The times and seasons - the exact and the non-exact date - are hidden from us completely, so that no man, not even the Son of Man, knows the day and the hour - “But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night” (vs1-2). We cannot be sure, but here are things we can be sure of, or signs of the times:
1. It will come as a surprise and take all who are not ready. Believers won’t know when He’s coming, but we’ll be looking for Him by faith, living as commanded: we wait in hope and hope reveals itself in conduct, like a man waits for his wife in faithfulness.
2. When unbelievers are confident they’re safe without God, when Christ in the truth of His gospel is ignored without prick of conscience, then they’ll die in their sins with blasphemy in their mouth - “For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (vs3).
3. The brethren are taught to be ready. I know He may come for me at any moment, so I prepare by faith and obedience to meet Him. I live pleasing to Him for His glory, so that when He returns, He sees me believing - “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (vs4).
We are God’s children, enlightened and living for Christ. We have the Spirit to teach and equip us NOW, and we’re ready to meet Him in peace.
There is no need to prepare, no last minute arrangements, and no turning up the radio to blind the thoughts of Judgment. We TRUST Christ, love Him, and love His people - “You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (vs5).
4. Others are unprepared, but STIR yourself up and be ready: don’t play with your eternal soul. This isn’t something I can fix after the Day is set and I’m before God. I cannot plea bargain or ask for another chance: this is once in eternity, and we must treat it as such, even though others don’t - “Therefore, let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night [unprepared]; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night [overly in love with this world] (vs6-7).
Don’t let their BLINDNESS make you blind, or their indifference make you live for yourself instead of Christ. Don’t say, “They’re having fun, and I’m not” and join in the wickedness because the Judgment is no longer pressing to you. Be ready always, even if the world lives ignorantly. Meet God as one prepared, not as a fool. Live for eternity in thankfulness - rather than over-indulgence in this world - perfecting FAITH and love down here. Live as seeing the Invisible - “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has 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” (vs8-10).
(a) We need faith to make it: believe on the Lord and keep on believing. Never stop. We are not to START only, but to FINISH is the goal: keep on walking by faith, trusting His good news.
(b) Love each other. As you need love, you will need faith. If we don’t need love, then our faith will be fleshly, and we’ll take “forgiveness” without cleansing, which is delusion. But, if I must LOVE you, then I’ll believe God to cleanse me so I can.
(c) Keep hoping in what is real. The God of everlasting judgment has DECREED from eternity that we’d be blessed and never cursed. Therefore, live in knowledge of your calling, knowing heaven is sure for you. Don’t put it out of your mind as if it is something to be earned; remember it’s God’s gift, He gave it to you, and He’ll see you to the end.
(d) This is through Christ only. No need to go anywhere else for strength, hope, power, or a reason for His love. He gives it FREELY for Christ’s sake, so receive it freely. The blood is the confidence of the believing, and it PRODUCES the persevering faithfulness that we need. To be godly we ALWAYS look to God in Christ, reconciled to us.
5. Let’s help and encourage each other - “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and build up one another, even as also you do” (vs11). Christianity is no individual sport. Your relationship with God manifests itself in your love to His church; it REVEALS who you are. Don’t say, “I’m OK” and care not for others. Being OK = love, and love = caring for others, encouraging, supporting, and building up His church.
FINALLY
Know your teachers, leaders, pastors, and elders. Know them intimately in love for their works’ sake - “And we beg you, brothers, 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. Be at peace among yourselves” (vs12-13). Don’t just know their names, or know when they preach, or even know their message, but know THEM, so that you love them obediently to the word.
They labor to preach the gospel, being SENT by God, and they’re known by their labors, so that what they preach is God-taught from them to you. He doesn’t teach the lazy, so He sets men aside to labor in His word, labor to preach it FAITHFULLY, and labor to see results. This labor is to be rewarded by love, not disrespect or light-esteem. They have headship, and many can’t abide authority, but God gives authority in every area of life. We SUBMIT one to another, we submit wife to husband, children to parents, church to pastor, people to government, etc. God bows us to Christ, and then we bow to others in response (1 Cor 11:3).
Don’t be mad at admonishment; it is par for the course and part of godly ministers’ job. They must tell you “Thus says the Lord” faithfully, and wherever we’re wrong, they correct with authority. They are NOT to say, “All is well”, but they are to show you how all shall be well and how to improve.
Where there is order and proper estimation of men, there is also God-given peace. Pastors are not lords to be blindly followed, but as servants of the Most High, they TEACH and lead by example in what we are to do (1 Thess 5:13). Having learned HOW to live, we have peace living God’s way.
1. It will come as a surprise and take all who are not ready. Believers won’t know when He’s coming, but we’ll be looking for Him by faith, living as commanded: we wait in hope and hope reveals itself in conduct, like a man waits for his wife in faithfulness.
2. When unbelievers are confident they’re safe without God, when Christ in the truth of His gospel is ignored without prick of conscience, then they’ll die in their sins with blasphemy in their mouth - “For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (vs3).
3. The brethren are taught to be ready. I know He may come for me at any moment, so I prepare by faith and obedience to meet Him. I live pleasing to Him for His glory, so that when He returns, He sees me believing - “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (vs4).
We are God’s children, enlightened and living for Christ. We have the Spirit to teach and equip us NOW, and we’re ready to meet Him in peace.
There is no need to prepare, no last minute arrangements, and no turning up the radio to blind the thoughts of Judgment. We TRUST Christ, love Him, and love His people - “You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (vs5).
4. Others are unprepared, but STIR yourself up and be ready: don’t play with your eternal soul. This isn’t something I can fix after the Day is set and I’m before God. I cannot plea bargain or ask for another chance: this is once in eternity, and we must treat it as such, even though others don’t - “Therefore, let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night [unprepared]; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night [overly in love with this world] (vs6-7).
Don’t let their BLINDNESS make you blind, or their indifference make you live for yourself instead of Christ. Don’t say, “They’re having fun, and I’m not” and join in the wickedness because the Judgment is no longer pressing to you. Be ready always, even if the world lives ignorantly. Meet God as one prepared, not as a fool. Live for eternity in thankfulness - rather than over-indulgence in this world - perfecting FAITH and love down here. Live as seeing the Invisible - “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has 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” (vs8-10).
(a) We need faith to make it: believe on the Lord and keep on believing. Never stop. We are not to START only, but to FINISH is the goal: keep on walking by faith, trusting His good news.
(b) Love each other. As you need love, you will need faith. If we don’t need love, then our faith will be fleshly, and we’ll take “forgiveness” without cleansing, which is delusion. But, if I must LOVE you, then I’ll believe God to cleanse me so I can.
(c) Keep hoping in what is real. The God of everlasting judgment has DECREED from eternity that we’d be blessed and never cursed. Therefore, live in knowledge of your calling, knowing heaven is sure for you. Don’t put it out of your mind as if it is something to be earned; remember it’s God’s gift, He gave it to you, and He’ll see you to the end.
(d) This is through Christ only. No need to go anywhere else for strength, hope, power, or a reason for His love. He gives it FREELY for Christ’s sake, so receive it freely. The blood is the confidence of the believing, and it PRODUCES the persevering faithfulness that we need. To be godly we ALWAYS look to God in Christ, reconciled to us.
5. Let’s help and encourage each other - “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and build up one another, even as also you do” (vs11). Christianity is no individual sport. Your relationship with God manifests itself in your love to His church; it REVEALS who you are. Don’t say, “I’m OK” and care not for others. Being OK = love, and love = caring for others, encouraging, supporting, and building up His church.
FINALLY
Know your teachers, leaders, pastors, and elders. Know them intimately in love for their works’ sake - “And we beg you, brothers, 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. Be at peace among yourselves” (vs12-13). Don’t just know their names, or know when they preach, or even know their message, but know THEM, so that you love them obediently to the word.
They labor to preach the gospel, being SENT by God, and they’re known by their labors, so that what they preach is God-taught from them to you. He doesn’t teach the lazy, so He sets men aside to labor in His word, labor to preach it FAITHFULLY, and labor to see results. This labor is to be rewarded by love, not disrespect or light-esteem. They have headship, and many can’t abide authority, but God gives authority in every area of life. We SUBMIT one to another, we submit wife to husband, children to parents, church to pastor, people to government, etc. God bows us to Christ, and then we bow to others in response (1 Cor 11:3).
Don’t be mad at admonishment; it is par for the course and part of godly ministers’ job. They must tell you “Thus says the Lord” faithfully, and wherever we’re wrong, they correct with authority. They are NOT to say, “All is well”, but they are to show you how all shall be well and how to improve.
Where there is order and proper estimation of men, there is also God-given peace. Pastors are not lords to be blindly followed, but as servants of the Most High, they TEACH and lead by example in what we are to do (1 Thess 5:13). Having learned HOW to live, we have peace living God’s way.
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