1 Thessalonians 5
Verses 1-3. The beginning of this chapter connects with chapter 4:14, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
This is the coming of the Lord with His saints, at or near the end of the great tribulation period, and surely it will be terrible for godless, Christ rejecting souls (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 12:40; 17:24, 21:26, 27, 3640Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luke 12:40)).
In Revelation 3:33Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3) we see that they who are godless professors in the church, left behind when the Lord comes for His saints, will share in that judgment when He comes as a thief in the night. Some will be dwelling in fancied security; some will fear and tremble for what is coming on the earth (Luke 21:10, 1110Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:10‑11)).
Verses 4-7. “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
How blessed this is! We have everything out; nothing to hide, and a life given us that hates darkness and distance from God. We now can delight in His presence. Yet we need the exhortation because the flesh, sin, is in us still, we will not get rid of that till our bodies are changed, but we are not its servants now.
“Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.” Spiritual sloth, and indulging in pleasures, are fleshly lusts which war against the soul (1 Peter 2:1111Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11)).
Verses 8-11. “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”
This is the armor for the wilderness for our journey through Satan’s world. Faith and love and hope—three qualities of our new life as children of God.
Faith connects us with God and His Word, that reveals the Lord Jesus to our souls, so that we can have communion with the Father and the Son.
Love is also what has laid hold of us, and is in us toward God and our Lord Jesus and to the saints, and toward the world for their good.
Hope of Salvation is our helmet that covers our head. Hope has laid hold of the promise of His coming, and of our being with Him. There is no uncertainty about this our blessed hope (See Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)). And in the loving confidence we thus have, we can say,
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
Salvation here is our full deliverance. We belong to the Lord. “He died for us, so that whether we ‘wake,’ that is, are alive when He comes, or whether we ‘sleep,’ it is the same result, we shall live together with Him.” This we saw in chapter 4:16, 17.
“Wherefore encourage one another, and build up each one the other, even as also ye do.”
Verses 12, 13. “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you: and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.”
There is no mention of office here: it is more shepherding and caring for them to guide them aright, that they might grow in grace (See chapter 2:7, 11). “Be at peace among yourselves” is a word we often need.
Verses 14, 15. “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all (men).”
How we need to be in the presence of God, and our hearts in love bearing each other up. Communion with God is the power, and His Word the guide in so doing.
They were never to render evil for evil unto any man or person, but ever to follow that which is good, both among themselves and to all. And then what precious words follow,
Verse 16. “Rejoice evermore” (Phil. 4:44Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)). We have so much to be glad over, that even amid sorrow we can rejoice in the Lord.
Verse 17. “Pray without ceasing.” In communion with the Lord, is where the soul finds relief, speaking to God, unburdening our souls to Him. Our times are in His hand.
Verse 18. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
O help us Lord, to observe these little verses with diligent endeavor to carry them out!
Verse 19. “Quench not the Spirit.” They were not to hinder the action of the Spirit in their midst, nor despise what He said.
Verses 20-21. “Despise not prophesying” (Compare 1 Cor. 14:33But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (1 Corinthians 14:3)). We may quench the Spirit by not speaking when God gives us the Word; or we might refuse to hear the Word spoken to us by God. In either case we would quench the Spirit. We are to prove all things; and hold fast that which is good—good advice and easily understood.
Verse 22. “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” It really means every form of evil.
Verse 23. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and (I pray God) your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is the only passage where man is thus expressed.
In the soul, our affections and desires are expressed.
In our spirit, it is our mind and intelligence. The body is the tent the soul dwells in.
“The Holy Spirit then wills that man, reconciled with God, should be consecrated, in every part of his being, to the God who has brought him into relationship with Himself by the revelation of His love, and by the work of His grace, and that nothing in the man should admit an object beneath the divine nature of which he is partaker; so that he should thus be preserved blameless unto the coming of Christ.”
This consecration is to be carried out in our every relationship of life (as in Eph. 5:2121Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:21) to 6:9). And for this we can count on God for grace and wisdom and strength in dependence on Him. This is our practical day by day sanctification in our behavior.
Verse 24. “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” Let us then gladly submit to Him in all our ways, that He may work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:1313For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)).
Verse 25. “Brethren, pray for us.” How much we all need this!
Verse 26. His loving salutation as in Eastern countries.
Verse 27. All the brethren are to read this epistle.
Verse 28. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”