1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 - 1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
What does today’s passage say?
In today’s passage, Paul reminds believers that they are already aware Jesus will return unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, so they should live prepared and holy (vv. 1-3). Unlike those in darkness, followers of Christ are children of light who must stay awake and upright in faith, guided by God’s truth and righteousness rather than surrounding circumstances (vv. 4-8). All believers are destined for salvation, not wrath, so we should build each other up with love and good deeds until Christ returns to usher in His kingdom (vv. 9-11).
How can I apply 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 to my life?
Many of us have questions regarding the imminent return of Christ. When will it happen? What events will precede His glorious appearing? How can we be properly prepared? Paul directly addresses such inquiries in this passage, calling believers to live purposefully in light of that great day. He lays out key choices and actions distinguishing those eagerly anticipating Jesus’ return from those ambushed by it. The call is to ready our hearts and lifestyles through pursuing holiness, walking as enlightened children of the day, and mutually investing in fellow brothers and sisters. In a nutshell - less speculation about end times, more participation in Kingdom living! With Jesus' return imminent, we must examine and realign every part of lives to match the truth we claim to believe. We must encourage each other in righteous living that shines light, points to salvation, and brings Jesus honor. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. Be Prepared for The Lord's Return by Living Holy Lives (vv. 1-3): Paul says clearly that explaining future events regarding Christ's return is unnecessary, because followers of Jesus understand He will come suddenly like a thief in the darkest night. This shocking truth is a wake-up call: believers must live alert and prepared, with purified hearts to meet the King. What does such readiness require? First, nurturing our spirits through consistent scripture reading, prayer, and Christian fellowship. Second, earnestly asking the Holy Spirit to reveal areas needing change - apathetic faith, fruitless busyness, or thought patterns displeasing God. As the Spirit reveals, we must repent and realign with God’s righteousness. Third, by God's power, resist all temptations from secret sins to socially acceptable evils. Finally, we must continually yield ourselves to the Lord as vessels for good works glorifying God, serving others, and pointing them to salvation in Christ. In summary, living prepared for Christ's unexpected return requires lives wholly devoted to Him in dependency on the Spirit. This empowers us to walk blamelessly in holiness, not presuming unlimited time remains (2 Timothy 4:1-2, 1 Peter 1:13-16, Titus 2:11-13).
Food for thought: What areas of my life require realignment to God’s righteousness? Do my daily choices reflect readiness to meet my Savior?
2. Live as Children of Light, Walking in Faith and Love (vv. 4-8): Unlike unbelievers ambushed in darkest night by Christ's sudden return, followers belong to the light and day, enlightened by the truth. Therefore, we must live accordingly, as children of light bearing its fruits. Practically speaking, this means that we live wakeful, watchful lives fixed on Jesus and His truth, not distracted by circumstances. We remain grounded firmly in faith, hope and love - God's armor protecting our hearts and minds from losing sight of Christ. We must develop empathy and compassion toward others, remembering we too were once lost in darkness. Finally, we must speak truth with courage and grace, guiding lost souls toward the light of salvation. Let us live enlightened daytime lives that portray our true identity as children of the light. Let us cling to faith and love despite surrounding gloom. We should extend our hands in fellowship to those stumbling in darkness and graciously showing the way to Christ. Our preparedness comes not through fearful isolation, but from Spirit-empowered actions of love declaring Jesus our bright Morning Star! (Matthew 5:14, John 12:36, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Ephesians 5:1-2).
Food for thought: Does my lifestyle align more with surrounding darkness or the Kingdom light? Do I extend compassion to the lost, shining gospel light on their path to Jesus?
3. Build Each Other Up Through Love and Good Deeds While We Wait for Christ's Return (vv. 9-11): God destined believers not for wrath but salvation through Christ's death and resurrection. This living hope empowers us to faithfully build up fellow brothers and sisters while anticipating Jesus' return. We should actively participate in regular fellowship offering encouragement, comfort, and biblical wisdom to strengthen wavering faith. We must bear one another's burdens through compassionate service, helping carry loads too heavy for loners. Also, it means that we can lean into our Christian community during trials, allowing fellow believers to uplift spirits and reignite gospel hope. In all of this, by God's strength, we should pursue spiritual growth together - accountability to resist temptation, spurring each other toward perseverant good deeds done through selfless love. Believers should be devoted to collectively maturing in godliness while awaiting our redemption. No believer can thrive alone; we all require investment in Christ's body. We must continually love and serve each other, so that all may stand blameless when Christ returns on that coming day (Hebrews 10:24-25, Galatians 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, Matthew 25:31-46).
Food for thought: Do I invest in others' spiritual growth as much as my own? Am I utilizing Christian community to persevere in godliness?
Scripture makes clear Jesus could return at any moment without forewarning. Let this jolt us awake! We must be found living purposefully for God’s glory, walking blamelessly through Spirit-empowered holiness. Our lifestyles should showcase belonging to the light rather than surrounding darkness. And we must invest deeply in one another's spiritual growth - encouraging righteous perseverance until faith becomes sight on that day we see our Savior face to face. By God's grace, as empowered children of light, we will devote ourselves to holy readiness and mutual growth. As we do this, we can joyfully anticipate the breathtaking moment when we welcome back Jesus as He ushers in His everlasting Kingdom!
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would instill in me an awareness of Christ's imminent return. Empower me through Your Spirit to regularly examine my heart and life, repenting and removing any areas not aligned with Your standards of righteousness. Protect me from complacency or fruitless busyness that hinders readiness to meet Jesus face to face. I pray that You would give me discernment to walk fully in the light rather than be swayed by the darkness around me. Make me compassionate and courageous to extend the light of salvation to lost souls in need of a Savior and spur me to invest deeply in fellow believers for our mutual growth in godliness while awaiting the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 – “so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
Comments