1Thess 5:18 (the thankful will)

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

1Thess 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

What can we say about “thankfulness”? We can probably say that it is possibly the ultimate key to a bountiful Christian life.
I believe some form of “thank” appears around 139 times in the Bible.
Look at some of these OT verses:
1Ch 16:34 

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 105:1 

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Psa 106:1 

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 107:1 

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:1, 29 

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. ... 

O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:1 

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Obviously, God, nor they, were concerned about repetition, or repeating themselves. The Lord God is good and we should be thankful; God is merciful for ever and we should be thankful – we should give thanks just because he is good and merciful – I think we will see that carry over in the NT.

The verse says “In every thing”, “In”, it does not mean “for” everything (like getting hit in the head with a hammer, or the car driving off the cliff, or the insurance company dropping me), no, those circumstances happen, and we do not enjoy them, and it would be hard to be thankful for a hammer embedded in my skull. However, in each one of those situations, I can be thankful that I am still in the grace of God, that I am still a child of God, that all the promises to me are still in there, that he has given me enough grace and faith to get through my situation, etc.

Let us look at some of the “thank*” verses Paul wrote:
Here are some from Romans:
Rom 1:8 

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
(Thankfulness for the believer’s faith, and it’s impact.)

Rom 6:17

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(Thankfulness that someone changed the wrong path they were on, believed the word, and got saved, and are on a path with God, to do right.)

Rom 7:25

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
(Thankfulness that the flesh, and the things I do in the flesh, my mistakes, are not defining my eternal destination; thankfulness that we can have the mind of Christ, and we can keep trying, and working on our mind even if the flesh keeps messing us up.)

Rom 14:6

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
(Thankfulness we can give God thanks regardless of what state we are in or what level we are understanding, whether we have full understanding of the doctrine, or are on the way of understanding the doctrine.)

Rom 16:4

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
(Thankfulness for the brothers and sisters in Christ that are helping to advance the gospel of Christ, despite the adverse conditions that present themselves.)

From First and Second Corinthians:
1Cor 1:4 

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
(Thankfulness for the believers, and the grace of God that they made the choice to be a part of.)

1Cor 15:57 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Thankful for our current, ternal, present victory in Jesus Christ, looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and our rapture.)

2Cor 1:11 

Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
(Thankfulness to the brethren doing what is asked and thanks resulting to God.)

2Cor 2:14 

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
(Thankfulness to God for the victories in Christ.)

2Cor 4:15 

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
(knowing the thankfulness that will be directed to God at the result of the saints work.)

2Cor 8:16 

But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.
(Thankfulness to God for working in the inner man of the saints.)

2Cor 9:11-12, 15 

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; ...

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
(Again, thankfulness that will be directed towards God for their obedience and the result of their efforts.)

And the list goes on through . We can look all through the Bible, in the OT, in the Gospels, in the Psalms, in the Prophets, in the rest of the NT, there is no shortage of thankfulness, and giving thanks to God! And most of these people who wrote these thankful words were not living the cushy high life at the time, not like the easy life that we experience now. Just something to thank about. We have tons and tons of things to be thankful for, we just need to do it.

He follows up the statement with “…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
We have already hit part of the “will of God” in chapter 4:
1Thess 4:3-4
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

So we should know how to be set apart, holy, sanctified for God AND…

“In every thing give thanks”. (Remember 1Thess 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”)
THIS IS SO CLEAR AND SIMPLE IN FINDING THE WILL OF GOD IN OUR LIVES, and it was in our face in plain words the whole time!
And I will even add the two previous short bursts in there as well: “rejoice evermore” and “pray without ceasing”

If we could do these as if it was second nature, part of our regular habit and behavior, just think what an impact we could have on those in direct contact with us? Around us? Seeing us from afar? Seeing us from near? Family? Friends? Person at Walmart?

Some things to consider. 

Grace and Peace James

1Thess 5:17 pray do tell

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

1Thess 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

Right after rejoicing, before thankfulness, we have prayer. How fitting.
(I suck at prayer, I am bad at it, so this is painful for me to write about.)
Much is said and discussed about prayer, this most confusing subject. How is it to be done?
Well, let us go to the Webster’s 1828 and get a definition:
1. To ask with earnestness or zeal, as for a favor, or for something desirable; to entreat; to supplicate.
2. To petition; to ask, as for a favor; as in application to a legislative body.
3. In worship, to address the Supreme Being with solemnity and reverence, with adoration, confession of sins, supplication for mercy, and thanksgiving for blessings received.
4. I pray that is, I pray you tell me, or let me know, is a common mode of introducing a question.

These are four good definitions to help us grasp this task set before us.
So basically, it is talking, discussing, conversing, which includes asking, but also informing, it is dialogue – it is dialogue between you and the Father. You talk to him, inform, ask, etc. about things and people in your life.
But it is not a magic wicca board thing. This is not Santa Clause central.
This is you in conversation with the Father, where you unload your heart, and seek direction and wisdom, and relief. You are not changing him, you are changing you – you are expressing yourself but in the end you get enlightened as to what his will is – and of course that is going to be understanding achieved through your Bible.
Talk to him about “x” and ask about “y”, go to the Bible and read: then you hear the Father answering back.

Now, this “Pray without ceasing” obviously cannot mean “with every head bowed, and every eye closed”, and it cannot mean continuous second after second, minute after minute “without ceasing”.
This is an ongoing action, or behavior we are to incorporate into our life. All through the day, as we encounter our thoughts, troubles, good things, people (good and bad), we can go to the Father and prayer, discussion, question, etc. You do not need to stop everything and plop prostrate on the ground and start bellowing out this sanctimonious oration; it can be brief and to the point.
Paul mentions the same consistent tone:
Rom 12:12
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Eph 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Col 4:2
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Look at the content of some of the prayers Paul prayed in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians:

Eph 1:15-23
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Eph 3:14-21
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Phl 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Col 1:9-12
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

These prayers are for the saints, that they would be edified, that they would be growing in knowledge and understanding, strengthening the inner man, increasing in the knowledge of God, understanding our position in the world, understanding our position in spiritual things. Some things to think about. Some things to pray about.

Grace and Peace James
Cease not to pray

1Thess 5:16 rejoice evermore

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

1Thess 5:16
Rejoice evermore.

Finally, a verse our size we can commit to memory.
[FYI: this verse is the shortest verse in the Greek New Testament (Πάντοτε χαίρετε); in case you are in a trivia contest; the shortest English verse in John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” (ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς) – see you are already glad you came!]

Back to our mission…
As we should expect “rejoice” should be related to “joy”. “To make joyful; to gladden; to animate with lively pleasurable sensations; to exhilarate.”
“evermore”: always; at all times.

So we are to be made joyful, exhilarated at all times. And you can be with Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27).
Look at what Paul says in other places:
Rom 5:1-2
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom 12:15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Col 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

In Philippians, Paul uses this word more in this book than all his others:
Phl 1:18
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Phl 2:16-18, 28
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me. ...
I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

Phl 3:1, 3
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. ...
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Phl 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

(10X in this small book)

Paul thought highly of rejoicing, and commanded us in the body of Christ to so be, with him, in that rejoiceful state. Things might not be falling out as we thought they would, but we can still rejoice. We have a destination we can look to, that is our expectation, and we can hold forth our promises in Christ and be joyful. We can rejoice together. We can rejoice and be joyful when we see the brethren rejoice. Paul says to do it and that it is safe.
And we should do it always. Need he say it again…to rejoice?
It is a compact verse, the first of several in a row that I suggest we commit to memory. And as I heard someone say, it is like a zip file that when you hit, you can decompress and remember and behold all the things that are “rejoice-worthy” from the books that you have read on the way to First Thessalonians. Romans. 1&2 Corinthians. Galatians. Ephesians. Philippians. Colossians. What are the doctrines that you have encountered up until this book and chapter and verse that you should be rejoicing about, to reflect on? (that would be a good homework assignment.)

Who knows what is ahead for the body of Christ in this world on this earth before the Lord catches us up and out of here. It might get right ugly. But just like some of us prep for a coming collapse of society (I said “us” to sound like a cool guy, but I would die in the first week of such an event), or supply chains, EMP, coup or whatever, we should be prepping the mind with scripture for the work ahead.

Paul was having bad circumstance after bad circumstance laid upon him AFTER Christ called him on the Damascus road – sufferings and persecutions – of the like of which Big Eva would more than likely exclude him from their association if he were here today (he would not fit the business model or the image). But Paul rejoiced to the end, and commanded us to rejoice the same.

And Christ, who stepped down from Heaven to take on flesh, and looked to the joy and the glory that lay ahead after suffering the humiliation and death on a cross:
Heb 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We as saved members of the body of Christ should be able to always look to the eternal glory, which is far better, and rejoice whilst standing in this muck today.
2Cor 4:17-18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Grace and Peace James 

Rejoice evermore.

1Thess 5:14-15 exhortations...

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

[Addendum: from last time, I want to clarify, those that are over you in the Lord, those leaders in the local assembly, are not to brow beat you and you just take it – they should be teaching the Bible and the doctrine of grace; you can esteem them highly by learning your Bible and living the doctrine of grace.]

1Thess 5:14-15
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.


And here is the exhortation:
“warn the unruly” – don’t beat them over the head with a blunt object (yet), however, do warn them with the word ( a sharp sword [Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12]) of God.
“comfort the feebleminded” – and who is the feebleminded? Those that are weak in mind, those that don’t think straight, they could be the challenged from brain underdevelopment, to dementia, from young to old. They need comfort. We should be that comfort, not a government institution.
“support the weak” – what does that entail and where does that end? There are those that have trouble getting around and doing things physically, but there are also those who have no financial means. Should the local assembly provide the support, or should we through convenience offload that responsibility to a government institution?
“be patient toward all men” – wow. “all” really? I mean some of these people are incredibly stupid and incredibly evil. ?.
To be “patient”: Having the quality of enduring evils without murmuring or fretfulness; sustaining afflictions of body or mind with fortitude, calmness or Christian submission to the divine will… or, Not easily provoked; calm under the sufferance of injuries or offenses; not revengeful… or, Persevering; constant in pursuit or exertion; calmly diligent.
Rom 5:3-4
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
(It is always a kind of joke to ask for more patience, as you see what comes with it, and that is what you want to be alleviated from as you ask for patience.)
But there it is in print, from the mouth of God, through the pen of Paul, “be patient toward all men.” So just do it.

Uh oh, “See that none render evil for evil unto any man:”; how are we to take this? I mean an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…what gives?
Let us see what Paul says to the Romans shall we?:
Rom 12:17-21
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Let us take a peak at Proverbs shall we:
Pro 17:13
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Pro 20:22
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
Pro 24:17, 29
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: ...
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
Pro 25:21
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

(thank you ‘Treasury of Scripture Knowledge’ for the cross references)
So, we are talking about “evil”: Having bad qualities of a moral kind; wicked; corrupt; perverse; wrong
So if we have evil done to us, we do not repay evil with evil, we leave place for the Lord to work, as he is the only person just to provide judgment and wrath in that case, we provide honest things and we do not get overcome of evil, we allow space for justice to step in and not for us to partake in that wrong doing.
And we “follow that which is good”, or “things honest”, and heaping “coals of fire” on our enemies with good conduct, and not evil.
And Paul says this statement “among yourselves” and “to all men” – so I take it that the “evil” can come within the local assembly of believers, the community, the region, the world.
I believe it is time to up our “good” game and our “good” supply in order to “overcome” what we are in store for.

Grace and Peace James
Overcome with good, provide things honest, ever follow that which is good. 

(I knew I could get this out!)

1Thess 5:12-13 beseeching admonishmental esteeming

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

1Thess 5:12-13
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Some word definitions (apologies if repetitious):
Beseech: To entreat; to supplicate; to implore; to ask or pray with urgency
Admonish: (1) To warn or notify of a fault; to reprove with mildness. (2) To counsel against wrong practices; to caution or advise. (3) To instruct or direct.
Esteem: To set a value on, whether high or low; to estimate; to value.

So verse 12, Paul is urgently asking, pleading with the Thessalonians to recognize those wh0 are doing the work among them, doing the work for the Lord, hence “are over you in the Lord”. So those in the local assembly that are in the leadership position or office; in Paul’s letters these are the “bishops”, “elders”, “overseers”, and “deacons”. (I would say “bishop” and “elder” are pretty much the same, and we would call them the pastor or preacher today. I think the “overseers” are a group of bishops, elders and deacons. And “deacons” are a step lower than the bishop/elder who is ready to fill in for him (not like you see deacons in the Baptist churches when I was growing up – these were the secret cabal of religious deep staters the imposed their will on the local assembly). I do not think churches these days function in the same capacity as they did back in Paul’s time, as they have grown into bureaucratic machines on business growth models and ecclesiastical regimes, but I digress.

So we should, as the Thessalonians, recognize, not the managerial bureaucratic stuff we have today, but, the real believers who are doing the work, the “labour”, among us(them) as Paul would have it being done.
How should it be done? Well, we have the Pauline epistles that are scripture and scripture has a certain attribute and is good for several things:

2Tim 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

So it is inspired by God, God breathed, God dictated and written down by man. However, it says that it is good for “doctrine”(teaching, whatever is taught, learning); “reproof”(to cast blame); “correction” (to bring back from error); “instruction in righteousness” (the act of teaching what is right)… those that “labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you”; seems to fit. And the blueprint is “scripture”, the word of God written down, your Bible that you have at your disposal.
Unfortunately, even before Paul was executed in the first century, the church system was developing and going downhill. We are still trying to pick up the pieces. But we have the Bible, complete, and intact, and preserved – so it is not a lost cause, it just requires work, diligence, effort, etc.

Getting back on track, but those that are doing it correctly, know them, recognize them, listen to them, and…
Verse 13 “esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake”. If they are doing the right thing in the right way, that is valuable, that has weight. It may not be profitable in an earthly, material sense, but that is the wrong scale to measure with.
Gal 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

2Cor 4:17-18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Gal 6:14-17
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Concerning “their work’s sake”, their “work” is labouring, and admonishing, teaching and preaching what Paul had instructed them about, and what to do with this new life they have in Christ, to continue in the faith, to not be troubled about other saints dying before the catching up or the day of the Lord coming, to love one another, to possess their vessels in sanctification and honour.

“And be at peace among yourselves.” You have to be at peace between you and God first. Get grounded in that fact. And then you can start having peace with your brethren. When you start realizing that these petty things are just that, petty; then, you can move on and do something for the Lord.
Rom 12:18
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
(he gave you a way out here: “if it be possible…”)
We as members of his body should do what we can to provide the best example and make it as authentic as we can – not for gain – but because Jesus Christ suffered for us, and died for our sins, and rose again so we can have newness of life…
Rom 6:10-11
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 7:6
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Grace and Peace James.
We have been beseeched
(I was a bit like a scattergun today)

1Thess 5:9-11 Wherefore comfort yourselves

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

1Thess 5:9-11
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

We have the statement or the reference to avoiding wrath again: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath” (note Rom 5:9 & 1Thess 1:10)

Rom 5:9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

1Thess 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Wrath is not something we are appointed to; we have been delivered from (past tense), and shall be saved from (future tense) obviously. And he starts out the phrase with a “For…” to give reason for our faith, love and hope. And then contrasts the sleeping drunken ones in the dark and in the night by the reason of obtaining “salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”; not by anything we have done, by solely from the one we are trusting, the Lord Jesus Christ – we are saved from all this destruction because we are saved by Jesus Christ.

Why him? Paul reminds the Thessalonians (and us) again: because he is the one “Who died for us” and must be alive. Why must he be alive? Because we “should live together with him”; the only way to live together with someone is if they are alive. So Paul manages to put back into our memory, unless we have believed in vain, how that Christ died for our sins, according to scripture, and was buried, and rose again the third day, according to scripture.[1Cor15:1-4]
Paul also puts in here a “whether we wake or sleep” phrase, so even if we are not awake and sober and watching, we are in the age of grace, Christ has us covered.
That is not a license to just go our own way and be sloppy lousy crusty Christians, to just go and sin and forget what we have been translated to, but it does mean that God is true to his word and his promises to us and the members of the body of Christ, AND he does not lie…

Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Heb 6:18
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

“Wherefore”…why, for which reason… “comfort”. Did we not here this in chapter 4? After hearing about the catching up of the body of Christ with the dead saints who are also members of that same body?

1Thess 4:17-18
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Then there should be comfort, and twice as much now! We are getting caught up in the air to meet the Lord (before the tribulation and judgments on the earth) and we won’t be appointed to wrath, but be saved from it.
Comfort together and edify together, one another; the local assembly (which is part of the larger assembly from the first century until today) should be telling, teaching, building each other up with these words, with the great hope that we have before us, that we posses today. Amen.
(Unfortunately most have abandoned these doctrines, forgot about Paul, and pursuing a big box, mass marketed “Christianity”.)
Hope – confident expectation of what we KNOW will come to pass; and we KNOW because of Faith: Gad said it; and God CANNOT lie.

Grace and Peace James 

More reasons to be around fellow believers

1Thess 5:8 suit up brethren

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 5

1Thess 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

We have the “But” return, we are contrasting something again:…“noting an addition to supply what is wanting to elucidate, or modify the sense of the preceding part of a sentence, or of a discourse, or to continue the discourse, or to exhibit a contrast.”
And this “But” is against what and supplying information to what? … (1Thess 5:7) “For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.”
“Us”… “of the day”…notice this is the second time he has referenced us with “the day” in contrast to “the night”, but not part of “the day of the Lord” – so “the day” here and being “children of the day” is something mutually exclusive to “the day of the Lord”, and it appears that “they” “of the night” will be associated with “the day of the Lord”.
What should we do? Even though we are not part of that event (the time of Jacob’s trouble: tribulation and the day of the Lord)
“be sober”, (the second time he has said it in this cluster of verses,) sure do not be drunk, drunken, etc. but be “Regular; calm; not under the influence of passion; as sober judgment; a man in his sober senses. Serious; solemn; grave”; be under control of yourself, you are children of the day, of light…be sober.
Phl 4:5
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Keep a due mean between extremes. (it seems to me that the current environment in our culture today is working vary hard to keep people at one extreme or another; drama unfolds everywhere and is thrust down our throats and we are made to bathe in it; it is work to remain “grave”)

And now we run back into our three favorite friends that we ran into earlier in chapter 1: faith, hope and love.
1Thess 1:3
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

We see it in 1 Corinthians…
1Cor 13:13 (‘charity’ is the same as ‘love’)
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

We also see it in Romans…
Rom 5:1-5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

And Colossians…
Col 1:3-5
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

Now in this verse setting it is “putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation”.
And we keep in mind what these elements are…
Faith is believing what God has said (not our feelings, or imagination, or twisting his words into something that fits our point of view), it keeps us seeing what we cannot see because God said it;
Love is the bond, the glue that holds things together, that produces our service, to give and keep giving by grace; it is like choice put into action.
Hope is the confident expectation of what God said would happen will happen, it keeps us thinking correctly and moving forward looking for the blessed hope.
Now the “breastplate”, as one can guess, covers and protects the chest, the heart, the vital organs – the stuff that keeps you moving. Paul said in chapter 3 he was going to complete something that was lacking in their faith:
1Thess 3:9-10
For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

It would appear that the two things we (mainly me) have been spending most of our time on:
    (1) the catching up of living and dead members of the body of Christ, and
    (2) the information about the body of Christ not being involved in the tribulation/darkness/night time/the day of the Lord, is the additional faith components that needed “perfection”. Perfecting that faith, joined with the action and glue of love, should protect the doctrine and walk and sound words of the body of Christ community.
The “hope” is put on as a helmet, protecting the head, the brain, the mind, the thinking – not losing the confident expectation of those two truths. The faith and love keep us motivated and on the correct path.
The “salvation” here is the salvation from that wrath that is going to be poured out on those that are going to be subject to it; reference 2 Thessalonians…
2Thess 1:7-10
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
(when, or if, we get to 2 Thessalonians we shall see that the Thessalonians appeared to let the helmet slip off their head)

Grace and Peace James 

Watch, be sober, suit up as we wait.