In The Word
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5
The Day of the Lord
5 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 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. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 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. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
Christian Conduct
12 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, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 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. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit;20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
It is a misconception that our behavior as believers does not matter as long as we love Jesus. This is played out daily when those who claim Jesus as Lord go into their places of employment, homes, and places of recreation. It is as if, once we leave our places of worship, we abandon all of the principles that we learned there. Many people tend to allow the pressures of their environments to drive them emotionally, which in turn controls their behavior.
In our reading today, Paul addresses this with the church. He wrote this letter to instruct them on Christian conduct. He confronted the way they should treat their bosses, the unruly, the fainthearted, and the weak. He even told them that when someone does evil to them, they are not repay them back with evil (1 Thessalonians 5:15). Most believers struggle with this because it requires them to be totally vulnerable. What we miss is that also requires us to be completely reliant on God.
So let us take away from today’s reading that our behavior does matter. It matters because it reflects the one that we serve. The people we encounter on our jobs, our homes, and our places of recreation might only experience Jesus from the way we display His love in our everyday life. Choose today to display godly behavior.