Paul's Exhortations to the Thessalonian Church Volume 32

Paul Reminds them How Christ 2nd Coming will Occur Part 5

1 Thessalonia 5:9-11 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. KJV

As the Apostle Paul closes out his discourse to these new believers in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ concerning the difference of them as believers to the people in this world who have resisted Christ and His Gospel of Grace or all together rejected Him, he reminds them of the one certain and final contrast between them/us and those resisters and rejectors by saying, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9) (KJV). Any person who states the fact, the reality, and the truth that there is a coming judgment not only to the earth at our Lord Jesus Christ 2nd Coming for man's sin, but that every single human being born into this world as a sinner will be judged by the same Lord Jesus Christ at the very moment of their physical death. There is a certain time fixed for each person to have their appointment face to face with Jesus Christ who is God and He is the Judge of all mankind as even He declared with these words, "Even the Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son, So that all men may give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, Who has sent Him. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes {and} trusts in {and} clings to {and} relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life. Believe Me when I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the time is coming and is here now when the dead (spiritually dead as we all are born such) shall hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear it shall live. For even as the Father has life in Himself {and} is self-existent, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself {and} be self-existent. And He has given Him authority {and} granted Him power to execute (exercise, practice) judgment because He is a Son of man [very man]." (John 5:22-27) (Amplified Bible).

As for these Thessalonian believers and we believers today and of every generation and era, we have not been appointed for God's Wrath, but we have 'obtained' salvation by the sacrifice of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ who took our sin upon Himself and God the Father's Wrath for our sins was taken and placed on Him. The little English word 'obtain' Paul uses here expressing how these Thessalonian sinners became believers in Jesus Christ is translated by the Greek word peripoiesis meaning acquisition (the act or the thing); by extension preservation: - obtaining, saving. In other words, the Gospel is the calling to all humanity to flee from the wrath to come to the Cross of Jesus Christ for preservation and saving being protected from the danger of God's wrath against sin. Note: "The fact of God’s 'appointment' of His grace 'through Jesus Christ' (Ephesians 1:5), takes away the notion of our being able to 'acquire' salvation of ourselves. Christ 'acquired (so the Greek for 'purchased') the Church (and its salvation) with His own blood' (Acts 20:28); each member is said to be appointed by God to the 'acquiring of salvation.' In the primary sense, God does the work; in the secondary sense, man does it." (JFB Commentary) Christ Jesus is the sacrifice and perfect substitute for our sin before the Throne of God the Father and it is His Blood that covers and hides our sin from the Father's view as He sees His Perfect and Holy Son Jesus Christ when He looks upon me His adopted son and all of His other adopted sons and daughters including these new believers in the city of Thessalonica as Paul declares to them and to us with these words, "Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." (1 Thessalonians 5:10) (KJV).

Christ death was an atoning sacrifice which simply means to make up for, compensate or make reparation for our wrongdoing or causing offence before God the Father's eyes as declared by these words of the Prophet Habakkuk, "You are of purer eyes than to behold evil and can not look [inactively] upon injustice." (Habakkuk 1:13) (Amplified Bible), so instead of seeing our sins that we from time to time commit in word, thought, or deed, He sees the atoning Blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that covers and hides all my sin from my Heavenly Father's sight or view (Hallelujah follows this truth)! With such a wonderful truth as this, Paul now encourages and exhorts these Thessalonian believers to continue more and more doing this, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." (1 Thessalonians 5:11) (KJV). The English word 'comfort' is translated by the Greek word parakaleo meaning to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): The English word 'edify' is translated by the Greek word oikodomeo meaning to confirm or affirm and embolden or give encouragement to one another building one another up in their faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, because these Thessalonian believers and we believers today and of every generation and era are not appointed for God the Father's wrath on human sin, but we have obtained salvation or deliverance from God the Father's wrath on sin through the sacrifice and atonement made by our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary and now our sins are covered by His Blood, these Thessalonian believers and we believers today and at all times should only build one another up in our most holy faith as we await and look for the [fulfillment, the realization of our] blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Amen!

"Our salvation therefore is owing to, and our hopes of it are grounded on, Christ's atonement as well as God's appointment: and, as we should think on God's gracious design and purpose, so also on Christ's death and sufferings, for this end, that whether we wake or sleep (whether we live or die, for death is but a sleep to believers, as the Apostles had before intimated) we should live together with Christ live in union and in glory with Him forever. And, as it is the salvation that Christians hope for to be forever with the Lord, so one foundation of their hope is their union with Him. And if they are united with Christ, and live in Him, and live to Him, here, the sleep of death will be no prejudice to the spiritual life, much less to the life of glory hereafter. On the contrary, Christ died for us, that, living and dying, we might be His; that we might live to Him while we are here, and live with Him when we go hence." Matthew Henry

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…