ for salvation. This is why Paul states, “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our faith is directed towards Him, and our salvation is obtained through who He is, what He has done, and the means which He has decided for it to come about. The same word is used in Hebrews 10:39 to show that it is faith which makes this possible –

“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

There the word “saving” is the same as “obtain” here. The faith (those who believe) in Christ is what secures this. Again, it is faith in what Christ has done, and it is sufficient to be saved from God’s wrath.

An argument concerning the timing of the rapture comes up from this verse by some. It says “For God did not appoint us to wrath.” Some will argue that this means believers will be completely exempt from the tribulation period, and these words justify a pre-tribulation rapture. Others state that it justifies a mid-tribulation rapture because Revelation speaks of the “wrath of the Lamb” which is only the second half of the tribulation period.

Paul’s use of the word elsewhere could rightly be used to justify the former, but he also uses the term in the present sense when speaking of of the Jews in 1 Thessalonians 2:16. However, the second option, that of the wrath of the Lamb pointing to a mid-tribulation rapture, is impossible to justify. Nowhere does Paul indicate any such connection as this. But even more, this rather ludicrous analysis makes “the wrath of God” different than “the wrath of the Lamb,” as if Jesus is not God. No such separation is ever noted in Scripture, and it is truly a mishandling of what is being said in order to justify an otherwise unjustifiable presupposition.

Revelation 3:10, speaking of the entire tribulation period says –

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

This is speaking of the entire tribulation period which comprises everything after the letters to the seven churches, all the way up until the Second Coming of Christ in Revelation 19. The next verse after that then says, “Behold, I am coming quickly.” Those words are tied into the thought of “the hour of trial.” In other words, He will come quickly, and then will come “the hour of trial.” It would make no sense to say that one is coming quickly (meaning unexpectedly) if the timing of His coming was already known, meaning one-half way through the tribulation period.

The only justifiable position from a right understanding of Scripture concerning the coming rapture is that it will occur, and only then will the world enter the seven years of tribulation.

Life application: Though we may suffer greatly in this life, as countless millions of Christians have in the past, this is not an indication that God has poured out His wrath upon His people. Rather, that is a part of the world building up iniquity which will be poured out in wrath upon them. The Lord will reward the world with great wrath and indignation, but His people will be saved through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Heavenly Father, at times it seems as if You are absent from us. We face trials, sicknesses, and death. But we can be sure that these things are not an indication of Your absence. You are carefully watching out for Your people while allowing the world to conduct its affairs. You have promised that those who live for You, as well as those who have died in You, will be saved from the wrath to come. We have obtained salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us to remember this, and to be confident that we are safely guarded by you. Amen.

Tuesday, 22 August 2017

But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Paul, using the metaphor of “those who get drunk are drunk at night,” from the previous verse now contrasts that with the expected life of the believer. He says, “But let us who are of the day be sober.” As noted, getting drunk is equated with a spiritually immoral condition. Paul doesn’t say that we cannot be in such a state. Rather, he exhorts that we should be otherwise. Christians are to have a complete break with the life-attitude and conduct of those who have not come to Christ. In order to accomplish this, he next gives two more metaphors to guide us.

First, he says, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love.” The words “putting on” give the idea of vigilance. The guard “puts on” his gear in anticipation of that which is certain to come. Adorned in these things, he is then to watch. Why? The reason is because he doesn’t know “the times and seasons” mentioned by Paul in verse 5:1. The guard is to stand ready at all times, not be asleep at night nor get drunk at night. “The breastplate of faith and love” is a protection. In Ephesians 6, Paul exhorted believers there to put on “the breastplate of righteousness.”

In our watchful state, we are to have defensive protection which is based upon who we are in Christ. Faith is our strong defense against the wait. It may be a long time; it may be a time of trial and persecution; it may be a wait which encompasses an entire life of ill health or disability. But we are to defend against the attacks of the world with faith. When we stand in God’s goodness, and upon His word, we will be able to endure whatever blows we may face.

Added to that is love. Paul’s discourse concerning love in 1 Corinthians 13, along with his many other references to it, can teach us how this should be realized in each of us. Suffice it to say that this is love of God and of man, and it is love from God and from man. We are to live in this state of love in order to protect ourselves from whatever attacks we may face.

Finally, Paul says, “and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Paul retains the same metaphor that he used in Ephesians 6. The helmet, both there and here, is one of salvation. A helmet is used to protect one’s head. It is to guard us in our thoughts, in our knowledge, and in our understanding. As it is a helmet of salvation, it is one intended to keep us from falling into idleness, despair, loss of the knowledge we already possess, etc. When we have a hope, we are not to let it become diminished. Instead we are to retain that hope, reflect on it, and be encouraged by it. In so doing, we will not be as one who sleeps at night, or as one who gets drunk at night. Instead, we will be sober and alert at all times.

Life application: Faith, love, and hope are all things that we are exhorted to possess, and we should possess them in abundance, even to overflowing. If we stand in this way, then we will be able to overcome despair, and from getting sucked into the ways of the world once again. Christ is coming; we don’t know when that will occur; and therefore we need to stand ready at all times. If we don’t do these things, our walk will falter, and we will become ineffective soldiers in the church.

Lord God, help us to be sound, reasonable, and effective soldiers who are always on the watch as we wait upon Your return. It is so easy to get caught up into idle speculation, and to then let our guard down. In so doing, it will be easy to fall into despair, and in turn to lose our hope. Help us to not be this way, but to stand moment by moment throughout our lives in eager anticipation of being joined to You forever. Whenever the day comes, even so – let it come. Amen.

Monday, 21 August 2017

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
1 Thessalonians 5:7

Paul now explains what those who are in darkness do with the darkness. First, they “sleep.” This is not to be equated with “those who have fallen asleep” in the previous chapter. There, Paul was speaking metaphorically of those who had died in Christ. Here, he is speaking of those who are spiritually dead as if asleep. They live in immorality, they act contrary to the word of God, and they are unpleasing to Him because of this.

Such people in this condition “sleep at night.” This continues the same thought. The night is the time of darkness. The physical darkness of a real night is to be compared to the spiritual darkness of those who are apart from Christ. They are doing the things which those “who sleep” do at the time when those who sleep do them.

Next he says, “and those who get drunk.” Again, Paul uses a physical example to make a spiritual analogy. A person who is drunk is incapable of right thinking. They are often rude, boisterous, etc. It is a real, literal, and physical condition which is to be taken metaphorically for those who are in a comparable spiritual state. They cannot discern rightly concerning the word of God. They are spiritually corrupt, morally abusive, etc. And as he says, such people who are in this state “are drunk at night.”

Paul again compares the life they live to being in spiritual darkness, and apart from the light which comes forth from Christ. His physical examples are provided for us to make spiritual comparisons to the world around us, and to discern what is right, moral, honorable, and glorifying of God.

Life application: Paul’s words are to be taken both literally and in a spiritual sense in this verse. One points to real conditions; the other as metaphors to those conditions. This is obvious because all people sleep at night, and there is nothing wrong with doing so. Further, not all people who get drunk do so during the night. These are general statements intended to provide spiritual applications. Careful consideration is necessary in verses like this in order to not jump to unfounded conclusions about what is spiritually right and proper, and what is spiritually improper.

Lord God, your word sometimes uses metaphors to teach us spiritual truths. These are really, really helpful to us when trying to understand what You wish for us. But how can we understand the spiritual meanings unless we understand the metaphor first! As always, if we don’t know your word, we are ships tossed about on an unfriendly sea. Help us to desire your word more than our necessary food. And then open our minds to understanding it properly. Amen.

Sunday, 20 August 2017

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:6

The word “Therefore” is given as a summary of what has been said concerning the words of verses 1 through 5. He has spoken of the “times and the seasons” which includes the Day of the Lord, and which will come as a thief in the night. He has said that those who are of the night will find that sudden destruction will come upon them. He has said that because we are not of the night, but rather are “sons of light and sons of the day” that this Day will not overtake us as a thief. This does not mean, and it cannot be inferred from these words, that we can know specifically when the Day of the Lord is coming. Rather it means that we will not be ensnared by it, having a general understanding of the prophetic timeline as he has laid it out. Because of this, “Therefore.”

To build upon the “Therefore,” he then says, “let us not sleep, as others do.” What this means will be further defined in the coming verses. Now, he simply tells us to not sleep. It is a metaphor which doesn’t so much speak of sin, but rather of being careless in things pertaining to morality and spirituality. He speaks of sleep in this manner in Ephesians 5 –

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. ¹⁴ Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:8-14

Therefore, Paul’s words here are not speaking of us being aware of the “times and seasons” of verse 1 at all. It is speaking of our spiritual state as we await the Lord’s unfolding of those set and appointed moments which are known but to Him alone. Again, as is seen in the previous verses, there is nothing to suggest that we are going to be aware of the day of the rapture. The Lord has told us this, Paul has confirmed it, and so we are to be spiritually and morally awake as we await Him.

We are not to fall into the same state of indifference which is noted about unbelievers (noted here as “the others” – see verse 4:13) who state “peace and safety.” In so doing, as is common among the apostatizing liberal churches of today, they are being drawn back into being in the dark rather than remaining in the light. This is something Paul states, time and again, which can happen to believers who do not actively stay awake, immerse themselves in the word, and walk according to the doctrine he lays down for us.

This then is confirmed by the contrasting clause, “but let us watch and be sober.” In the next verse, Paul will use the literal example of sleeping and drinking until being drunk. After that, he will explain what that means in a moral and spiritual sense by telling us how to avoid it. We are to be calm, wakeful, circumspect, and morally grounded because of knowing and adhering to the word. In acting in this manner, we will always be ready for the Lord’s coming. It will not be a moment of sad surprise when it happens, but rather a moment of joyous surprise. This is what Paul’s words convey. They in no wise indicate that we should be predicting the rapture, but rather we are to be in constant anticipation of it.

How sad it is that those who predict the rapture, time and time again, are actually in violation of this very precept. To state in January that the rapture is coming in September, or from one year to the next, or on a date four years away (or whatever!) would then wholly violate the intent of Paul’s words. We are to be awake at all times, ever prepared for a moment which the Lord has reserved unto Himself alone.

Life application: What a sad and dangerous attitude it is to speculate on the day of the rapture and the subsequent unfolding timeline of the time of God’s wrath upon the earth. And what an incredible waste of time it is. It is good to know the broad outline of these things, teaching them as doctrine, but it is error to specify when that outline will be executed. Let the Lord be the Lord. When we stand before Him, there will be no boast that we knew what He knew about the timing of these unfolding events.

Lord God, help us to be patient in our wait upon You. You would ask us to remain sober and alert, not spiritually darkened to the events of the world around us. There is no “peace and safety” ahead for the world, but rather there is only going to continue to be a degradation of society until the day You call us out of it. Help us then to not get sucked into it and allow our morals to lapse. You have called us to holiness, and so help us to be holy. This to Your honor and glory, O God. Amen.