Context No. 3657 of 4322 · 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11: in context

1But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. 2For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 3For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. 4But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. 5You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, 6so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. 8But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.

Paul writes about the day of the Lord, which will come suddenly, like a thief in the night, catching an unprepared world by surprise while it is saying, peace and safety. But he assures believers: you are not in darkness, that the day should surprise you like a thief; you are all children of light and children of the day.

Because we belong to the day, we are called to live differently, not asleep like the rest, but awake and sober, alert and self-controlled. And Paul gives us armor for this watchful life: the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. Faith, love, and hope again, the marks of a wakeful Christian. And the ground of it all is comfort: God has not destined us for wrath but for salvation through Christ, who died for us so that, whether awake or asleep, we might live together with him. So, awake and armed with faith, love, and hope, we watch for the day and encourage one another.

Am I living awake and sober as a child of the light, armed with faith, love, and hope, ready for the day of the Lord that will come suddenly on an unprepared world?

Sources

1 Thessalonians 5:2: "The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night."
1 Thessalonians 5:5-6: "You are all children of light... so then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober."
1 Thessalonians 5:9: "For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."