Our Watchful Hope - 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8

Our sermon this Sunday is from First Thessalonians 5:6-8. These verses continue the discussion concerning the Day of the Lord. These verses are built upon the prophecy that the Day of the Lord is coming (5:1-2). For the unbeliever, this future Day of the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly. In contrast, the believer is prepared and ready because we have obtained salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (5:9). Whereas the unbeliever will not escape (5:3), because our sins have been forgiven through Christ, God has not appointed us to wrath (5:9). The contrast continues with a description of unbelievers as night people and believers as day people. The practice of those in spiritual darkness is that they are sleeping and drunk (5:7). They are not in a right relationship with God and their lifestyle is dominated by sin. The good news is that the gospel is the answer. If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). As believers, we are people of the day (5:8). We are to be alert. To be sober means that our alignment and agreement is with the Bible. In addition, the Apostle Paul repeats instructions concerning the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17). In verse 8, the Apostle lists two pieces of armor that are connected with the virtues of faith, love, and hope. This illustration teaches us that we are engaged in a spiritual war. The language of armor communicates the hardship of this spiritual battle. We are also taught what are to be our priorities and what we are to pursue. Our confidence is our faith in God, our strength is our love for God, and our encouragement is our hope in God.