SJF - Daily Worship, Word and Spirit - Oct. 17, 2023
God did not appoint His children to wrath. John 3:35-36 says that condemnation and the wrath of God abides on those who do not believe that Jesus is The Son of God and has received all things from The Father. All thrones, kingdoms, authorities and powers are under the authority, power and judgement of Christ Jesus.
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4–11, NKJV)
“Therefore comfort one another with these words.” We are not appointed to condemnation (judgement and punishment). We are not appointed to the wrath of God. No matter what man or devil may try to do to us, it is not the wrath of God. We are appointed as heirs of salvation who obtain our inheritance of salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ. If God pours out his wrath on those who are condemned, we are excluded from it. Therefore, be sober and walk in the light, clothed with the breastplate of faith and love and with salvation’s helmet of hope. Stop stressing over “the end times”. “The end times” do not apply to believers in Christ Jesus. HEAR THAT FOR REAL. Start hoping in the salvation of God. There is a reason hope is a helmet. It protects your head from evil thoughts and threats. Good triumphs over evil so evil is the one that gets “end times”. But our future is full of hope and the sun rises and reveals our future more and more until it shines like the noon day sun. Are you comforted yet? Comfort through hope is the purpose of this passage.