For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Jesus is coming back to consummate His kingdom. We do not know exactly when that will happen, date or time. But, He could come at any moment. Paul unfolds what that means for Christians, in Thessalonica and today. We are to live as children of the light, men and women who understand that Jesus’ return is on the horizon. We are to put on the armor of God, growing in faith, hope, and love as we become more and more like Christ. Yes, we are to live lives of moral sobriety and to act like children of the light because believers already dwell in the light. We are not to try to make ourselves into something which God has already done. Christians do not enter eternal life by works! We are already saved and God is coming one day to get us. Our job is to follow the Holy Spirit and live by the Word of God so that we become in our practice what we already are—children of the light—in union with Jesus by faith. In our verses today, Paul emphasizes that we have been destined not for wrath but for salvation. We have already been saved, justified—declared righteous—in Christ, and have all the benefits of the saving work of Jesus. We have not yet been glorified and we still war against sin in our bodies and spirits as long as we remain in these bodies. In Jesus, we are destined for salvation—for the full reception of redemption’s blessings—and since we will certainly enjoy these things if we are in Christ, we are to start preparing for that day now by striving for “the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” Because Christ has died for His people and rose again, we will live with Him—be conscious of His blessing. There is no truth more encouraging than our verses today! When we pursue holiness, we prove that we belong to Christ and are destined for salvation. All this is grounded in Jesus’ atoning death for us, so if we trust in Christ, we can more and more die to sin and live to righteousness. Let us pursue holiness today.
Source: S C Ball March 11, 2024
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