"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)
The believers in Thessalonica sought information about when Christ will return. As we have seen, Paul answers the more important question of the who will be with Christ when He returns, rather than the when. Those who are clothed in Christ's righteousness look forward to glorification with Christ instead of the wrath that is in store for unbelievers. Paul continues in these verses to present the true hope of every believer. Let us look at it together.
In Christ Alone
There are many that teach that it does not matter who one believes in, we are all heading for the same place. That it makes no difference if you worship Jesus or Allah, all are going to go to heaven. Then there are those that do not believe in an afterlife at all that say when we die, that is it - total annihilation for all. These teachings have also unfortunately made their way into the church. There are some well-known pastors and teachers aligning with those of other faiths and saying that we will be seeing them in heaven.
The truth of the matter though is that salvation is through Christ alone. Peter declares this emphatically when he and John were arrested and brought before Annas and Caiaphas in Acts 4 when he said, "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
Paul reminds the Thessalonians here that they have already obtained salvation through Jesus Christ.
Through Christ's Death Alone
Paul also reminds them that they have obtained their salvation through Christ's death on the cross. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 that, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." This coming from a man who had previously considered his works to have been of utmost importance, and as a requirement for acceptance by God (see Philippians 3).
Unfortunately there are still people that teach a works based salvation. That we will make it into heaven if we live upright, moral lives. It makes no difference to them who they worship, as long as they fill their lives with good works. If that is true, then atheists will be in heaven with us. This is a clear contradiction of Scripture.
Therefore Live For One Another
Therefore Paul can say that since our salvation is through Christ and His death alone, we are all parts of the one body. Whether in the grave or still walking this earth, all believers past, present and future are part of the body of Christ. But we must not rest on our laurels and live for ourselves. No, our being a part of the body means that we have responsibility to the body, which Paul spells out in verse 9 - to encourage and build one another up.
Life in Christ is not about me. It is about Him and others. It is a life of giving up of oneself for the building up and betterment of others. It does not matter how you feel about them, whether they irritate you, or if they say and do things that are not the way you would say or do them. Rather it is about putting aside your preferences and desires for the sake of others. This is yet another aspect of what it means to make disciples.
Are you building others up in their faith? Have you come alongside other believers in order to strengthen them? Do you care for those spiritually "younger" or "weaker" than you? For as Paul reminds us here, it is our responsibility to build God's Kingdom and not our own.
Just a Thought!
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