BELIEVER’S CONFIDENT HOPE
I Thessalonians 5:6-11
Unbelievers are not spiritually alert or aware that Christ will return and they will be judged for their sins. Their attitude is eat, drink and be merry today because we don’t know what the future holds.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 I commend joy, for man has no good thing
under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful.
God threatened Israel with punishment for their sins,
but instead of repenting their attitude was live for today.
Isaiah 22:13 Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.
Today people express their attitude about life in phrases like:
“If it feels good, do it”; “Live it up while you can”; “Just do it” “Life is short; play hard”; “TGIF – Thank God it’s Friday”
The beer commercials put it this way: “This Bud’s for you” or
“You only go around once so grab all the gusto you can.”
In 2015 Zac Brown wrote a song titled: Tomorrow Never Comes.
I’ve been climbing my way through the sky
Searching for answers that I’ll never find . . .
I’m gonna live like tomorrow never comes, there’s no end in sight.
Tonight we black out the sun better hold on tight.
Before you know it it’s gone and live like tomorrow never comes.
1. Unbelievers live for themselves and their own pleasure, they do not believe Christ will come back and judge them for their sins.
2. Satan deceives them into believing a lie that God will not judge them, but instead will forgive them because he is love. People believe only those who are really evil will be judged for their sins.
3. Because unbelievers do not believe in God’s judgment on them
They live for today without any thought about when Christ returns.
ALERT TO THE TRUTH :6-7
Alert :6
Paul calls Christians to be alert to the fact that Jesus could return
at any time and they should continually be looking for him.
Keep awake – to be alert and watchful for the return of the Lord.
Be sober – Gk. lit. not under the influence of alcohol (:8).
Spiritually it is to be morally alert and disciplined.
I Peter 5:8 Be sober be vigilant (ESV watchful), because
your adversary the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone he may devour.
Believers are to watch for the return of the Lord and live godly
lives while they wait for Christ to return and be united with him.
Reason :7
Sleep at night – is normally when people sleep and when they are sleeping they are not be aware of what takes place during that time.
Drunk at night – as people usually get drunk at night rather
than during the daytime because that is when they work.
ACTIVE IN OUR FAITH :8
The day – reference to the light we have and the truth we believe.
This is Paul’s first letter and he mentions just two pieces of a soldier’s armor. A few years later in uses the metaphor again in
Romans 13:12 and in II Corinthians 6:7 and 10:4. About 12 years later he applies a spiritual characteristic to 7 different pieces of a soldier’s armor in Ephesians 6:14-17. He does not consistently
attach a particular virtue to each piece offarmor, instead he uses
the different pieces to remind us we are in a spiritual battle.
Here he references the breastplate and helmet because they are prominent you cannot miss them when you see a soldier.
Breastplate – was to protect the vital organs of the chest. It was made of bronze or chain mail with buckles or loops that attached
to a thick belt around the waist which held it in place.
Faith – that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins.
Hebrews 9:12 Christ entered once for all into the holy places,
not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of
his own blood, thus securing an eternal salvation.
Lidie Edmunds described our faith in Christ in his hymn:
My faith has found a resting place not in device or creed:
I trust the Ever-living One – His wounds for me shall plead.
Enough for me that Jesus saves – this ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul, I come to Him – He’ll never cast me out.
Love – for Christ because of what he has done for us.
I Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him.
Though you do not see him now, you believe in him and
rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
Frederick Whitfield described our love for God in the hymn:
There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.
O how I love Jesus! O how I love Jesus!
O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me.
It tells me of a Savior’s love, who died to set me free;
It tells me of his precious blood, the sinner’s perfect plea.
Helmet – was to protect the head from injury. They were made
of thick leather covered with metal plates or made molded metal.
Hope of salvation – settled conviction we are forgiven.
As a result we do not fear Christ’s return, but instead we look
forward to meeting our Savior face to face in all of his glory.
Edward Mote described the hope we have in Christ in the hymn:
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness . . .
When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found; dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION :9-11
Assurance :9-10
Destined (KJB appointed) – Gk. determine, establish or purpose.
It is to decide before hand what will take place so it is settled.
God has determined everything that takes place in the world.
Wrath (36x) – Gk. anger which is demonstrated in punishment.
Note: 26 of the 36 times it refers to God’s punishment on sin.
The word wrath has been dropped from our English language and is usually considered an old Puritan word. Wrath is defined as: fierce anger or punishment as the consequence of anger.
Luke 3:7 John the Baptist said to the crowds that came out to be
baptized, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
Wrath describes what will happen on the day of the Lord (:2).
I Thess. 1:9-10 You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, who he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Because God is holy and just he must punish sin, he cannot just overlook it or excuse it or he would not be true to his character.
A.W. Pink – “The wrath of God is the holiness of God stirred
into activity against sin. God is angry against sin because it is a rebelling against His authority, a wrong done to His sovereignty.”
Obtain – Gk. to acquire or possess so that it belongs to you.
I Peter 2:9-10 Believers are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Once you were
not a people, but now you are the people of God.
When you accept Christ as your Savior you belong to God.
Salvation – Gk. lit. to be delivered from your enemies.
Psalm 18:2-3 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, shield
and the horn of my salvation . . . I am saved from my enemies.
Luke 1:69,71 Zechariah said, “God has raised up a horn of salvation for us . . . That we be saved from our enemies and
from the hand of all who hate us.”
Spiritually it is to be forgiven of your sins so you do not have
to suffer the consequences because Christ died in your place.
Awake – believers who are alive when Christ returns (4:15).
Asleep – believers who have died before Christ returns (4:14,15).
Note: This verse is used to teach that believers will not go through the Tribulation, but in the context it teaches that we will be saved from eternal punishment for our sins, not the tribulation.
Eternal security
Paul says that if we believe that Jesus died for our sins then our sins are forgiven completely and our salvation is secure forever.
Nothing can change the fact that we have eternal life in Christ.
John 10:28 Jesus said, “I give them eternal life and they will
never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
1. Our sins are forgiven because Christ died to pay the penalty for
them. God accepted his death as the complete sacrifice for them.
2. I am saved by believing Christ died in my place for my sins.
Puritan Thomas Taylor – “We are not saved for believing
(in Christ), but by believing (Christ died for our sins).”
3. Because my sins are completely forgiven based on the death of
Jesus, there is nothing I can do or need to do to be forgiven.
4. Your salvation is not based on how you feel, but on the once
for all sacrifice of Christ on your behalf.
Richard Baxter – “In the garden of Eden there was a way to go
out but no way to go in again. But in the heavenly paradise,
there is a way to go in, but not a way to go out.”
Encouragement :11
Encourage (KJB comfort) – Gk. to call along side to help by
offering comfort or to strengthen by giving your support.
Build up – was used of building houses so Paul used the term for Christians building up the faith of other believers as they would
stand firm and strong through the trials of life such as losing a loved one (4:18), struggling with a difficulty in your life or suffering persecution for your faith.
APPLICATION
1. God promised Christ would certainly return.
Acts 1:11 This same Jesus, who was taken up into heaven,
will come in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
2. We need to be ready for his return at any time.
Matthew 24:44 You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect.
3. We need to encourage one another with the fact that Christ is coming again when we are going through difficulties and trials.
Titus 2:13 Waiting for the blessed hope and glorious appearing
of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
On March 11, 1942 General Douglas MacArthur secretly slipped away from the Philippians with his family to Australia. But before he left the islands, he said, “I will return.” Two-and-a-half years later on October 20, 1944 he returned to the Philippines and as he stood on the ground said, “This is the voice of freedom. People of the Philippines, I have returned.”
If a man can have that kind of credibility then you can believe that our Savior Jesus Christ who has made a promise to return will also come back to earth to take believers to be with him forever.
John 14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to be with me, that where I am you may be also.