Thoughts on the End

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes. 5:9).

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul offers the church a few thoughts on the end.  The early church didn't have time to focus on the study of the end times, they were busy establishing the church, defending the deity and humanity of Christ, and enduring persecution.  Although their doctrine of the end times was not as fleshed out as it has been in recent generations, they lived with the end in sight.  Now, as then, many people are trying to figure out how the end will turn out.  Paul is more concerned with how we live in light of the end.  Here are some thoughts on the end.

1. The coming Day of the Lord.

• Paul warns us that it isn't something we can pinpoint, but it is something for which we can prepare. 

• He warns that it will come like a thief in the night (see also Matt. 24:36-51; Luke 12:35-40; 2 Pet. 3:10). It is something that will catch the majority of humanity off guard, because they did keep watch for its coming.

• It will come like labor pains.  Paul may mean couple of things.  He may mean it comes suddenly even though it is anticipated.  Pregnant women are not surprised by the onset of labor, but they never know when it will hit them.  Paul may also mean that it is like labor in that once the starts, there is no stopping it.

2. A message for the sons of light

In verses 4-8a, Paul teaches us some important principles.  He states,

• The Day won't be a surprise for believers, because they are not in the darkness.  They are no longer spiritual blinded by the god of this age.  Their eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit.

• Believers are sons of the light and sons of the day.  The term "son of" is used to express the reality of a shared nature.  We share in the same nature of the light and the day.  Light is our spiritual DNA.

• The darkness doesn't own us, so we're free to be different, free to obey Christ.

• We are not "asleep," so let's be alert and self controlled.  Paul is speaking of those individuals who are morally ambivalent. They are complacent.

• We belong to the day, so we need to quit the deeds of the darkness.  Sleep and drunkenness are metaphors for being defenseless and controlled by outside forces.

3. The right response

Paul sets out a four-fold response in verses 8b-11.

• We are to be (alert and) self-controlled.

• We do this by putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  In other words, we have to preach the gospel to ourselves, as Paul demonstrates in verses 9-10.

• We must then encourage each other and build each other up. If we are going to build each other up, we will have to spend time with each other, correcting and encouraging, rebuking and training.

• Finally, we have to keep up the good work.  Paul recognized the good that the church was already doing, and encouraged them to keep it up.