Ready for the Day of the Lord, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Christians do not ignore God's coming judgment and wrath but, because of the redemptive work of salvation, have both a hopeful and sobering anticipation of the Day of the Lord.
The judgment of God is a terrible thing. For all the suffering and hardships of this world, nothing compares to being completely and eternally separated from God and His unrelenting wrath. It is unpleasant to think of such a terrible thing. It is unsettling to recognize that all those who have refused the Lord Jesus will fall under God's wrath. This unpleasantness and unsettling truth tempt some to ignore the reality of the coming of the Lord in judgment. However, the Day of the Lord is coming. God's judgment and wrath are sure, and though unpleasant, it is unwise and dangerous not to understand what the Bible teaches about these things.
How should Christians think about and respond to the coming Day of the Lord and God's judgment of the wicked? This passage teaches the church three ways to think about and respond to the coming Day of the Lord. Christians should think about and respond to the coming Day of the Lord by being confident in faith that the Day of the Lord is coming, live in preparation for the Day of the Lord, and be encouraged by what Jesus has done.
