Year 2, Day 289: 1 Thessalonians 5

The Day of The Lord

1 Thessalonians ends with a bang.  To be honest, it is quite a scary chapter if we think about it.  This chapter begins with a brief description about what the culture of the world will feel like when Christ returns as he went away.

The Day of the Lord.  This is an expression that shows Paul’s incredible grasp to reach back into his Old Testament training and pull it forward.  Paul is taking hundreds of years of prophetic orations and through the Holy Spirit reimagining and repainting the message for us.  He is taking an expression that people talked about in uncertainty – for Christ was not physically known to the Old Testament authors – and now speaking about it in far greater certainty because Christ is known far more certain.  So what can we learn?

First, we must remember that the expression “Day of the Lord” is one to be synonymous with judgment.  The Day of the Lord is almost always painted as the beginning of a very scary time.  Yes, scary for the righteous, too.  It is the beginning of the time when God will come and he will weigh creation in His balance.  It is the time when we will all have our guilt pronounced over us.  Thankfully, we who are in Christ – in His Messiah! – know that the pronouncement of guilt will not be the final pronouncement!

We also learn that Christ will be like a thief in the night.  Now, I hope everyone has heard sermons on how this is a description saying that the day will come upon us in such a way as many will be unprepared for it.  I hope we’ve all heard how Paul is trying to say that the Day of the Lord will sneak up on us.  In fact, I hope that we all remember that Jesus Himself used this analogy to describe the Day of the Lord.  See Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39.

What I hope we don’t miss is the warning that these images are intended to evoke.  Yes, they are a warning to non-believers that they don’t ever know how many days they have left before Christ returns and the Day of the Lord is upon them.  However, remember that the Bible wasn’t written to non-believers.  God’s Word is written to believers.  This warning is a warning first and foremost to those who believe.  We must not be caught napping!  We must not be caught in the end saying, “I wish I’d done more.”  We must not be caught when Christ returns saying that we should have been far more efficient with our time.  This warning is for us!

This is why Paul moves into the talk about being “sober” – that is, to be in control of our thoughts and capable of thinking.  We know enough to not be caught off-guard.  We know enough to hear God’s expectations and respond to them.  We know better than to choose the ways of our life that are all about us.  We are children of the light and we have every opportunity to live like it!  We are not destined for God’s wrath; we are destined for His salvation!  We should live like it.

Final Words

Then we get to Paul’s final words of instruction to the Thessalonians.  They are to honor those who are spiritually over them.  I would like to spend a few moments on this topic, but I also would like to do it recognizing that it may seem as though I am trying to be self-centered.  After all, I am a pastor.  So let me confess up front that if the next paragraph sounds self-aggrandizing, please forgive me.

It is difficult to reprove.  It is difficult to admonish.  Most leaders I know agonize over the words used to correct people underneath them.  Most leaders take that job quite seriously – and in truth don’t always do that task with complete confidence in how it will turn out.  Admonition is an incredibly risky proposition.  Therefore I really appreciate Paul’s words to call each other to respect those who admonish one another.  I know that I could stand to respect those who admonish me better than I do.

Then we have a wonderful list of traits.  Be at peace.  Admonish the lazy.  Encourage those whose motivation is fading.   Help the weak.  Be patient with all of the above.  That’s a great list of attributes, because this list speaks well of not judging one another but rather supporting and encouraging one another.

Then we are told to seek good.  We are told to rejoice always.  We are told to pray without ceasing.  We are told to give thanks.  We are told to be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit.  We are told to not despise when people bring God’s Word into our life, yet we are also told to test all teaching in our midst.  We are told to abstain from every evil.  This is a good list of spiritual discipline.

As I read through this chapter, I know that I can be inspired about many things.  I should be concerned about the Day of Lord.  I should be working towards it.  I should be concerned with admonishing people and lifting up the weak.  I should be concerned with a spiritual discipline.  I should be looking for the Holy Spirit.  There is much in this chapter to cause reflection in my life today.

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