|
|
|
- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
|
|
SONS OF LIGHT 1Th 5:1-8 (7/31/11) Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
DAY OF THE LORD (1-3) A. Future Characteristics (1Th 5:1) 1. To signify that Paul was changing topics
from the Rapture (1Th 4:16-17) to the Day of the Lord (1Th 5:1-3), he uses
the familiar segue phrase, “now concerning” (peri de - 1Co 7:1; 8:1; 12:1;
16:1; 1Th 4:9). 2. The Day of the Lord would constitute the
phrase “times and epochs” (Dan 2:21; Act 1:7). “Times” (chromos, Eng chronology)
refers to the measurement of time (quantitative) whereas “epochs” (kairos)
refers to a period of accomplishment or influence (qualitative). Together
they imply the period of the end times and all the judgment that God has
planned in it. Therefore, the Day of the Lord is not a single day but a
period in the end times. 3. The Thessalonians obviously were taught
about the Day of the Lord by Paul when he was in Thessalonica. They had “no
need” (ou chreían) for him to write about them in great detail. B. Unexpected Characteristics (1Th 5:2) 1. The Thessalonians were thoroughly
acquainted (akribōs
-characterized by exactness and thoroughness) with the doctrine of the Day of the
Lord concerning it characteristics but no man knows its time (Mat 24:36). 2. Paul would have taught them about most if not all of the 19
references in the Old Testament referring to the Day of the Lord (Isa 2:12; 13:6, 9; 58:13; Eze 13:5; 30:3; Joe 1:15;
2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amo 5:18 [2x], 20; Oba 1:15; Zep 1:7, 14 [2x]; Mal 4:5), particularly Joel 2:30-31. 3. He no doubt would have taught them that
the Day of the Lord was an epoch that begins after the Rapture of the Church
during the Tribulation (Joe 2:30-31 cp. Rev 6:12), through Christ’s Second
Advent (Zec 14:1-4), concluding with the destruction of the heavens and the
earth (2Pe 3:10; Rev 21:1). 4. The Thessalonians obviously were taught
that the Day of the Lord would come swiftly and unexpectedly like a “thief in
the night,” a phrase that never refers to the Rapture but to the judgment at
the Second Coming (Mat 24:42-44; Rev 16:15) and the judgment at the end of
the Millennium (2Pe 3:10; Jude 1:6). C. Inescapable Characteristics (1Th 5:3) 1. The Thessalonians would have known (vs.
2 connected with the participle légōsin - “while saying”) that
Day of the Lord would come like a woman’s labor pains (cp. Isa 13:8; Mat
24:8). 2. This will take place during a time when
the people are saying “peace and safety” and judgment is the farthest thought
in their mind (Mat 24:37-39). This time can be identified as the Tribulation
period leading to the coming of Christ (Dan 9:27). 3. The characteristic of the Day of the Lord
will be with sudden (aiphnídios - suddenly, as well as something
that one cannot anticipate nor understand how it happened) and
inescapable (ekphúgō - escape out with a double negative ou mę
for the impossibility of escape) judgment. II. BELIEVER’S POSITION AS THE SONS OF LIGHT
(4-8) A. They will not be Overtaken (1Th 5:4) 1. In contrast to the Day of the Lord
overtaking the unbelieving world, the Thessalonian believers (“brethren”) are
not in darkness. The phrase “in darkness” (en skotos) secondarily
would suggest that that they have knowledge of the Day of the Lord. But the phrase
primarily refers to the fact that the Thessalonians are not part of the
unbelieving world. 2. Because they are believers and will be a
part of the Rapture, they will not experience the Day of the Lord. It will
not overtake them as a thief. “Overtake” (katalambanō) means not
only to lay hold of something but it comes with an intensity that seizes with
force (cp. Mar 9:18). The believer was “laid hold” of by Christ (Phi
3:12c, same word) so that the believer will not be laid hold of by the
Day of the Lord. Therefore the believer ought to seek to lay hold of
Christ-likeness and holy living (Phi 3:12b, same word). 3. However, the Day of the Lord will seize
with force unbelievers who will experience God’s judgment in the Day of the
Lord. B. They are not of Darkness (1Th 5:5) 1. Paul is certainly referring to the
believer’s position in Christ, which are the spiritual blessings and status
that a sinner receives the moment he trusts in Christ (Eph 1:3). They are not
earned or given intermittently but are freely bestowed because of Christ. 2. He calls them “sons of light” and “sons
of day.” These titles mean that the believer does not belong to the night or
to the darkness, i.e. is not part of the unbelieving world. 3. “Sons of light” refers to those who have come
to the Light; i.e. the Lord Jesus Christ. a) Light refers to life. Christ gives
physical life to all men and spiritual life to all who believe in Him (Joh
1:4-5, 7). b) Light refers to new creation. Christ
removes the believer from the realm of darkness (unbelieving world) and makes
him a new creation in the realm of light (position in Christ) (Joh 12:46; cp.
2Co 5:17; Gal 6:15). c) Light refers to new life in Christ. Christ
is the Light of the way of salvation and the way of walking in the light (Joh
8:12). C. They are not to Sleep (1Th 5:6-7) 1. The unbelieving world (referred to as
“others”), which is in darkness, is also dead spiritually and asleep to
spiritual truths (1Co 2:14). The believer however, is alive spiritually and
alive to spiritual truths. 2. But Paul exhorts the Thessalonians (and
includes himself) not to live in insensitivity to spiritual truths,
especially the spiritual truth of the return of Christ. 3. Instead of being insensitive to spiritual
realities, the Thessalonians were to be alert and sober-minded. “Alert” is
the Greek word gręgoréō and means to be vigilant and
watchful. The believer is to live in light of spiritual truths and be
vigilant in watching for the imminent return of Christ. “Sober-minded” is the
Greek word nęphō and literally means not intoxicated. Spiritually
it means a believer is to be clear-headed about spiritual truths and
self-controlled. The believer does these things by growing in the knowledge
of the Word and obedience to it. 4. Paul uses the analogy of sleeping and
drunkenness, which all take place at night. The unbelieving world does all
those things because they are part of the realm of darkness and night. But
believers are not part of that realm, nor should they act like it. D. They are to be Sober and Spiritually
Minded (1Th 5:8) 1. Paul reinforces the necessity for
believers, who are of the day (position in Christ), to be sober-minded and
spiritually minded. This is accomplished by maintaining three spiritual
characteristics, which the believer has already put on spiritually (aor
mid part - enduō). 2. The breastplate of faith refers to the
believer’s fundamental reliance upon Christ for salvation, illumination,
protections, and empowerment. 3. Love is also a breastplate which refers
to the believer’s response and motivation to serve God and others. 4. The helmet of salvation is that which
protects the believer’s mind by having eternal security as well as a hope of
the climax of salvation in Christ’s return. 5. All three are found in Pauline writings
and coincide with the key verse of this epistle in 1Th 1:3 and GBC Theme,
“Laboring in Love while Looking for the Blessed Hope.” III. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS A. As “sons of light” and in anticipation of
the Rapture and the Day of the Lord, believers are to be sober-minded 1. in regard to the Word (Ps 19:7-8), 2. ministry (1Co 15:34; 2Ti 4:5), 3. prayer (1Pe 4:7), 4. spiritual warfare (1Pe 5:8), 5. and holy living
(1Pe 1:13-16). |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
