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Our passage today starts at I Thessalonians Chapter 5 and verse 8. We come to one of Paul’s sentences which is developed later on in another letter. We are to be sober or self-controlled or watchful or vigilant.

Paul touches on the armour of God here. He develops that in the Ephesian letter in Chapter 6.

We are to put on faith and love – faith in Jesus and the love of Jesus. If we try to separate these then both may die. These guard the heart.

We need our hearts and lives garrisoned by faith and love – like two sentries.

Paul writes about this important helmet – protecting the brain or the mind – and we are protected by the hope or assurance of salvation.

If you are wounded in the head – well, it is unlikely that you will be able to use the other pieces of the armour.

Hope is the quiet expectation of good, based on the promises of God.

It is really a continuing optimism.

The head represent the mind and the thought life – e.g. – what if, so-and so says that? What is it that happens?

The enemy likes us to mistrust people and to mistrust God.

We are involved in a conflict and struggle with the powers of darkness.

That is why we require the armour of God.

We live in a hostile world. This is an alien world. We are surrounded by the kingdom of darkness and we belong to the kingdom of light.

This is a sinful, fallen, unfriendly, warring world – and that is why we need the protection which almighty God provides.

Faith and hope and love are needed for day time Christians who are living in night time surroundings.

Then we can face the perils of the future with confidence – (and I am writing this when the coronavirus is still highly active.)

Hope enables you to face the gloom and pessimism of the age and not to let it affect you negatively – but to let it affect you prayerfully.

This is not only a battlefield but a workshop.

These fruitful qualities make you a warm person and can banish fear and anxiety and various negative emotions.

All this encourages us to go on in our work and ministries for Christ.

Verse 9 – God does not want man to experience wrath.

The suffering does not come from our gracious loving God. God wants us to be saved and to be whole – through faith in Jesus Christ.

Verse 10 – As Jesus died for us let us live together with Him – again it is corporate. We grow and progress together rather than individually and separate from one another.

In fact we cannot grow and progress apart from our being in regular fellowship.

It is like that coal being taken out of the fire – it soon loses its glow and turns dark and black.

Verse 11 – Therefore encourage one another or comfort and fortify and fortress and edify and build up one another together. It is only when we are close together that we can really do this effectively.

Our being in love with Jesus should enable us to love and encourage one another more and more. Even if He were not coming back for us, this alone could make life luxuriant and luscious.

Verses 12,13 – We beseech you and plead with you. Respect those in Thessalonica who are over you in the fellowship. Know them and know their worth and value and appreciate their value.

Recognise and realise and develop a proper respect for those in leadership – those who are over you in the Lord.

They admonish you. Obviously they needed it. Rebuking is part of the leader’s task and ministry when necessary, and they need love to do that.

Verse 13 – Look at their work. Look at their sheer faithfulness and dependability. Esteem them lovingly, and be at peace with yourselves and among yourselves.

“Loving God – as we meditate on these verses – encourage us so that we might be able to encourage others. In a day when respect is thin and fragile – help us to be a faithful people who show respect to those around us. We thank You for the guidance and direction given us in these few verses – we pray in Jesus name.”

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 30, 2010)