Children of Light
1 Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1 Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
We are not to know the exact time of his return. Jesus when he was with us did not know the time, but he gave us this revelation;
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Jesus is warning the people to be ready. He will come when no one expects him. No one, but his church; those who are of His Spirit.
1 Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
They, being those who have not believed in Jesus. They will follow a leader who promises peace, but no peace will come.
Psa 52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
Psa 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
1 Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
You brethren, you who are of the family of God, bornagain believers, the children of God.
1 Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Haleluia, we are given the promise that we will be aware of the time. We will see the signs, perhaps not knowing the time or the day, but we will be ready when we see these things come to pass. We are of Jesus, the Living Word. We have the Bible and we have His Spirit of truth abiding within.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
We have His promises; they are yea and amen.
Watch, be sober
1 Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Wake up! So many are asleep in their spirits, lulled into entertainment and comfort. God blesses us, and we need to praise Him. Look up, watch and be sober. Be aware of what is going on, especially the signs of his coming again.
Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isa 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Isa 60:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
1 Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Night is for sleeping and those who sin do it usually under the cover of darkness. When the day of Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit came down on those abiding in one accord, it was a new thing. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and joy, speaking in other tongues praises unto God. Those who were present thought they were drunk.
Acts 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
1 Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
We are of the light, we are to be sober; to be of a sound mind, controlled by God's Spirit of peace, keeping the body under control.
2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
We are to put on our Spiritual armor, protecting our hearts with the breastplate of faith and love, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
We put on our Spiritual armor and keep it on, for the devil seeks to bring us down. We are not going down, he is. We are going up to meet the Lord. Be ready for his coming.
No wrath
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Fear only God and know that he has provided for us in His Son. Jesus saves us from our sins. There is no wrath upon a blood bought child of God. Jesus came for this purpose;
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
1 Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
He gives us life now, more abundant and life everlasting.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
1 Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
We need not fear death, for Jesus has overcome death. There is no wrath upon the children of God. Do not fear the things that are coming, instead draw closer to God. He is not forgetting you, you will not be left behind if you are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Die to self rule and follow God in His Spirit.
Esteem one another
1 Th 5:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
Paul speaks to the members of this new church to know them who labor among them, to have fellowship with them, those who look out for your spiritual growth, those who admonish, who correct you and show you God's way.
1 Th 5:13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
They and we, are to esteem our spiritual leaders, very highly in love, show them love and respect the word that they share. They are not lords over you, but fellow servants, operating in their spiritual gifts. We are to respect their positions of authority as those who must answer to God.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
We are also to love one another, and be at peace.
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
1 Cor 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.>BR>
1 Cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
We each are connected, supplying the spiritual need of the other, thank those who help you and be a blessing to one another.
Do Good Works
1 Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
To exhort is to give encouragement and advice. An exhorter is a problem solver. Paul was an exhorter.
Comfort the feebleminded, they are the fainthearted who loose health and vitality because of wrong thinking, to languish.
Support the weak, those who are weak in faith and be patient toward all men.
1 Th 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
If someone hurts us, it is the first response to want to hurt them back. In the old times, the Jews would respond with greater force. This brought about the law; of an equal response. Jesus spoke of this law.
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
After saying this, he spoke the word of His Father's heart. The way of the Father is impossible with man, but possible through God's Holy Spirit.
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Mat 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Rejoice
1 Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
Paul begins to list things for the Church to do in order to live a godly life and to be strong in the Lord. He starts off with rejoicing, bringing praise to our Lord, a heart filled with joy and thanksgiving. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit:
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The spiritual fruit begins with love. In God's love are all good things for us. Next is joy, who can take away our joy? It is centered in the everlasting, in Christ Jesus and our Father in heaven, through the Holy Spirit.
Have you had troubles in your life? Have you been mistreated? So was our Lord Jesus Christ. From sorrow comes joy. Rejoice that you have had sorrows, for out of them God brings great joy.
Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luke 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Out of persecution, the Holy Ghost gives us great joy.
Acts 13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
Acts 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Phil 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Phil 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Phil 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phil 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Phil 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Phil 2:18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
Winning souls to the Lord is the greatest joy. A crown of rejoicing will be received for this.
1 Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1 Th 2:20 For ye are our glory and joy.
There is joy in serving Jesus. When we all see Jesus, what Joy that will be!
Pray
1 Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
How many feel that they just do not pray enough? Many have expressed a desire to pray, but never seem to find time. Well, good news, you can pray always and without ceasing. This is possible or Paul would not have said to do so. Be in an attitude of prayer, close fellowship with the Father. Tell him all about your life and needs and with rejoicing in your heart, hear him speak into your heart. Jesus tells us not to pray to look good to others, but to pray in secret.
Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Your closet is a set aside time, a special time, yet we are always to be in a prayerful attitude. Prayer is between you and the Father, He knows your heart, but he wants you to share, to be intimate with Him. That's why we were created. We were created to have fellowship with and to glorify our Father God.
Let's put prayer on a human level. If someone says they are your child but they ignor you and are never grateful, and act as if you do not exist, does that make you feel honored? We should give our Father in heaven honor and praise and our everyday fellowship in prayer. He loves to bless His children. Do not let the devil tell you different. Rejoice and pray without ceasing. This keeps the devil out of your mind and Jesus in your heart.
Give Thanks
1 Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Again, this is an attitude made possible by God's spirit. We can be negative about things all too easy in the natural, for we live in a sinful world. We also can be positive, thinking about all we have in our Lord Jesus. Be thankful, for this is God's will for you, as you are in Christ Jesus.
Lev 22:29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
What is our thanksgiving sacrifice, in Christ Jesus? Is it not a joyful heart of praise. A heart always connected in prayer, thank you Father, for you have blessed me. We have a free will and I will serve you, Father.
Psa 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
In everything give thanks, in the good times and in the valleys.
Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Thank you Jesus for saving me from sin's punishment!
Quench not the spirit
1 Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
I think of quenching a fire, as to put it out. We are exhorted to not put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. The Living water of the Holy Spirit is a thirst quencher. The opposite of being quenched, he is abundance, an abundant life flowing through a born again believer. Remember the woman at the well who came to draw water, and met Jesus? He spoke to her;
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
This is the water of the Holy Spirit. It is inexhaustible, greater than all the rivers of the world. It is the power of God on earth. So how can we quench such a power? He is truth and light, so if we choose to dwell in darkness, in sin, we quench the Holy Spirit. Does that remove him? No, our sinful ways will grieve the Holy Spirit, but he is still within us.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Bad language grieves the Holy Spirit. Paul continues with a list of grievances.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
We are to put off these things and put on the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23)
2 Cor 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
2 Cor 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luke 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Let the Spirit do his work through you. Quench not the Holy Spirit.
Prophesy
1 Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
Some church denominations despise new prophecies, saying that the scriptures, the Bible, is complete and that there are no new additions to it. It is true that we are not to add or take away from the Bible. Please read all of this lesson.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
This was referring to the book of revelation, but it has been applied to the whole Bible.
Some say that they hear from angels and claim to be prophets. But not all angels are of God. God speaks to us through His Holy Spirit. Paul warned the church to not allow angels to bring a new gospel message.
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
So what does it mean to not despise prophesyings? Does that apply to today? I believe it does. Peter quoted the prophet Joel at Pentecost;
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
I believe these are the last days. A prophet of this day will warn and exhort a group of Christians or an individual. But, he or she will never go against the written word of the Bible. If they do, they are false.
I was encouraged by a prophet, a word of prophecy to speak forth the word of God and to make it come alive. This was given to me ten years ago and I have been doing this. Examine the fruit of the prophet, is he known by others and respected? It is not wise to have a stranger speaking prophecies, for they are unknown. It is best to know where the prophet fellowships with other believers, he should be known as a person of good reputation. The prophet hears from God and speaks what he hears, this is good. Make room for this gift.
Hold Fast to Good
1 Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Following the exhortation to not despise prophesyings, we are told to prove all things. We are to seek proof through the Holy Bible for all things spoken. The people in the church of Berea did this, when Paul came to speak, they searched the scriptures.
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Acts 17:12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
The non believing Jews in Thessalonica caused persecution against Paul. He did not fit their traditions, nor did our Lord Jesus Christ. They were envious of power and self seeking for honor among themselves. Seek not honor and lofty titles. Jesus was called servant, are we higher then Jesus, the name above all names?
Prove all things, are you unsure about a person's beliefs? Prove the beliefs by the Bible, if they are of God or not. By their fruit, or lack of fruit, you shall know them.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Psa 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Prov 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
Prov 14:6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
Prov 14:7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
Prov 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
Prov 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
2 Tim 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Tim 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Blameless
1 Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
We do not go to places where we will be tempted or cause others to be tempted. We do nothing to cause another to fall, even if it appears all right for ourselves. We are our brothers keeper.
Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Strong words that we need to obey. We may be free to choose, but our choices may cause us or another to fall. Do not do anything that is questionable.
Rom 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat (meat offered to idols), because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
1 Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sanctify you wholly, may you be Holy and set apart completely. We are made perfect by our faith in Jesus, but what about our daily walk? This requires submitting our will completely to God and changing our behavior to be like our Lord Jesus. Christ.
Paul prayed for the church that they be preserved blameless. I think of a jar of jelly, sometimes called preserves. They are kept free of contamination by the seal of wax or a tight lid. We have a seal to preserve us. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit. Another word for seal, is the seal of ownership. We are sealed, owned and kept by the Holy Spirit. He is our seal of God's ownership. The earnest, or down payment of the promise of eternal life with Christ Jesus.
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
We are kept by God, through the Holy Spirit. Our will should be submitted to God and His service.
1 Th 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
God keeps us saved, but we need to keep our will obeying Him and doing what is good.
1 Th 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.
We need to pray for each other that we remain faithful and are not deceived. Pray that we are kept from harm and that we do not cause another to stumble. Lord make us your blessings to others. Amen
Final greeting
1 Thes 5:26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
Greet all the brethren of the church with a holy kiss. In our time it would be a handshake, rather than the custom of a hug and a kiss on the cheek. We reserve this kind of greeting to close family members.
1 Thes 5:27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
This epistle, or long letter was not for one person, but for the church of Thesolonica and for all the church, as it applies to us as well.
1 Thes 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Paul ends the epistle with a customary blessing, the grace of Jesus be with you. Grace for salvation, grace for service, grace for enduring tribulations, grace from God that enables us to do and be what he desires of us. Amen
This concludes our study in 1Thessalonians.
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