Not Wrath, But Rapture

1 Thessalonians 5:4–10

You, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

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hen you read prophecies concerning Christ’s return, do you sometimes find yourself disquieted? If so, you will perhaps feel somewhat sympathetic toward the Thessalonians. Paul’s ministry there had been brief … as short as a few weeks, and he had time only to touch upon the foundational truths of the Christian Faith.

Among those truths he taught as foundational to Christian faith and practise was the teaching surrounding the Lord’s return. We can almost imagine the Apostle as he spoke of the return of the Lord, reminding his listeners that Jesus would judge all wickedness and reward His people. In the days since Paul had been forced out of town a number of the Thessalonian believers had died, perhaps succumbing to persecution received at the hands of their countrymen who opposed their adherence to the Faith.

They were deeply concerned for the eternal welfare of their departed dead, and in their confusion they grew increasingly ill at ease over the prospect of their own death. Their concerns became known to the Apostle and the major emphasis of this first letter to the frightened church was to encourage them, reminding them of the Lord’s promise and to equip them to be brave in the face of the uncertainties of this life. Among the words of encouragement Paul gave was a reminder that God has promised Christians … not wrath but rapture. God is pledged to do good to those whom He calls His own, and that promise of good extends into eternity itself.

The Confidence God Gives His People Through Revelation [vv 4-8] — But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Paul explains that there is no need for Christians to be alarmed by the coming of the Lord, because there is no need for that event to take Christians by surprise. Surprise is the key word in these verses.

There are two reasons why a homeowner would be surprised by a burglar. The first is that the thief comes unexpectedly at night, and the second is that the homeowner is asleep. The householder can do nothing about the first matter, but he can do something about the second. Likewise, the return of Jesus will certainly be unexpected. While there is nothing we can do about the timing, the solution to the problem before us as Christians lies in our remaining alert and awake. Then, even if His Parousia is totally unexpected, we will be ready for Him and thus not taken by surprise.

Paul’s argument concerning our awareness hinges upon our position relative to light and darkness. The Old Testament perspective divides history into two ages: the present age and the age to come. These two ages are frequently presented in terms of light and dark, or alternatively in terms of day and night. The present age is viewed as a long, dark night, but when Messiah should come the sun would rise, the day would break, and the world would be flooded with light. An example of such thinking is presented through God’s messenger Malachi.

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the LORD Almighty [Malachi 4:1-3].

We are convinced by the Word of God that Jesus is that long-awaited Messiah. Therefore of necessity it must follow that the new age began with His first coming. Christ the Lord heralded the dawn of the new era; He ushered in the day. Jesus’ appearance proclaimed the daybreak of the Kingdom of God. At the same time, the old age has not yet come to an end. The Apostle John stated the matter in clearest of terms: the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining [1 John 2:8b]. In his Gospel John restates the matter thusly: The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world [John 1:9]. For the time being the two ages overlap.

We are, from the New Testament perspective, in a transition period. Unbelievers belong to the old age and are in darkness. Those who belong to Jesus have been born again into the new age and they are therefore in the light. Believers, secure in Christ, have tasted … the powers of the coming age [Hebrews 6:5]. Already, the Lord has brought us out of darkness into his wonderful light [1 Peter 2:9]. When Christ returns in glory the transition will be complete. The old age will vanish like the mist of the morning and those belonging to that age will likewise be destroyed. The new age will be consummated, and those belonging to it will be fully and finally redeemed.

Whether we are ready for Christ’s coming or not depends upon which age we belong to … depends upon whether we still belong to darkness or whether we already belong to the light. If we are in the light we will not be taken by surprise. This is the reason I am adamant that those preachers who reject the coming of Christ the Lord are at the very best ignorant, in which case they ought not to be preaching. More accurately they are in abject error which reveals that they know nothing of Him and are thus guilty of preaching heresy. They are themselves blind guides. Of such deluded and benighted religious guides Jesus stated: If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit [Matthew 14:15]. Only if we are in the light will we be spared surprise at His coming.

I am compelled by the text to invest some time in exploration of this matter of our situation as those who profess to be Christians, whether we are in light or in darkness. You alone can answer the question concerning which realm you inhabit. Do you walk in light or in darkness? Do you belong to the night or to the day? Are you asleep or awake? Verses four through eight become quite clear once we have grasped the significance of the imagery of light and darkness and the concept of the two ages, the old associated with darkness and the new speaking of divine light.

Paul begins with an affirmation pointing to the proper sphere for the child of God. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness [vv. 4,5]. Christians are not in darkness because they are all sons of the light and sons of the day. Indeed, Christians cannot belong to either the darkness or to the night for they are identified as a people walking in light because they belong to the light.

You may do well to recall the words of Jesus recorded in John’s Gospel: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life [John 8:12]. Consider as well this promise which Jesus gave: I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness [John 12:46]. To walk with Christ is to walk in light. To dwell with Christ is to dwell in the light.

The proper sphere of life and work for the child of God is light, but the realm in which those who are not children of God live and work is the realm of night. John’s Gospel records dark words which remind us of this sobering fact. John 3:19 states that Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. The new age dawned with the coming of Jesus into the world, but mankind loves darkness instead of light and the reason men love darkness is because their deeds are evil.

It is as though the wicked cry out: “I hate this light. It exposes the chains which bind me and shows me the poverty of my existence. This light reveals that I am wretched and miserable, showing me the futility of my every action. I hate this light and do not ever want to see it. It reminds me of my guilt and displays my wickedness and the evil of my heart for all to see. I hate this light.” Thus it is that some of you may be uncomfortable when the preacher speaks of sin and focuses the light of God’s Word on your life. If that is the case, it is not the light which creates your condition. Your impoverishment of soul is only revealed by the light, and your reaction simply shows that you belong to the kingdom of darkness. But if you are a child of God and a son of the light that same light proves a comfort to you and becomes a source of encouragement.

The Comforting Revelation God Has Provided His People [vv. 9,10] — God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. At this point the Apostle turns his attention, quite naturally, to the comfort afforded by the revelation God has provided His people. Some of the Thessalonians, indeed believers, were nevertheless fearful at the thought of Christ’s coming, thinking that it meant judgement for them. How could they be confident that it meant salvation instead of judgement?

To this point Paul has based how we should live on our relationship to God … that is, on who we are. Now he moves so as to base who we are on who God is and on what He has done for us. In order to do this he makes two vital statements. First, God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, and secondly, this Lord Jesus died for us so that … we may live together with him. Consider what the Apostle has said that you may be consoled by his words.

Believers shall not face the fearful consequences of their sin. Indeed our sins deserve condemnation and we deserve the awful consequences arising from our rebellion against God; but God has instead shown us mercy. Therefore we shall not experience His wrath but rather we shall be rescued from that awesome wrath which shall be displayed against sin since we have instead received forgiveness through Christ the Lord.

The Great Tribulation is the beginning of judgements against sin in which God displays His wrath toward wickedness, but this is not what He has in store for believers. Instead, believers shall receive salvation, deliverance, rescue from what we justly deserve. This is but an iteration of Paul’s earlier word concerning the promise of Christ’ coming in this same letter when he speaks of Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath [1:10]. Believers need never again fear God’s judgement for sin.

The second consoling truth Paul details for worried believers is that Jesus the Lord died for us so that … we may live together with Him. When Paul says that the Lord Jesus died for us, we are compelled to understand that He died in our place and for our benefit. Surely this means that He died for our sins since death is the penalty for sin. What I would have you see is that He died that we might live.

The death of Christ and the life we now live are deliberately contrasted and inseparably connected. Our life is entirely due to His death and the kind of life He has provided for us is a life lived together with Him. He died our death so that we might live His life. This is but a presaging of that wonderful affirmation of Christian life given us in Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Whether we should live in the flesh or whether we should die according to the flesh, whether we are awake or asleep, we nevertheless live together with Him.

When Jesus returns for His people it will be of no consequence whether we are then living or whether we have already exited this life passing through the portals of death. At Christ’s return Christians then living will have no advantage over those who have died in the Faith, and vice versa. Either group will equally receive the twofold promise of God—deliverance from judgement and the fullness of salvation and life. God has not destined Christians to be judged with the unbelieving world but instead He will deliver them from the world before executing judgement, and Christians will then receive the final instalment of salvation and life together with Christ.

Dear people, our future salvation depends on God’s purpose and our future salvation depends on Christ’s death. Our consolation in the face of an uncertain future lies not in who we are, but on who God is. Our salvation, including our rescue from God’s coming wrath, is not dependent upon our performance or feelings, but our salvation is rather dependent upon the certainty of God’s will and Christ’s death. This knowledge gives us great boldness as we anticipate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Underscore in your mind this glorious, comforting truth: We should be bold rather than faint-hearted as we anticipate Christ’s coming, not because of who we are, but because of who God is as revealed in the cross of Christ.

The Responsibility Conferred Upon Believers By The Revelation [vv. 6,8,11] — [L]et us be alert and self-controlled … let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet … encourage one another and build each other up. Because of who we are and because the proper realm for performing God’s work is the light of day, certain responsibilities are imposed upon children of the light. These responsibilities are detailed in verses six and eight. In particular these words apply to us. [L]et us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled … since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

If we belong to the new day which dawned with Christ, it follows that our behaviour must be daytime behaviour. We must avoid surrendering to drowsiness, resist the temptation to sleep, reject even yawning our way through life, or refuse to live in our pyjamas. Belonging to the day, we are responsible to remain awake and alert. Then and only then shall we be prepared when Christ comes and thus avoid surprise.

Others, presumably a reference to the rest of men, who have no hope [4:13], who also belong to the night or to the darkness are those who sleep in the face of the certainty of Christ’s coming. Alternatively, others are those who are stupefied through self-imposed ignorance … a kind of spiritual drunkenness, as it were, at the thought of fulfilment of Christ’s promised return. We are therefore to be alert to the reality of His promise, living as though He shall return momentarily and we are to be self-controlled. This implies that we are responsible to make a deliberate choice to live “christianly”.

To reinforce the imagery of Christian responsibility Paul moves beyond alertness and self-control to the need for proper armaments for Christian warfare. Paul appears to have been a bit of a military buff, in several of his letters likening Christians to soldiers and referring to the necessary armour and equipment associated with Christians warfare [Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:10-18]. In verse eight of our text he refers to what must be to us the familiar triad of faith, hope and love. In this instance he equates faith and love to a breastplate, and hope to a helmet. These precious graces must be an essential part of the equipment if the child of God hopes to carry out the expectations of the Master.

There is no reason to assign a particular significance to the order or to the specific assignment here given these graces. What is important is that we realise that our faith in God and our love toward His people and the hope of Christ’s deliverance will continue to equip us until our salvation is fully revealed. In light of the revelation concerning God’s future plans we believers are responsible to continue to express faith and love and hope. The issue surrounding the impact of these graces is sufficiently vital that I must remind you once again that faith in God is revealed through our work in His Name. Love for one another is demonstrated through toilsome labour on behalf of one another. And hope in the resurrection is evidenced in faithful continuation in the Faith of Christ the Lord. This teaching was first presented early in this letter and continues to guide us to this point.

The more we know concerning prophecy, the greater our responsibility to live as Christians revealing the life of Christ now. I emphasise that biblical prophecy is eminently practical and is not a teaching which permits us to bury our heads in the sands of time. Prophetic studies must always eventuate in changed lives to the glory of God. There is one great command issued in two parts in verse eleven which sums up the responsibility conferred by knowledge of God’s plan for us as believers. The verse reads, Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. We are to encourage one another and we are to build each other up. Let me expand on this glorious reciprocal command so that we will be encouraged to fulfil the will of God.

The world can be a tough and unfriendly place. It is easy to be hurt in the world. Sorrow, and especially the sorrow which comes from the passing of a loved one, can be a very painful experience. Fear, and especially fear at the thought of facing Christ’s judgement, is a frightful prospect. Such emotions as these, bereavement and terror, can hurt us greatly, leaving us depressed and discouraged. Where more than within the church ought Christians to find mutual support.

In times of depression and discouragement Christians must be comforters, must be encouragers, must be builders; and these great responsibilities are to be reciprocal. We are to comfort one another. We are to encourage one another. We are to build one another. It is an axiom of the Faith that what I do for you today will be your responsibility toward me tomorrow. This responsibility is to be borne by each member of the Body of Christ and not solely by a few, select members of Christ’s Body.

What I would impress now to your hearts is that these Thessalonian saints were already performing these great and vital Christian duties, yet they required still further encouragement in light of the revelation of the Parousia. Just so we who are members of Baptist Fellowship Church now comfort one another, now encourage one another, and now build one another. Nevertheless we require further encouragement and instruction in light of the revelation of Christ’s coming. No congregation can call itself Christian if it is not characterised by reciprocal love. Yet equally true no church is such a paradise of love that the membership has no need of being urged to do so more and more [4:10].

The ministry of comfort, the ministry of encouragement, the ministry of building up … each may be as simple as giving a smile to a grieving saint, as easy as hugging a worried member, or it may be as humble as squeezing the hand in an affirmation of shared pain. Many times the ministry which is most meaningful is silently performed. However, the ministry enjoined by these responsibilities may be as costly as listening to an extended statement of worry and concern. The ministry of these commands may require you to extend yourself to exercise sympathy to one hurting deeply. The service arising from these commands may demand that you to provide instruction in righteousness. While the Thessalonians’ problem of anxiety in the face of bereavement and judgement was a personal and pastoral one, Paul’s solution was theological.

Look back over the chapter, noting the manner in which Paul applies doctrine to the concerns of the Thessalonians. It is not merely Christ’s return to which he refers. Remember that that truth in isolation caused the Thessalonians anxiety and concern instead of reassurance. It is instead the further truth that the One coming for us is the same One who died for us and who rose again which comforts the weary heart. Paul emphasises the cross of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and only then the return of Christ. These three great events – crucifixion, resurrection and return – must all be united, and the ultimate objective is that we may live with Christ our Lord.

The foundation of the Christian Faith is that Jesus died and rose again. This is the essence of the Good News. Dying and raised from the dead we are brought into union with Jesus the Lord. When he comes He will receive us to Himself and we shall be with the Lord forever. Our coming King is none other than our crucified and risen Saviour. We have nothing to fear either in death or in judgement. Indeed, we may be certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord [Romans 8:38,39].