Free Bible Commentary
“1 Thessalonians 5:6-11”
Categories: 1 Thessalonians“So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 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.”
---End of Scripture Verses---
The majority of the people in the world are groping in the darkness of sinfulness and religious error and ignorance of God’s will. That is not being judgmental or pessimistic, it is just factual truth revealed by God’s word, and Jesus Himself. “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
The only way to find and walk the narrow way and make it through the small gate that leads to heaven is to be sober-minded and spiritually alert (verse 6). People do not make it to heaven by accident. Eternal salvation requires a vigilant and diligent pursuit of God and what the Bible reveals that He desires and requires of us. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 6:11).
Jesus went on to say the following in Matthew 7:21-24: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
God requires obedient, alert, sober-minded, solid-rock living from those whom He has “destined…for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 9). We need to suit up every day in preparation for the repeated spiritual assaults that Satan is certain to hurl at us (verse 8). It takes time and effort and wisdom for a soldier to strap on his breastplate and helmet before entering into battle, and the same is true for the soldier of Christ and his/her spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-17). Living life on planet Earth is continual existence in a spiritual war zone. If we are not fighting and defending our faith we are giving ground to Satan and losing the war for our eternal, spiritual lives.
Wake up (verse 6)! Suit up (verse 8)! Build up (verse 11)!
Please read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
Louie Taylor
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