Christ's Law

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● 1Thess 5:5-6 . . We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us
not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

Christians walk a strange path. On the one hand they have to be ready to leave this
Earth and join Christ on a moment's notice, while on the other hand ready for a
long stay, i.e. live like there's no tomorrow, and yet live like there are years to
come.

Those two dissimilar expectations balance each other so that we don't live to
extremes in either direction: always keeping in mind that as we came into this
world empty-handed we will leave it empty-handed. So be prepared to suffer the
loss of every personal item in your possession that you hold dear; along with every
project, every pastime, and every endeavor. (1Tim 6:7)
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● 1Thess 5:8 . . Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on
faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

There's likely any number of explanations for "the day" and probably all are useful.
However, we can narrow them all down to just saying that we who belong to the
day are alive to God as opposed to when we were at one time dead to God.

According to Rom 8:23-25 the "hope" of salvation regards another body.

"We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we
were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already
has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

This hope isn't a wishing hope, nor is it a hope-for-the-best hope, nor a cross-your
fingers hope. The Greek word basically means to anticipate with pleasure and
confident expectation.

* When I was young and strong, the resurrection wasn't very meaningful. But now
in my 80's, and breaking down from cancer and old age; I have a very different
outlook.
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● 1Thess 5:11 . . Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up, just as
in fact you are doing.

Building up is just the opposite of tearing down. Christians in Galatia were busy
doing the latter.

"But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one
of another!" (Gal 5:15)

Biting and devouring one another describes cannibals and carnivorous beasts.
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● 1Thess 5:12-13a . . Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard
among you, who are over you in The Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the
highest regard in love because of their work.

I would say that if the officers in your church are just too impossible for you to
respect then it's time to abandon ship. Don't mutiny though because mutiny is just
as much a sin as heresy. The rank and file aren't called to reform church officers;
but to cooperate with them. (Heb 13:17)

If they can't cooperate with them; then I sincerely believe the rank and file should
leave and find a church where they can because Christ isn't pleased with grudging
cooperation; rather, with whole-hearted unity. (cf. Mark 12:30)
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● 1Thess 5:13b . . Live in peace with each other.

In this instance, "each other" likely refers to the fraternity of believers to whom
Paul penned the letter, i.e. Christ's body rather than the world at large.

The category of peace Paul is talking about is social; viz: harmony in personal
relations. The Hippies and the Peace-nics failed to achieve peace primarily because
they couldn't be civil among themselves unless they were high on mood-altering
drugs.

Peace can be defined as: calm, pacific, tranquil, at rest, quiet, and free of trouble,
friction, and strife.

A lack of peace is characterized by war, quarreling, debating, vendettas, hostility,
grudging, fault finding, nit picking, chafing, competition, rivalry, cold shouldering,
factions, taking sides, cliques, hostility, militancy, disorder, antagonism, fighting,
conflict, struggles, words that hurt instead of heal, etc.
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● 1Thess 5:14a . . We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly

The "brothers" in this case likely addresses church managers.

The Greek word translated "unruly" basically means irregular; viz: out of order;
disorderly.

Unruly people are like kindergartners. Little kids are disruptive, boisterous, and
impulsive. They go off-subject and say whatever they want right out of the blue.
They provoke and antagonize each other, they don't listen, they talk out of turn,
can't stay in their seats, and they meddle and can't mind their own business.
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● 1Thess 5:14b . . Comfort the discouraged

A discouraged person is someone who's given up all expectation that a situation will
improve or change; viz: they're in despair.

In order to obey that directive, it's necessary to become personal with the people
with whom you attend church. Too many Christians are like little islands of
humanity in church. They warm a pew on Sunday morning and then get up and
leave without bothering to spend even one minute mingling. They don't attend
Sunday school because in Sunday school you meet people-- you associate with
them; you get to know them, and they get to know you.

As disagreeable as that might be for private types of Christians, Sunday school is
the best place in church to go for sympathy, for encouragement, and for support.
Unfortunately, not many Christians are comfortable with negativity; and tend to
distance themselves from people down in the dumps.

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot released a sentimental song back in 1975
that speaks volumes about sympathy. Its lyrics are very touching. Here's a few that
we feel especially appropriate.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

NOTE: In Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book "Ten Stupid Things That Men Do To Mess
Up Their Lives" she lists men's propensity to fix things. In other words: instead of
simply lending a sympathetic ear to people's problems, some men tend to see
people with problems as "broken" and in need of repair-- i.e. damaged --and then
of course they take the initiative to begin offering unsolicited remedies. No; the
idea is to console the discouraged rather than talk them out of their low state of
mind.

FYI: There are quite a few sites online offering helpful lists of Sympathy Do's and
Don'ts that are pretty easy to find via search engine query.
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● 1Thess 5:14c . . Support the weak

That could probably be stretched to mean any number of things; but I should think
it includes care for your church's aged and/or infirm; viz: people on crutches,
people getting around in wheel chairs, people who can no longer drive a car, people
lacking enough health to even leave their residences and go shopping on their own,
people stuck in assisted living: that sort of thing.
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● 1Thess 5:14d . . Be patient with everyone.

The Greek word translated "patient" speaks of giving things space to happen in
their own good time. (cf. Jas 5:7-8)

I would say that in this case, it speaks of giving people a chance to either catch on
or catch up. For example: we all perfectly understand what we're saying whereas
those listening may need to have us restate ourselves in different words in order to
clarify a misunderstanding.

And there are occasions when we need to give people time to get used to a new
idea or a new method, etc. which at first they robustly resist.
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● 1Thess 5:15a . . See that none render evil for evil unto any man;

Reciprocation is a normal response to abuse, injustice, and ill will but it isn't an
acceptable response; unless of course turning the other cheek is somehow no
longer in vogue for people unified with Christ.

"ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." (1Thess
5:15b)

Christian conduct isn't a temporary uniform kept in the closet just for Sunday
mornings like the patrons attending periodic costume conventions, e.g. Star Trek,
Anime, Super Heroes, Games, Comic Books, etc.

No, Christian conduct is every-day wear: in the home, on the job, at school, at the
beach, at the mall, at the park, at the beach, in restaurants, at the dentist, in
amusement centers, at the zoo, at the circus, in the hospital, on the internet, et al;
in other words: ever-followed; not just at church on Sunday morning; which makes
ever-following that which is good somewhat stressful at first; until it becomes
second nature, i.e. a habit.
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● 1Thess 5:16 . . Rejoice evermore.

I think we'd better include the passage below with the verse above.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has
given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in
heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of
the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

. . In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to
suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-- of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire --may be proved
genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
(1Pet 1:3-7)

In other words: regardless of the severity of our misery, we're supposed to take
heart in the fact that it's temporary, that it serves a divine purpose; and that
there's the reality of something much, much better in store for us down at the light
at the end of the tunnel.

NOTE: The salvation ready to be revealed in the last time is most likely the
resurrection that Paul spoke of in Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:12-57, and 1Thess 4:13
18. In other words; had not Jesus' crucified dead body been restored to life, his
followers would've had no hope of bouncing back from death, i.e. his made theirs
possible.
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● 1Thess 5:17 . . pray continually

The Greek word for "continually" basically means: uninterruptedly; viz: without
omission. Webster's defines omission as: 1) something neglected or left undone,
and 2) apathy toward, or neglect of, duty.

Believers who pray seldom, or not at all, are like a young man in the military who
never writes home until his parents complain about his silence. (I wrote home so
infrequently when I was in the US Army back in the 1960's that my dad finally
threatened to contact my company commander about it.)

You know, I have to admit, that even if I had a red phone installed in my home with
a secure line direct to God's desk, it would gather dust and cobwebs from lack of
use. I sometimes suspect that's one of the reasons trouble comes our way. It's to
provoke some of us to call home.

It's not that I don't like God; it's just that all my life I've been conditioned to feel
peripheral, i.e. marginalized; important to no one. My natural siblings are just the
opposite. They have always perceived themselves at the center of the universe--
essential to its existence --while I have always perceived myself as not even
belonging in the universe; let alone being at its center and/or having anything to do
with its existence.

But feelings of unimportance are a handicap: not just in life, but in the spiritual
realm too. It is just about nigh unbearable for believers like myself to comply with
1Thess 5:17 since we simply cannot believe ourselves missed by anyone; especially
Christ's Father who we believe in our hearts must certainly prefer the company of
people far more interesting than ourselves. But that command applies to everybody
whether we think God cares or not. All must comply; no exceptions.

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray
and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1-2)

* Ironically those of us who matter least are sometimes the very ones who matter
most. (cf. Luke 18:10 & Luke 19:1-10)
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● 1Thess 5:18 . . Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus.

The Greek word for "give thanks" basically means to be grateful. This goes much
deeper than just common courtesy. Appreciation is an attitude; which Webster's
defines as: to value or admire highly.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Whether that's so or not matters little as
one should never let disagreeable circumstances make them bitter and resentful
towards God; for example:

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground
and worshiped. And he said: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I
shall return there. The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away. Blessed be the
name of The Lord. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he condemn God." (Job
1:20-22)

"Although the fig tree fails to blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor
of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food; the flock shall be cut off
from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in The Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation." (Hab 3:17-18)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written: For
Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to
be slaughtered."

. . But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved
us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord". (Rom 8:35-39)
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● 1Thess 5:19 . . Quench not the Spirit.

People were quenching the Spirit long before there was any such thing as a
Christian; even before the Flood.

"Then the Lord said: My Spirit will not contend with man forever" (Gen 6:2)

The Spirit's contention was accomplished by means of preachers, e.g. Abel (Luke
11:50-51), Enoch (Jude 1:14) and Noah (2Pet 2:5)

Had the antediluvians listened to the preaching that the Spirit made available to
them, the Flood might have been averted.

Nowadays when Christians fail to listen to the preaching and/or teaching that the
Spirit makes available to them, they end up drifting away from God instead of
working with Him

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie
and do not practice the truth." (1John 1:6)
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● 1Thess 5:20 . . Do not despise prophecies.

The Greek word translated "prophecies" basically pertains to predicting the future;
for example: Matt 25:31-46, 1Cor 15:51-52, 1Thess 4:13-17, 2Pet 3:10, Rev
16:18-20, Rev 20:11-15, and Rev 21:1.

Webster's defines "despise" as (1) to look down on with contempt, loathing, or
aversion, (2) to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful, and (3) to regard as
unworthy of one's notice or consideration.

Just the opposite of relegating prophecy to the status of a superfluous field of study
below one's dignity and/or likely not to hold one's interest; is a morbid fascination
with it to the extent of construing prophecy to mean all sorts of things except what
it actually says in writing.

I'm pretty sure that the prophecies Paul means for us to avoid despising are authentic
scriptural prophecies rather than crazy stuff that's likely not to be inspired but rather,
the product of some kooky crackpot's fertile imagination.
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