2. The Conduct of Christians. 5:6-10
V.6 a) Alertness - And Soberness.
I. People of the night and darkness sleep, but the people of the day and light are awake and watchful. Eph.5:14
II. If the Church should pass through the great tribulation period before the
Rapture occurs, it would be useless to watch for Christ daily, watching for Christ
at the end of the great tribulation would make more sense.
III. 3 reasons to be sober and watchful:
1. The flesh is Weak. Matt.26:41
2. The Devil is at Work. 1.Peter 5:8
3. The Lord’ s appearing is Well-nigh.
IV. To be watchful is not to know “ the signs of the times” but to be continuing faithfully in faith, hope and love.
V. To be sober is to be temperate and abstinent.
VI. In connection with 4:13-5:11 the idea of this verse is: In what state do we want to be caught up -
While living in Sin or in the Service of the Lord.
V.7 b) Acts - Of the Sleeping.
I. People of the night sleep, night people rejects God therefore they sleep
spiritually, night people lives in a drunken condition, they are drunk by the
deception of the world. Rev.17:2-5
II. In verses 6-7 the Thessalonians are told to Watch,
in verse 8 they are told to Wear. V.8 c) Armouring - The soul and spirit.
I. People of the day lives in the light and sees therefore darkness,
hatred and evil, they put on the Armour of the light. Rom.13:12
II. In Eph.6:14 the breastplate is righteousness and here it is faith and love.
1. We are made righteous by faith Rom.4:5, we are becoming righteous
by works of love, one is a Position, the other is a Practice.
2. Faith works in love, believers’ Positional righteousness through faith has to become Practical righteousness through love. Gal.5:6 In Eph.6:17 the helmet is salvation, here there is added the hope of salvation.
III. These two pieces of Armour make up the three remaining charities:
Faith, hope and love. 1.Cor.13:13
IV. Faith, hope and love protects our most Vital and Vulnerable parts, our hearts and minds.
V. The helmet protects the Head (mind) from error, the breastplate protects the Heart from sin.
VI. Faith is the Motive within, love is the Movement without.
VII. Faith is the Ability, Love is the Action and hope is the Anticipation.
V.9 d) Appointment - To Salvation.
I. All unbelievers are appointed to wrath, unless they embrace God’ s salvation in Christ, that wrath is:
1. On the earth - The Redemption of the earth Purchased through Christ. Period - 3½ years. Rev. Ch.5-19 Notice 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15
2. In the lake on fire - The Rebellion of man Punished through Christ. Period - Eternally. Rev.20:10-15
II. All believers are appointed to salvation from wrath. Rom.5:9 They will be saved from the great tribulation wrath, they are caught up
before the wrath of God is poured upon the earth, they are also saved from the eternal lake of fire.
III. Appoint - Believers are not Placed into a Setting of wrath.
Obtain - Believers are Possessing Salvation in Christ. V.10 e) Abiding - In our Status.
Whether we are awake or we are sleeping at the rapture, all faithful Christians will
be glorified, some places it will be night, other places daytime at the rapture. Rom.8:38-39