1 Thessalonians Day 30

5:9-11

9: For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen! As believers, we know that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and will no longer face eternal judgment, but instead will praise our Father in heaven forever!

10: who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him.

Paul is referring to asleep as in those who have already died rather than those who are at rest for the night. I say this because of the context and because the Thessalonians had asked Paul about those who had already died and he had answered them earlier, but seems to be reiterating that they will also be with Christ.

11: Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

These words are meant to encourage and we as believers are supposed to encourage one another. We do not live this life alone. God has given us those around us, specifically fellow believers, to encourage and build us up just as we are supposed to be doing that for them as well. If we are not being encouraged, there are a few reasons:

we have not surrounded ourselves with believers
the believers around us are struggling in this area
we could be in sin and in a period of rebuke rather than encouragement and should repent so that we can be encouraged by God’s word

We should also strive to encourage other believers. As an introvert, this is particularly difficult for me because I’d rather keep quiet, but thankfully God uses His Spirit to prick my heart to encourage others (although I am not always good at listening.)

1 Thessalonians Day 29

5:6-8

6: So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Paul isn’t saying that we should be zombies who never sleep, but instead is referring to how we should not be idle and should keep watch. This is just like the parable that Jesus told of the 10 Virgins. They were awaiting their husband and five brought extra oil whereas five did not. The five who did not bring extra oil had to go buy more oil and while they were gone, the bridegroom came and took away the five who had brought extra oil. The lesson in the story is to keep watch since we do not know when Christ will come (Matthew 25:1-13.)

7-8: 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.

We are also to live in the light because we are supposed to live in righteousness and not the path of wickedness. Verse eight may remind you a little of the Armor of God found in Ephesians, but a little different. Paul is meaning in this passage that we should be vigilant and look out and have faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

We are to be vigilant and on the look out because although we don’t know the day or the hour, we do know that Jesus is coming again. We are to live in the light as we wait and watch.

Apology

I apologize for not posting for almost a week. It has been a busy week and I lost track. I’ve almost finished the rest of 1 Thessalonians and hope to have finished writing them by the end of the day (although they’ll come out in daily doses.)

After I’ve finished this study, I will take a short break until December (possibly posting a few things between the end of the study and beginning of December.) I plan to work on a Christmas study and have it ready so that I don’t miss as many days as I did during this study.

Thank you all who are reading and I hope that God has been able to use this blog to encourage you!

1 Thessalonians Day 28

5:4-5

4: But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

Paul is saying that as believers, we should know that the day of the Lord is coming and should not be surprised when it comes (suggesting that we should be looking out for it.)

5: For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

We have been given knowledge and understanding.

The day of the Lord is coming and we should be watching for it because we know it is true and have been told what to look for.

1 Thessalonians Day 27

5:1-3

1-2: 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.

Paul is continuing his train of thought from the end of chapter four. He is reminding the Thessalonians about what they already know concerning the end times.

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.

I don’t think I fully understood this verse until I experienced labor pains myself. One minute you’re fine and dandy and the next minute you have searing pain rippling across your back and stomach. I’ve read multiple passages where the end times are compared to labor pains. This is because they come on suddenly and progress to be closer and closer together until the child is born. Just as a woman cannot predict when labor will start, we cannot predict when destruction (and the second coming of Christ) will arrive.

1 Thessalonians Day 26

Chapter 4 Review

Paul and Silas showed and told the Thessalonians how to walk in a way that pleases God. They urged the Thessalonians to continue in that way. Paul tells them (and us) to abstain from sexual immorality and to have self control with holiness and honor. He also says that we should strive to not transgress our brother and the Lord is the avenger. God has called us to holiness. We should grow in brotherly love and one day the Lord will come and call up those who are believers. The ones who die before He comes will see Him first, while those still living will be called up to meet Him. These things should encourage us.

1 Thessalonians Day 25

4:17-18

17: Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

When Jesus returns a second time, those who have not died will be caught up in the clouds with Him and we will live with Him forever in heaven!

18: Therefore encourage one another with these words.

This is encouraging, especially during trials. We can be reminded that we will see loved ones again and that we have something else to look forward to: eternity with God! No matter what happens on earth, we will find ourselves in heaven where there is no mourning or pain. This is why Paul can say, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” – Philippians 1:21.

1 Thessalonians Day 24

4:15-16

15: For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Those who have died will enter into heaven first.

16: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

This is a verse that supports the idea of “soul sleep” that I mentioned yesterday. I’ve heard some people explain this as referring to those who are in Christ through the Old Covenant (the people who believed in the coming Messiah, but died before He came.) I’m not as confident in my interpretation of this passage as I would like to be and hope to study more about the second coming of Christ and how that all works. What I can tell you with confidence is 1) Jesus is coming again 2) those who believe in Him will be taken up to heaven 3) those who have died before Jesus’ return will be in heaven first. This subject is on my list of things that I wish to study further, but we’ll all fully understand it when Jesus does return!

1 Thessalonians Day 23

4:13-14

13: But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope

The Thessalonians had questions about those who died before Jesus’ return and Paul is answering them. Paul is saying that we have hope for those who have died before Jesus’ return.

14: For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

This presents the conundrum of whether or not we join Christ in heaven immediately after death. This verse appears to say that we rest in what people call “soul sleep” until Jesus returns and calls us to Him. Other verses suggest that we immediately go to Him in heaven when we die. Two options regarding this is that either our souls go directly to heaven and our bodies come later or we immediately go into heaven with our new bodies. I lean towards the last option due to other passages in Scripture, such as Jesus telling the thief on the cross that he would be with Him today in paradise.

Whichever understanding you agree with, we can all agree that Jesus will bring us to heaven to be with Him if we die before He returns. As Christians, we know that we will be with Him in heaven for eternity. The flip side is those who do not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be in hell for eternity. We must pray for the lost so that they will be saved and can be with God for eternity.

1 Thessalonians Day 22

4:11-12

11: and aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.

When Paul mentions living quietly, he doesn’t mean that we should take a vow of silence and never make another peep. Instead he means that we shouldn’t seek to be loud and boisterous. We are to not be in everyone’s business (which can be quite hard with today’s social media.) This doesn’t mean that we can’t keep up with people, but that we shouldn’t seek to always put our insight into whatever pops up on our Facebook feed or when people are telling us their problems. We also shouldn’t be nosy people. As for the working with their hands, Paul most likely is meaning that they shouldn’t be lazy people and should work rather than taking handouts (if they are able, there are some people who are unable to work.)

12: so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Paul wants the Thessalonians to do the things mentioned previously so that the will be without reproach. Others will look at them and see that they are hard working and notice how they seek to honor God by their actions.

I personally like to know what is going on in people’s lives and have needed to learn how to step back and say that it is not any of my business. If they want to tell me, that is their own decision, not mine. It is also a good reminder that I’m not supposed to be slothful and lay around doing nothing all day. We were created to work (look at Genesis 1 and 2) and will find the most satisfaction in doing what we were created to do: love God and honor Him.