And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put in the armor of light. (13) Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. (14) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

The great letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul writes that the faithful live in the present in light of certain physical death. They are already justified – saved by free grace in Christ – not conformed to this fallen world. Our hearts and minds have changed and we should be distinct from those with a temporary view only. Unbelievers are in darkness in their understanding and such men love the dark. They do not know God as He reveals Himself. God has called the faithful out of darkness into His light which is contrary to the lure of the world. The world is in darkness about material wealth but more importantly about death and eternity. If Paul is speaking to unbelievers the question is; is salvation nearer,. or damnation, than when man first hear the gospel and rejected it

Ignorance of God is what Paul calls night and all who are ignorant act as people do in the night. Unbelievers are blind and insensible. Light is the revelation of divine truth in Christ. We are to awake to the fact that the kingdom is going to come and it will be permanent. Paul is speaking – to the faithful – of the ultimate salvation when we are saved not only from the penalty of sin and the power of sin in our daily lives, but saved even from the presence of sin into the presence of the Lord God. We need to get ready. He is basically telling us we need to put on the Lord; to be as He was with no provision for the flesh. We are not to indulge the desires of our corrupt natures.

I’m going to close with a paraphrase of chapter 5 in the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous- changing the word alcohol to sin: “Remember that we deal with sin, cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help,it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power – that one is God. May you find Him now. Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked for His protection and care with complete abandonment.” We are to awake- to be equipped and prepared to undertake services Christ requires from us. Renounce the things that are concealed in the night and put on the armor of the day.

Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (13) He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and Invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (18) And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence. (19) For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

The letter to the Colossians was written by the apostle Paul while he was in prison in Rome. This letter was written in response to heresy in the Colossian church – it was a defense of the Christian faith. There was a large Jewish settlement in Colosse but the population was mostly Gentile, manifesting itself in the composition of the church and the heresy that arose contained elements of Jewish legalism and pagan mysticism: God is good but matter is evil; that Jesus Christ is less than God; that there existed a secret higher knowledge than Scripture that was necessary for salvation. There were also aspects of Jewish legalism; circumcision, rituals, dietary laws etc. Our verses address the key areas of theology including and especially the deity of Christ, reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness and the nature of the church

Paul writes that the Lord Jesus was the unique perfect likeness and manifestation of the invisible God. Christ is the firstborn refuting the heresy that there was a time when the Son was not for If all creatures were created by Him, He is not a creature. He is the eternal Son and creator of creatures – indeed of the whole universe. As far as human nature is concerned He did enter into existence at a particular time but is divine. Christ Jesus is sovereign over creation. All things were created for Him in the sense that the universe is designed ultimately to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

The summary of the gospel is a matter of thanksgiving for our salvation by Christ. The faithful were called out of darkness and spiritual death into the light in the Lord. Their/our hearts have been changed. All who are designed for heaven are prepared for heaven now. C.S. Lewis wrote that “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is mildly important.”

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; (8) nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, (9) not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. (10) For even when we were with you, we commanded you like this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (11) For we hear there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. (12) Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread

The Second letter to the Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today he had written them – not for the first time – that work is God given. There is a dignity in work and it’s a character issue here. They are to practice self discipline and self control and use their time wisely. Paul uses himself as an example; he had the apostolic right to maintenance – to not have to work outside of his ministry – but set that aside to provide an example to new believers. He became an example of financial integrity. Many of the Thessalonians did not work and they were spreading gossip and possibly false teaching and this caused tensions in the church and bore bad witness to outsiders/unbelievers.

Probably these Thessalonians had mistaken notions concerning the near approach of the second coming of the Lord, which served as a pretense to leave off work of his/her calling and live in idleness and gossip. The imminent second coming of Christ was not equated with “soon” and was a perversion of Paul’s teaching. We Christians must do the work of the day in the day that all may be ready when he comes. Perhaps the general charity of that day encouraged some of the poor brethren to live in idleness knowing the church would maintain them. Paul felt if men did not work – and were able to work – “neither should they eat.” Paul had the authority to rebuke and correct the idle – and if men acted irresponsibly there should be consequences; to enable them is not loving. We are not responsible to support the unruly brother who refuses to respond to correction with the caveat that we don’t stop helping those with legitimate needs.

When my husbands youngest son came to live with us and work at his new job I got a call from one of his friends. When I told him Fritz was working we said goodbye. The next day this same friend called and when I told him Fritz was at work his response was: “Again?” My thoughts go to genuine saving faith which is never alone. God changes our hearts which necessitates our change of behavior.

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Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, (17) comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work. (3:1) Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, (2) and that we may be delivered from unreasonable men; for not all have faith. (3) But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you from the evil one. (4) And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. (5) Now May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ

The second letter to the Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today he contrasts the power of the Lord with the impotence of the Thessalonian Christians (and us) to stand firm in persecution on their own strength. In Christ, in grace, God gave us not only a consolation under present trials but a “good hope” in the future. They — and we – have been chosen for salvation. The doctrine of election is not mentioned here for a theological debate but rather to bring God’s comfort to suffering people. The faithful have good hope because it is certain based on God’s promises and Christ’s work not on our merits or performance.

Paul is telling the new converts to Christianity that such certainty doesn’t mean that we just coast into heaven – they (we) must stand firm in trials, holding to apostolic teachings – trials are not a one time thing. Tradition/apostolic teaching means that which is handed down or handed over and rests on facts of the life, resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. It is witness. But tradition does not supersede the Bible. Paul is not referring to the fact that his oral teachings and his writings originated with him but that he was passing down what he received directly from the Lord. The inspired word of God is our only source of spiritual truth.

if you have chosen God you know it is because He first chose you. The execution of the plan of salvation in time is of God. The apostles were but messengers and the message they brought was God’s. It is God’s voice which proclaims the coming judgment. It is God’s voice which tells of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. It is too natural for us to put God as far away as we can out of our minds; to keep Him forever in the background. The question we should be always asking is what do present circumstances mean in the light of eternity?

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, (12) that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (4:1) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if it from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

The 2nd letter to the Thessalonians was written by the apostle Paul and our verses today are referring to the promised second coming of Christ. Paul was seeking to comfort readers by assuring them that on That ultimate Day they would experience relief from intense persecution from both Jews and Gentiles by entering their rest following Christ’s second coming. Others were telling the faithful that the day if the Lord had already begun. This seemed to be a possibility since Scripture defines that day as a time of tribulation as well as blessing. The idea was that Christ could come at any time, not that He would come; the doctrine of imminence was valid but their incorrect view involves date setting. The Thessalonians were being told that the end of the world was not really at hand – which was true – but that it was actually present which was not true.

Paul urged that the Thessalonians not be shaken from adherence to the truth Paul has taught them by what they were hearing from others -that the faithful remain steadfast. The Thessalonians were apparently shaken from their reason and a belief that that the Day of the Lord was already upon them causing some of them to think it not worthwhile to attend to things of a doomed world. This belief was confirmed by some by forgeries of letters from Paul and misrepresention of his oral teaching during his stay in Thessalonica; some pretended to direct inspiration or angelic visitations to impose on the brethren the advent of the second coming. Paul responded by urging them to hold fast to the traditions that were his. He also enforces in today’s letter warning against forgeries, saying that the fellowship of the faithful were to have nothing to do with any man/woman who did not obey the words of the epistle.

c.s.Lewis writes in the Case for Christianity: “But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world, when the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade all right: but what good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else – something it never entered your head to conceive – comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left?”