1 Thessalonians 5

Three things stand out to me in this concluding chapter. First, there is an affirmation of the very high standards of moral and ethical behavior in the Christian life. Verses 16-22 are like a teacher’s aide in helping students learn the Christian way of life. (Like I before E except after C.)

Second, Paul in verse 8 ends the letter where he began by affirming faith, hope and love. And to make his point he uses the metaphor of the armor of God which he will expand ten years later in chapter 6 of his letter to the Ephesians. The NLT uses the word ‘confidence’ of our salvation where most other translations use the word ‘hope.’ Do you see the connection? Last night I went to bed hoping the Rays would win their baseball game. But, since they had lost their previous three games, my hope was far from a feeling of assurance. Christian hope is having confidence in the outcome, that is why those two words, hope and confidence, can be used interchangeably. (BTW – The Rays did win; 10 to 8 over Oakland.)

Third, in verse 10 Paul affirms the basic Christian Creed: Christ died for us and rose again. Because of this, in verse 18 Paul can encourage us to be thankful in all circumstances. Sometimes Christians try to muster up faith that God will change their circumstance and thus they can thankful in that hope. But, Paul is teaching that regardless of whether the circumstances change, we can be thankful because Jesus, who died for us and rose again, has promised that He is always with us and that nothing can separate us from His love.

Using that creed may be a good way to begin each day:

Jesus died for me and rose again.

Let that affirmation be ringing in your ears, and heart, as you venture out into the world.

What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to change anything in your life?