STEADY AS YOU GO

I’m intrigued by the behavior of some motorists on a stretch of road near where I live. They speed where there are no speed cameras, slow down to pass the camera, and then speed up again. I wonder, if the cameras were hidden, if the bad drivers would be caught and others encouraged to comply with the speed limit consistently. Paul might be unfamiliar with this illustration, but he would definitely understand the psychology behind it. He resists any pressure to speculate about specific ‘times and dates’ of the day of judgment (v. 1), observing that the day of the Lord (like a hidden camera) will arrive unexpectedly, as Jesus made clear in his own teaching.2 Unbelievers (like speeding drivers) might assume that the system doesn’t apply to them, but they will certainly be caught (v. 3). On the other hand, believers, like the Thessalonians, need not worry about being caught out. They are children of light, chosen not to ‘suffer wrath’ but to ‘receive salvation’ through Jesus Christ (v. 9). Their whole lives are preparation for the final day, as they walk in accordance with their calling. They are like the consistently careful drivers.

There is both encouragement and challenge for us in Paul’s message. Whatever our circumstances or however we feel, we can have confidence that we do not ‘belong to the night’ (v. 5), but to Christ. He has saved you—and that’s a fact! But there’s also a challenge. Does the whole of your life reflect your identity as a child of light, or are there parts which lurk in the shadows, lacking in faith, love, or hope? Take heart: according to Paul, we can ‘put on’ these virtues that are our spiritual inheritance, just as a soldier ‘puts on’ a breastplate or helmet (see v. 8). What do you need to put on today?

Imagine this is your last day, week, or month of life. How might knowing this change how you live?