The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, “Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.

2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

3 While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;

5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.

8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

After Paul’s first verse above, I almost didn’t write! Still, I wondered if those to whom I’m writing are as knowledgeable as Paul believed the Thessalonians to be. We’ll leave the assessment of all of that for another time. Paul was concerned that the Thessalonian Christians be aware of the nearness of the LORD Jesus’ return. Simon Peter had the same concern when he noted the indifferent attitude of people and wrote:

“…the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away

with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth

and its works will be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:10).

Paul then assured the Thessalonian believers that the LORD had not destined them for wrath but willed that they obtain salvation through the LORD Jesus Christ. The Gospel tract will enable you to witness to others who are lost. Click on the PDF. It will give you the opportunity to learn of His salvation and to share it with others.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America