Daily Devotional Saturday 14th September 2024
by William Moody1 Thessalonians 5
The Day of the Lord
5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,1 you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 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. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children2 of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 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. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Final Instructions and Benediction
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,3 encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 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. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Footnotes
[1] 5:1
Or brothers and sisters; also verses 4, 12, 14, 25, 26, 27
[2] 5:5Or sons; twice in this verse
[3] 5:14Or disorderly, or undisciplined (ESV)
Here we have continued teaching about Jesus’ Second Coming. When Paul says that He will come like ‘a thief’, he doesn’t mean quietly and secretly but rather when people don’t expect it (v1-2). People will be caught unawares, enjoying their life without God and thinking they are safe (v3).
The Christian is a person of the light (v4-5). They know Jesus is coming and they are to be watchful and to live in a manner so that they will not be ashamed (v6-8). This life is to be characterised by self-control, faith, love and hope of a life lived in a relationship with Christ (v10). It is first union and then daily communion with Christ that is key to living such a God-honouring life. Another crucial factor is the support and fellowship of other Christians (v11). Let us today seek to live as those who will not be ashamed if Jesus were to return in the middle of what we were doing.
Paul continues to teach about relating to others in the church. He says that those who work, lead and teach are to be respected not only if they deserve it, or because they liked, but ‘for their work’s sake’ (v12-13). They are to be supported as what they do is for Christ. Paul then deals with how they must act towards each other (v14-15).
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