1 Thessalonians 5:1-11: a reflection

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 reminds the Thessalonians that they are children of the light, not of the dark, and calls them to live awake and sober in the light of Christ's coming, encouraged that God appointed them not to wrath but to salvation. You are all children of light and children of the day, Paul writes; we don't belong to the night, nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. And he adds: God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because we belong to the light and the day, we are to live awake, alert, and sober, not sleeping through life as those in darkness do; and we can live so with hope, for God has appointed us to salvation, not wrath. This shows living awake and sober as children of the light, assured of salvation, not wrath. Live awake and sober as a child of the light. You belong to the day, not the darkness; live accordingly. God has appointed you to salvation, not wrath; live in that hope. Do not sleep through life; watch and be sober as one who belongs to the light.

Notice both the identity Paul gives and the way of life and hope that flow from it. First, the identity: you are children of light and children of the day; you do not belong to the night or to darkness. Second, the way of life: since we belong to the day, let us not sleep as others do, but watch and be sober, living alert and self-controlled, putting on faith, love, and the hope of salvation. And third, the hope that undergirds it all: God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. This shapes how we live. As those who belong to the light, we are called not to drift or sleep through life as though in darkness, unaware and unprepared, but to live awake, alert, and sober, watchful for our Lord's coming, clothed in faith, love, and hope. And we can live so not in dread, but in hope, for God has appointed us not to wrath but to salvation through Christ. Our alertness is not anxious fear, but the wakefulness of those who belong to the day and await their Lord with hope. We do well to live awake and sober as children of the light, in the hope of the salvation God has appointed us to, rather than drifting through life as though in darkness. Live awake, alert, and sober as a child of the light. You belong to the day; do not drift or sleep as though in darkness. God appointed you to salvation, not wrath; live in that hope. Watch for your Lord's coming, clothed in faith, love, and hope.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are children of the light, called to live awake and sober in the hope of salvation, not appointed to wrath, as Paul reminds the Thessalonians. We can drift or sleep through life as though in darkness; but Paul calls us, as children of the day, to watch and be sober, assured that God appointed us not to wrath but to salvation. Live awake, in hope. Do not drift or sleep through life as though in darkness; live awake and sober as a child of the light, in the hope of the salvation God has appointed you to through Christ. Live awake, alert, and sober as a child of the light and the day, watchful for your Lord's coming and clothed in faith, love, and hope, rather than drifting or sleeping through life as though in darkness, as Paul reminded the Thessalonians that they were children of light and of the day, not belonging to the night or darkness, and called them not to sleep as others do but to watch and be sober, adding that God did not appoint them to wrath but to obtain salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ; for because we belong to the light and the day we are to live awake, alert, and sober, not sleeping through life as those in darkness do, and we can live so with hope, since God has appointed us to salvation and not wrath, which shapes how we live, since as those who belong to the light we are called not to drift or sleep through life as though in darkness, unaware and unprepared, but to live awake and watchful for our Lord's coming, clothed in faith, love, and the hope of salvation, and we can live so not in dread but in hope, for God has appointed us not to wrath but to salvation through Christ who died for us, so that our alertness is not anxious fear but the wakefulness of those who belong to the day and await their Lord with hope, and we do well to live awake and sober as children of the light.

Lord, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they are children of the light, not of the dark, and calls them to live awake and sober in the light of Christ's coming, encouraged that God appointed them not to wrath but to salvation. You are all children of light and children of the day, Paul writes; we don't belong to the night, nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. And he adds: God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because I belong to the light and the day, I am to live awake, alert, and sober, not sleeping through life as those in darkness do; and I can live so with hope, for you have appointed me to salvation, not wrath. Show me both the identity Paul gives and the way of life and hope that flow from it. First, the identity: I am a child of light and of the day; I do not belong to the night or to darkness. Second, the way of life: since I belong to the day, let me not sleep as others do, but watch and be sober, living alert and self-controlled, putting on faith, love, and the hope of salvation. And third, the hope that undergirds it all: you did not appoint me to wrath, but to obtain salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for me. This shapes how I live. As one who belongs to the light, I am called not to drift or sleep through life as though in darkness, unaware and unprepared, but to live awake, alert, and sober, watchful for my Lord's coming, clothed in faith, love, and hope. And I can live so not in dread, but in hope, for you have appointed me not to wrath but to salvation through Christ. Take that to my heart. Keep me from drifting or sleeping through life as though in darkness; help me live awake, alert, and sober as a child of the light, Lord, watchful for my Lord's coming and clothed in faith, love, and hope, living in the hope of the salvation you have appointed me to through Christ.