THURSDAY 30th
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – 5:1-11
NIV (4v18, 5:11) – ‘Therefore encourage one another with these words.’
‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’
ESV (4v18, 5:11) – ‘Therefore encourage one another with these words.’
‘Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.’
Originally the verses we have today would have been one whole section before chapter and verses were added at some point to aid our navigation around the Word of God, and this whole section is about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and twice Paul says, ‘encourage one another’. The subject or doctrine of the second coming is something that should continually encourage us as believers, the wonderful truth that Jesus, the one who is our Saviour and Lord is coming again, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly awaiting him.
It is a subject of hope, for it reminds us that death or the grave is not the end, those who have died as believers, have died knowing that the day will come when they will be raised again, and as Paul says, for those of us who have believed and will still be alive on that resurrection day, we will be caught up so that together (that is the dead in Christ and those living and waiting for Christ) we will meet the Lord in the air – and so will we always be with the Lord, he will never leave us again! We will continually, constantly, and eternally be found in his presence, wherever Jesus will be, there also we will be. The gospel itself is good news, and this aspect of the gospel is also good and exciting news, Jesus is coming again, as we see things happening around us that would cause us to be alarmed and dismayed, we can be encouraged that it is a sure sign that it cannot be long before the One whom our soul longs for will come to the clouds and take us up to be with himself. The challenge today is this, will we be ready? Will you dear reader be ready, for Jesus is only coming to take to himself those who already belong to him, those who have come to the Cross in repentance and have been washed in his soul cleansing blood, anyone else will be left behind and will face the wrath of God as it is poured out through the period of great tribulation which is to come upon the earth. I’ve mentioned it before that the late David Wilkerson, founder of the Teen Challenge organisation used to say that the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will be a glad sad day, a glad day for the believer, a sad day for the unbeliever. Make sure you are ready, as I encourage us today that Jesus Christ is coming again, may I also challenge those of you who are reading this and are not yet ready, give your life over to the Lord Jesus Christ, allow him to become your Saviour and Lord so that you too can be encouraged with this wonderful truth, that Jesus is coming again, and be ready, what a day, glorious day that will be.