Living Ready

Bible Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5

This chapter continues the focus on the future from the previous passage, but now moves on from thinking about believers who have died to the fact of Jesus’ return. Paul uses this certain hope in the future coming of Jesus as a guiding framework for how we live now. The hope that we have is not meant to be primarily a source of intellectual speculation, but a truth that shapes our life in the present.

Know that Jesus Will Return (v1-3): To begin with, Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the truth that Jesus will return. They already know that he is coming back, and the point that Paul majors on here is that his return will be unexpected, like a thief in the night. In contrast to those who would speculate or try to predict exactly when the second coming will be, the Christian should live in continual readiness, knowing that Jesus could return at any time.. As an illustration, he speaks of people who say ‘peace and safety’, assuming that everything is fine. It can be easy to take this world and the status quo for granted, and fail to take eternity seriously, but the coming of Jesus should be always on our radar as it can happen at any moment.

Living Ready for His Return (v4-10): In the following verses we see some of the ways that readiness of Christ’s return makes a difference to the way we live. In particular, we have three contrasts, all of which speak to the idea of alertness. The first is between light and darkness, speaking both of knowledge of truth (as opposed to falsehood) and moral righteousness (as opposed to compromise). Second is the contrast between wakefulness and sleep, speaking of our awareness of the times we are in, and thirdly the contrast between sobriety and drunkenness, highlighting the area of self-control. The combination of these pictures forms the impression of somebody who knows what is coming and is living very deliberately in light of it. Switching metaphors, Paul then highlights how this readiness looks in verse 8 by speaking of the armour of God, especially in terms of the faith, love and hope that he spoke about at the very beginning of the letter (see 1:3).

Living Ready Together (v11-28): This final section of the letter can sometimes be treated as an assortment of miscellaneous instructions, but they hang together more than we might think when we first read them. The key is verse 11, and the ‘therefore’. It is because of the coming return of Jesus that we are to consider one another and build each other up, and the remaining verses paint a picture of the kind of church that is ready for Christ’s return, and encourage us that in and through it God will be at work to keep us faithful until that day (see v23). In practical terms this is worked out in lots of different ways, including honouring leaders who work hard, challenging those who are not living the right way, encouragement, help and patience as the person needs. This is then coupled with non-retaliatory responses to being wronged, responding to all situations with joy, prayer and thanksgiving, and holding space for the Spirit by responding to prophecy with a discerning openness. As we do these things we form a community that builds up and encourages one another, and that can stand firm and ready for that day when it comes . Paul concludes not by placing the weight of perseverance entirely on the shoulders of believers, but by pointing them to the faithfulness of God. The God who calls us is also the God who sanctifies us and will keep us until the day Christ returns. Our confidence ultimately rests not in our own efforts but in his faithfulness.

Potential Applications

• People probably fall into one of two groups – either not thinking about the return of Jesus much at all, or thinking about it a lot (but maybe not always in the healthy way outlined here). Challenge people to hold this readiness for it to come at any time, whilst not giving themselves to speculation or trying to pin down things that God has not revealed.
• Speaking of readiness for the return of Jesus is a good moment to ask people to think about their relationship with Jesus, and invite people to put their trust in him – because this is the key to true readiness.
• Many of the instructions given in these verses are about how we relate to one another. Invite people to think of their Christian friend or others in the congregation, and what they need at the moment – honour, challenge, encouragement, help? What would it look like to respond to those people in these ways?