Monthly Archive for July, 1999

1 Thessalonians 5:8

Published on July 31, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“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“

Paul now introduces the metaphor of the armour of a soldier to establish the believer’s spiritual armour (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; 4:7).

But let us who are of the day be sober,

Paul appeals to the Thessalonians on the basis that they are “of the day.” Christians live according to the norms of the Christian day, not the Devil’s night.

The idea of “sober” here refers spiritual stability. Paul repeats this idea for emphasis (5:6), not for padding. Being of the day is not enough for Christians to withstand darkness. They must understand the importance of having a cool and collected attitude toward temptation. Being “sober” has nothing to do with being gloomy and sad. There is nothing in the Bible against humour.

putting on

Christians must don their spiritual armour. The words “putting on” are the normal words for attiring oneself with clothes. If we are going to institute stability into our lives, we must put on our spiritual armour. God will not do this for us. This is our responsibility.

the breastplate of faith and love,

Paul argues for putting on two pieces of armour in particular: the breastplate and helmet. The “breastplate” consists of two parts in front and back, that protect the body on both sides, from the neck to the middle of the body. This piece of armour protects the chest against blows and arrows. In ancient times the breastplate covered a soldier’s vital organs. The modern-day equivalent is the bulletproof vest.

Paul’s breastplate has two features: faith and love. “Faith” and “love” may allude to the two parts of the breastplate. The first piece of armour is the faith that protects the affections or heart. Unbelief strikes hardest at the heart, so Paul mentions it first. The downfall of those without Christ is that they “believed not the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:12). If we live by faith, this will keep us “sober” — spiritually stable in spiritual war. Faith will enable us to stand against those who would undermine what we believe.

The other side of the breastplate is love. God pronounces a curse on those without Christ, because they love not the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:22). Believers, on the other hand, have a very special reward because they love Christ’s appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). A heart full of love will arm us against broken relationships. It will stabilize relationships and promote accountability, thus reducing the chances that people will steer into apostasy.

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:11-12).


Principle:

God provides two pieces of spiritual armour to protect us vertically and horizontally.


Application:

Faith and love protect believers against vertical problems and horizontal problems. Faith protects our ability to trust God when we’re in difficulty. Love protects our relationships. If we trust God, we will love people. These two graces will enable us to fortify ourselves in the Christian life. Faith and love are our armour against satanic influences.

1 Thessalonians 5:7

Published on July 30, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night“

Watching God’s prophetic program is no mysterious or obscure truth (5:6). It is profound because it is so simple. As a universal principle, it is evident in the everyday life of men as we seen in this verse.

For those who sleep, sleep at night,

The sleepers here are those without Christ. Sleeping by day was a sign of great laziness in the first century. Non-Christians are night people. They live in the dark.

and those who get drunk are drunk at night

Both sleepers and drunkards operate in the night because of shame. They are people of the dark.

Christians are people of the day, not night people. Our behaviour bears the light of day. Therefore, the Christian must stay alert to God’s program. The Christian anticipates what God will do in the Rapture and the Day of the Lord.


Principle:

Believers must orient to God’s prophetic program.


Application:

Non-Christians have a commonality. They are night people. Operating in the night is a natural analogy to parallel spiritual truth. Only with the exception of those who throw away all decency to the winds choose to carouse by daylight (2 Peter 2:13). Those without Christ are nightlife people. They may not actually go to all the parties but their hearts do.

Night people will enter the Day of the Lord, a day of darkness. The church will not go into that day. The believer must orient to his own dispensation, a day of light. He expects the Rapture and the coming Day of the Lord. The very fact that the Christian is of the day, in the nature of the case, compels him to be sober, to maintain a cool and collected attitude so that he stands on guard in a wicked world.

1 Thessalonians 5:6c

Published on July 29, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober“

and be sober

Spiritual apathy to God’s program for the future will bring spiritual instability. The idea of “sober” is to be free from excess and imprudence. This well-balanced and self-controlled person is circumspect about God’s viewpoint on life. A sober person refrains from carnality. When it comes to spiritual things, a believer must be in control of his thought processes and freedom from irrational thinking. Self-control is at the core of spiritual strength. Christians need to know how to restrain and moderate themselves.

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5 ).

Christians should never lose sight of God’s prophetic program but should live in the light of the reality of what God is doing in the world. Satanic movements and influences do not seduce a sober-oriented believer.

Spiritual poise refuses to be rattled by a unsteady age fast getting out of control. This is the sane perspective of those not clouded by scholarly rationalism, theological compromise or worldly orthodoxy. Many Christians today buy into the world system. They believe they can fulfil themselves by self-indulgence.


Principle:

Spiritual-minded believers maintain a sane viewpoint on life.


Application:

Pseudo security of spiritual sloth will put us in danger. Be on guard against spiritual indifference. A believer who has the viewpoint of God on prophecy has a sane outlook on the future. He knows that God has a plan. He knows everything is in control.

God expects believers to behave in keeping with their prerogatives and status as Christians. God gives to us special revelation about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord in the Bible. Prophecy is not for the carnal or curious. All prophecy has a practical, spiritual lesson to teach.

1 Thessalonians 5:6b

Published on July 28, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober“

but let us watch

Paul sets “watch” in contrast to “sleep.” “Watch” signifies not simply absence of spiritual sleep but a determination to keep awake spiritually. Instead of indifference to spiritual things, the believer should vigilantly stay alert to God’s plan. Those who fail to watch will suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:15; 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Like a sentinel, Christians are to be on alert. Determined wakefulness alerts us to the dangers and urgency of God’s plan.

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving…” (Colossians 4:2).


Principle:

Determination to stay on top of prophecy will impact our spiritual lives.


Application:

The antithesis to spiritual stupor is a spiritual determination to stay in tune with God’s plan for the future. Christians should be fully awake to the dulling effects of immorality, indulgence, carnality, corruption and covetousness of a dying, God-defying age. They refuse to succumb to the opiate of materialism.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

1 Thessalonians 5:6

Published on July 27, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober“

Paul now turns to the practical implications of the day of the Lord.

Therefore

Now we come to the punch line for prophecy. The word “therefore” draws an emphatic, inescapable conclusion to the doctrine of the teaching on the coming Day of the Lord. Paul draws the upshot of this truth to our personal lives. It is out of character for the believer to live in the night (5:5) because darkness is foreign to his character.

Paul now gives a number of directives to the believers in Thessalonica that the Holy Spirit intends for us today.

let us not sleep,

The first exhortation of how a believer should carry himself is to stay awake spiritually. “Sleep” here refers to carnal indifference to spiritual things by believers (Ephesians 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). This is a condition of insensibility to God’s values.

as others do,

The “others” are those who do not know the Lord (4:13). They do not have a single ray of light from the Lord to beckon them on. They live their lives in hopeless despair and indulgence. They live as if Christ will never return and that they will never experience the awful day of wrath. Like the foolish virgins of Jesus’ parable they sleep in spiritual unpreparedness (Matthew 25:5). They are indifferent due to stupor and sloth of sin.


Principle:

Staying alert to prophecy enables Christians to stay spiritually alert.


Application:

Carnal Christians are usually dull to prophetic things. They show little interest in things to come. However, the Bible has much to say about the correlation between prophecy and godly living. We cannot help but be sensitive to God’s values when we anticipate what God is going to do in the future.

1 Thessalonians 5:5

Published on July 26, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness“

You are all sons of light and sons of the day.

Note that Paul does not say, “You are all sons in light and sons in the day” but ” of the light” and “of the day.” The issue is not where they are but who they are. It is not a matter of environment but of origin and source. The Christian lives in the orb of light and day. Status as sons of light and of the day carries privilege.

“Sons of light” denotes that a person partakes of and possesses the character of his origin or derivation just as a child takes after his parent. God characterizes sons of light as to their nature. Christians are inevitably light. Sons of light are also sons of day when light rules supreme.

God deems “all” Christians as light, not just some.

We are not of the night nor of darkness

The coming Day of the Lord is a day of darkness, a day of wrath. Christians will not participate in that day.Paul changes from “you” to “we.” We were sons of the night and darkness.


Principle:

Christians are inevitably light.


Application:

Regardless of the state of the Christian, he is the personal responsibility of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian is a personal representative of the Lord Jesus on earth. We are here for the purpose of glorifying Him through the witness of our life and lips. Every believer is in full-time service, a priest of the Lord Jesus. We are here to represent the Lord Jesus.

We might say, “I have failed Him and do not deserve to serve Him.” However, we represent Him for good or bad. We remain His ambassadors here. We are lights in the world (Matthew 5:14) because He is the “light of the world” (John 1:1-9; 8:12; 9:5). Jesus was the light as long as He was on the earth.

“…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:15).

Many Christians do not give out very much light. That is why the world is so dark.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…” (Ephesians 5:8).

God illumines Christians. Some of us give out more light than others. Christians are lighthouses that war against of the shoals of hell and shine light on eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 5:4

Published on July 25, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief“

But you, brethren,

Christians stand in stark contrast to those without Christ [the "they" of verse 3]. The coming Day of the Lord will not surprise them.

are not in darkness,

Paul previously told the Thessalonians about the coming Day of the Lord so they were not in the dark about that day. God takes Christians into His confidence about future things. Non-Christians live in deluded darkness about that day.

so that this Day

Christians will not participate in the beginning of the Day of the Lord, the Tribulation (5:9-10).

should overtake you as a thief

The word “overtake” properly signifies to lay hold of; then, to lay hold of so as to possess as one’s own, to appropriate, apprehend, overtake. Jesus will have already raptured the church by the Day of the Lord (4:13-18). That is why this day will not overtake them.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial [the seven year Tribulation] which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).


Principle:

God discriminates between what He does with believers and non-believers.


Application:

God always makes a distinction between His people and the non-Christian. We cannot emphasize this distinction too strongly. God will translate the Christian to heaven at the Rapture. God will leave non-Christians on earth to go into the Day of the Lord.

The children of the Light have knowledge about the coming dark day. They are in the light about God’s purpose.

The Day of the Lord is when the Lord returns to earth in great glory to judge the world. He will make things right in that day. First, He will bring great judgment on the earth during the Tribulation. Then, in His Second Coming, He will come back with the saints to establish His Kingdom on earth for 1,000 years. The Day of the Lord includes both the Tribulation and Kingdom.

“…and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

1 Thessalonians 5:3b

Published on July 24, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape“

then sudden destruction comes upon them,

“Destruction” means come to ruin. This is a state of utter ruin but not annihilation, a loss of all that humans think makes life worthwhile. It is not destruction of being but of well-being. Destruction ruins peace and safety. In our verse and in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul uses “destruction” for ushering in the Day of the Lord. Destruction will come suddenly. God’s wrath will come to the world when they least expect it.

Operating under the myth that they have come to a place of “peace and safety,” humans will suddenly face “destruction.” This destruction “comes upon” them. The words “come upon” mean to stand over, to set upon. The idea may be that this destruction is at hand but has not fully arrived. Destruction is near, imminent, approaching and impending.

as labour pains upon a pregnant woman.

Destruction will come upon the world like pangs of a pregnant woman giving birth. The idea is that this is great pain. Calamities will come upon men in Day of the Lord. When the Day of the Lord comes, the world will be pregnant with pain.

And they shall not escape

No one will be able to escape judgment in the Day of the Lord. The word “escape” means to flee out of a place. No one will escape the judgment of God. They will find no safety in flight. There is no place to go. There is no refuge from God.

The word “not” is strong in the Greek so to flee will be futile. There is no way to avoid God’s judgment. They can no more escape destruction any more than a pregnant woman can escape the pain of delivering her child.

Jesus warned us that people would not listen to warnings of the Day of the Lord (Matthew 24:34). We have a warning of prophetic pain in this passage. The coming Day of the Lord will be terrible for those without Christ.


Principle:

Non-Christians live under the delusion that man by man’s means will give them peace and safety.


Application:

In the Tribulation, the world will be shocked at the instability of human answers. Humanism, not humanitarianism, is the idea that man can get along without God. Man can find answers in himself. He does not need God. “The idea of God is for the feeble-minded and for those who need a crutch to lean upon. We know how to control our destiny. We know how to solve the world’s problems without God. We do not need Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. All we need to do is believe in ourselves.” Man lulls himself to sleep with these delusions.

About the time that man comes to a place of complete confidence in himself, a fancied fool’s paradise, then all his ideas for peace and safety come crashing down in complete destruction. They will face judgment of God and that without escape.

All of this stands in diametrically opposed to the Rapture. Christ will catch Christians up and away from this destruction (4:13-18).

1 Thessalonians 5:3

Published on July 23, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape“

Paul now explains in what sense unbelievers left on earth after the Rapture will resemble unsuspecting victims of a thief. Just at the moment they least expect it, judgment will fall upon them.

For when they say, “Peace and safety!”

Paul does not include himself among those in this verse. He views them as “they.” This third-person pronoun refers to those left in the Tribulation after the Rapture. The church will not experience this “sudden destruction.” Paul contrasts believers with non-believers in the next verse (4:4).

Elsewhere, the Bible tells us what brings this delusion of peace. In the Tribulation, a world ruler signs a seven-year contract (Daniel 9:27) wherein the world expects world peace. This is a peace of outward social and political conditions such as will exist at the first part of Daniel’s 70th week. It will seem that mankind achieved inward peace of mind and outward one-world stability.

In the beginning of the Day of the Lord, that is, in the beginning of the Tribulation period, people will say, “Peace and safety!” This slogan spreads around the world.

Peace refers to inward tranquility of mind. The word “safety” means not liable to fall, to be firm. They are under the delusion that man has come to a place of world peace so they are safe from any form of danger.

The word “when” indicates that non-Christians will say this right up to the moment of disaster. While they repeat their slogan “Peace and safety!” destruction comes on them.


Principle:

World peace is a delusion without Christ.


Application:

Political and religious organizations that pawn off the idea of world peace will delude the world at the beginning of the Day of the Lord. They will attempt to disarm the world. Man left to human nature in the raw will reap the pain of that fantasy.

World peace has always been the pipe dream of man without God. There is no true peace without peace with God. Legislation cannot change the heart of man. The only way to change the world is to change the heart of man. Any other approach is an illusion.

The delusion of world-peace is the great apostasy throughout the world at the beginning of the Tribulation period. There will be an attempt not only to disarm people by state and nationally but there will be an attempt to disarm people worldwide. People will utter maudlin platitudes about peace. There is no peace apart from the person of Christ.

“For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11).

1 Thessalonians 5:2

Published on July 22, 1999 in 1 Thessalonians. 0 Comments
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“For you yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night“

Someone told the Thessalonians that they were in the Tribulation because they suffered such persecution. Paul writes chapter 5 to clarify this point.

For you yourselves know perfectly

The Thessalonians knew “perfectly” that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night. The word “perfectly” indicates that they gained knowledge of the Day of the Lord from the accurate teaching of the Old Testament by Paul. Paul was careful in his interpretation of the Old Testament. The root for “perfectly” means pointed. Paul accurately, exactly, pointedly and precisely expounded the Bible. He paid close attention to details when he read the Bible. He conformed strictly to norms and standards of detail when it came to the Word. Since Paul taught the Bible accurately, the Thessalonians understood it “perfectly,” or better, precisely.

that the day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord refers to both the Tribulation period of seven years and the Millennium [1000 years], thus; the Day of the Lord covers 1007 years. This is the time when the Lord will sovereignly and directly intervene into the affairs of man. Old Testament prophets expounded this day (Isaiah 13:9-11; Joel 2:28-32; Zephaniah 1:14-18; 3:14-15). This time will commence after the Rapture.The Day of the Lord does not necessarily come immediately after the Rapture but it follows as the next event in God’s prophetic plan. We know the Day of the Lord occurs after the Rapture because, sequentially, chapter 5 follows chapter 4.

so comes as a thief

Every time the New Testament refers to the Lord’s coming as a thief, it refers to the Day of the Lord or the Second Coming, not the Rapture. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief who does not send an engraved invitation that he is coming. We do not say, “I understand that a thief is coming tomorrow morning at 2:00 am. We better prepare ourselves.” A thief is different from a robber. A robber openly takes what he wants by brute force. A thief steals in secret or by fraud. The thief does not openly announce his designs. He comes unexpectedly when his victim is totally unprepared. Paul adds shock to the unforeseen.

in the night

A thief comes when people are asleep. This day will be both a surprise and sudden to those living at that time. The New Testament describes both the Rapture and the Day of the Lord as sudden comings.

Paul does not concern himself with what happens in the Day of the Lord as such over this period of 1007 years. His sole interest is how it begins. That is why he refers to this period as beginning in the same manner as a thief in the night. The way it will come is very important for its manner of coming determines what sort of day it is. The way it comes also tells what it has to do with the church, if anything!


Principle:

The church will not enter the Tribulation period.


Application:

The arrival of the Day of the Lord is quite different from the Rapture. In the Day of the Lord, a hostile, unknown thief comes to destroy. In the Rapture, the Lord Himself comes to deliver the church.

No one ever gains by the call of a thief. There is only loss and grief. The Bible flatly contradicts any notion that the Lord Jesus will come to the true believer as a pillaging thief (5:4). The Rapture will be eternal gain, not loss. However, when the Day of the Lord comes, unbelievers stand to lose everything they hold dear. All their material gains will be lost (Revelation 17,18).