Our Position as Believers
Paul writes to the Jewish brethren in Thessalonians to encourage and as a reminder of who they are in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 is a very pointed statement Paul makes to his Jewish brethren concerning sings of tough times ahead, but he also reminds the Jewish brethren about the Exodus event where he tells them they are not in darkness:
“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. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness…”
Everyone is familiar with the exodus story when the angel of death came upon Egypt (Exodus 12:23; Isaiah 37:36; Hebrews 11:28). Even though Paul is talking to the believing Jews and not the gentiles in Thessalonians, we gentile believers, as adopted heirs of God (Romans 8: 15-17), have the same rights and privileges as our Jewish believers, and all believers regardless of ethnicity are sons and daughters of light, and are not sons and daughters of darkness. As a result, Paul is saying that when these troubles come we now have the blood of Christ on us and as the angel of death passed by the homes with blood on the door stoop, that same angle will pass us by when he returns.
We live in a period where none of us can hang on to clichés, one liner statements, sentimental ideals, or being of a double mind. We can no longer have faith in our faith, or to believe in our belief. Our faith is not about us, or in us; our faith is in Christ alone, not in some institution, organization, building, or individual. We are citizens of heaven, sons and daughters of the most high God, we are not to be involved in the affairs of this life (2 Timothy 4), we are to be steadfastly involved in representing God’s kingdom while here on earth.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Paul gives us this encouragement: “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.”
How are we to be seen in our communities?
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 gives us what we need in the way of Christian conduct: “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; 20do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”
And again in Philippians 3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
So then, as we see the day of our Lord approaches how are things going to look?
2 Peter 3:3-4 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
Again in 2 Timothy 3:1-8 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.”
What should we do as these things begin to appear? Well, sorry to inform you that they already have begun to appear. However, our conduct is simple: Remain steadfast in Christ, in the faith, and remember that you are marked with the blood of the Lamb, and keep in mind that not only do we partake in the good things of the Lord, we also share in His suffering. Everything that happens to His church—us, not a building, here on earth is because of the hatred toward Him. Remember what Paul has said, that we will be with Him in the air. No matter if it is some sort of rapture prior to great and terrible day of the Lord, or after a period of time that is determined by God. We love God with all our hearts, all our mind, all our strength, and we love our neighbor (other believers) as we love ourselves.
I’m going to end this topic now. There is a lot of information on the Internet concerning the times we are currently experiencing and what to expect. New outlets are unwittingly printing what the prophets foretold eons ago, and what Jesus and the Apostles have warned us about. My part in this is in some way help believers to learn to live in the Kingdom now, live with Christ now, not after He returns because that just might be too late.
I urge all to watch the sermon titled “Reserved for Fire” by John MacArthur.
God Bless each and everyone who loves the Lord and follows Him.
Mike Kovach
14 November 2021
The Christian Underground Journal
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