Just a Thought! - 27 May 2013

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)

There are many theories and teachings around today concerning the end of the world. From the Biblical to the bizarre, there are so many theories today that one can so easily become confused as to what will happen in the last days. You have Amillenialism, Premillenialism, and Postmillenialism. Then there is Pre-tribulation and Post-tribulation. All of which makes the whole thing sound like A-Pre-Post-erous concept. What then is the truth? What will happen in the last days?

I am not going to cover any of these teachings here, but rather we will look at the things that are certain from our text above. Join me as we look hopefully towards that glorious day of Christ's return.

Christ's Return - Date Unknown

It is natural for us to wonder when Christ will return. Daniel wondered "how long?" (Daniel 12:6), as did Jesus' disciples (Mark 13:1-4). Daniel and the disciples had the luxury of asking "heavenly beings" the question, in hopes that they, being sent from the throne room of God itself, would be able to answer. Looking at how Paul handles it here is would seem that the believers in Thessalonica had the same question - when will Christ return?

Paul's answer though is not what they would have expected. Instead of giving them a date and time, or even an indication of how many years, Paul in a way tells them that it is the wrong question to ask. They should not be concerned about the specific date, but rather to be ready all the time. Why? Because His return will be like a thief in the night.

Christ's Return - Like a Thief

In the same way that you do not know if and when a thief is going to break in to your house, we do not know when Jesus will return. It will be something unexpected. It will come suddenly, at a time when people are the least vigilant and most ignorant as to what God is doing around them. At a time when people will not be looking for Him, even in the church.

And if you thought that was bad news, there is more to come, because Christ's return will mean destruction.

Christ's Return - With Destruction

The return of Christ will come at a cost. At a time when people believe that they are living in a time of "peace and safety" then He will come to take it all away and destroy what little they do have. In the same way that a baby cannot be born without some pain, so too must God's judgement comes with pain.

Paul does not go into any further detail about the final judgement. Rather his concern is for the believers in Thessalonica to be ready for it. To not be complacent and think that all is fine now. The end will come when least expected, and those who do not believe had better watch out.

"Be Prepared"

This famous slogan of the Boy Scouts is just as apt for the church today. Let us live with the expectation that Jesus will return. Though the news in these verses does not necessarily give us any hope, we can live in hope that when Christ does come, those who do not believe, who have persecuted us, who have given us cause to grieve, will be punished. Let us not be complacent and live and think like the world, but let us join with the Spirit who stands with the bride and says "Come, Lord Jesus, Come" (Revelation 22:17, 20). Maranatha.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 20 May 2013

"Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need." (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

After dealing with purity, Paul moves on to the more general subject that applies to all aspects of our behaviour: love for others. Having already commended the Thessalonian church for their love (see 1:3), Paul here draws their attention to it again. Clearly this is of utmost importance to Paul otherwise he would not have brought it up a second time. Join me as we look at this passage to see why it is so important.

Pleasing God With Brotherly Love

The love that Paul refers to here is brotherly love (Greek: Phileo). Prior to the New Testament, this word was used almost always for the love that one would naturally have for one's siblings. However here Paul uses the term quite broadly, after all, the church in Thessalonica most certainly was not made up of blood relatives only. The reason Paul uses the term is because as Christians, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all a part of the same family.

Therefore this means that the love we have for one another should come naturally. In the same way that one has a natural love for their blood relatives, so too as Christians we should have a natural love for fellow Christians.

But where does this love come from? Especially since it seems as though there is a lack of love in the church today. Paul tells us, it has been taught to us by God. Jesus is the perfect example of what this love looks like, and He is also the one who motivates the love in our hearts. Though a certain affinity towards a fellow believer may exist, the true love that we should have for each other comes from God Himself. And it is not something that we have in abundance or completely the moment we become Christians, but rather it is something that grows. Hence Paul's words to the Thessalonians that they should "excel still more."

Pleasing God In the Community

This command to love is not just about having warm fuzzy feelings for someone, but rather it is practical and impacts our day-to-day lives. Paul's focus here is about how we live within the Christian community, and with it he stresses three key areas of everyday life.

"Lead a quiet life" - this has to do with living as law abiding citizens. Living in a way that no-one can point a finger at you for anything, and that means going over the speed limit when driving to church on a Sunday. As believers we are not to disregard others, nor are we to assume that we have any rights of our own.

"Attend to your own business" - this implies not sticking our noses in where they do not belong. Yes we are to help others in their difficulties, and point out their sin when necessary, but we must not make their business our business. Nor are we to make our business theirs. Ask for help, yes, but do not impose your needs onto others.

"Work with your hands" - God created man to work (see Gen. 1). It is the tool by which we are fed, and in turn can feed others. The more we earn, the more we have to give away to those in the community who need it.

Self-Evaluation

How are you doing in your community life? Do you love others the way you should? Are you living in the way Paul prescribes here? If not seek God's face today, ask Him to fill your heart with the love that Paul talks about, and to strengthen you to live out that love towards others. And one final thing to consider, note that Paul does not give a condition to this love, it is not dependent on how others love you. It is a command to do it regardless.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 13 May 2013

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)

In the nineties, one of the most popular songs of the time was It's My Life by Dr Alban. It was played almost daily on the radio. That song expresses the attitude of society as a whole today. People do whatever they want to. They will moan bitterly about criminals who commit heinous crimes, yet they will break the speed limit and go through red lights whenever it pleases them. Unfortunately, this mentality has permeated the church as well. Paul addresses this attitude in no uncertain terms in this passage. Let us see what he has to say.

Paul's Call for Purity

Paul summarises what God's will is for all of us in one word, "sanctification." It is not about career choice, prosperity, health, who one should marry, ministry, or any of the things that the people in the world chase after in order to find happiness, but it is sanctification. The process of being set apart from common usage, belonging to God, and being made pure.

Note that Paul follows this immediately with sexual purity. The point he is making here is that how a person behaves in the bedroom, and how one thinks in their heart regarding such things, is not something private, but rather is something that is going to effect one's relationship with God. In the ancient world, people believed that what went on in the bedroom was completely private and no-one knew what went on. In today's world, it seems as though people want others to know about their sexual behaviours, but they do not want anyone to judge them for it. Homosexuals will tell you openly that they are homosexual, but do not dare tell them that they are living in sin. That God is going to judge them. In their minds they can do what they want and it is not God's business. Our text says otherwise - it is God's business, and He is going to hold them accountable.

An interesting point in our text here is the word "vessel." In the Greek, it is the same word that Peter uses to refer to a man's wife (see 1 Peter 3:7). The implication here then is not only should we not be defiling our own physical bodies, as already has been implied in the rest of the text, but also that we should not be defiling our spouses either. That we should not be expecting them to do things that they either do not want to do, or would be considered to be defiling to them.

Live in Purity

Our lives here on earth are preparation for life in eternity with the Lord. It is a process of sanctification. We will never be perfect here on earth, but Paul is urging us to work towards that end. We are to abstain from all forms of defiling acts and to encourage others to do the same. We are to address our sin by recognising it in our lives, confessing it, and repenting of it.

How is your journey towards sanctification? Have you made this your ultimate goal in life, or are you chasing after the things in this world that promise happiness? Are you keeping your body and your marriage bed pure? Though others may not know or see what is going on, God is watching. He knows your thoughts and sees your actions

Choose today to do the will of God, to live a life of purity and preparation for heaven. Follow the path of sanctification that He has laid out for you. Pray for God's help, for you cannot do it on your own, and trust Him to make you into the person that He has created you to be, for life is not about the here and now, it is about the glory, worship and wonder that is to come as we live in eternity with our Lord.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 6 May 2013

"Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2)

There is a trend in society that has been around for centuries, that of separating the sacred from the secular. Musicians distinguish between sacred and secular music. There is a sacred way to dress and a secular way - what you would wear to church on a Sunday is not how you dress the rest of the week. Though there is a definite distinction between what is deemed to be worldly and godly, as believers there must not be any distinction for us. All aspects of life are to be seen to be godly.

In our text today, Paul deals with living a life that pleases God. Let us explore it together.

A Call to Please God

As we saw earlier in his letter, Paul has reminded the Thessalonians that they have come out of their old lives, living for themselves and as the world dictates, and into faith in Jesus (see 1:9 and 2:13). That change in life means a change in lifestyle too. Paul commends them a number of times throughout the letter that they are living a life that is a testimony to others throughout the region.

In the verses above Paul points out that lifestyle is one that pleases the Lord. Paul goes on to remind them that this is not a once off change, but rather is a gradual process and that they need to excel at even more. A once off change and doing enough to be noticed is not enough. They need to continue to do so, but they also need to do more and even do greater things.

The danger here is to make sure that we do not think of this in terms of doing works in order to earn God's favour, nor is it to do things so as to win others to Christ. Rather it is to do these things as a result of God's favour in the first place. They have already come to Christ. Their place in heaven is already secure. The result of that should be a life that is pleasing to God.

Under God's Authority

In verse 2 Paul reminds them that they should not be living this way just because he said so, but rather because God said so. At no time should they feel manipulated into doing something because a person said so, nor should they be doing it in order to please man. God is the absolute authority and it is because of that authority that they should be striving to excel in their lives pleasing to God.

This is in line with what Jesus taught when He was on earth. Many times He confronted the Pharisees who imposed so many laws on people that at the end of the day, they were the ones that had to be satisfied, and not God. If someone broke a law, the Pharisees were the ones to be afraid of, and physical death imposed by the law makers was worse than spiritual death imposed by God.

All of Life

Notice too that Paul does not draw any distinctions making this principle only apply to some areas of life and not others. The implication here is that it clearly applies to all aspects of a believer's life. Whether at work, home, church, or play, our lives should be lives that please God at all times, in all places, and in all situations.

Does every aspect of your life please God? Do you desire to please God first before man, and more importantly before yourself? Are you the same person at work, home, the gym, etc, as you are at church every Sunday?

To live any part of your life that does not please God but rather pleases yourself or others, is a life of hypocrisy. Make a decision today to strive to live to please God, and to do so more each day.

Just a Thought!

© 2013