Key verse: For you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not the night or the darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
Like Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul in today's epistle, discerned that believers who embrace Jesus Christ as Messiah, Savior and Lord, may choose to dwell in the mind of the spirit or dwell in the mind of the flesh, as active members within witnessing paschal faith communities. Believers who followers Jesus Christ in the mind of the Spirit are described as the children of the light and children of the day. Believers who chose to follow Jesus Christ in the mind of the flesh are called the children of the darkness and the children of night (Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 8:12-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based, followers of Jesus Christ have discovered that, spiritual awakening, the day of the Lord and the second coming of Christ (ADONAI), each come to believers as a thief in the night. In the believers life, spiritual warfare and casting out the mind of the flesh are often experienced like the labor pains, which come on a pregnant woman, just before she delivers her baby. By dwelling in the mind of the flesh, believers block their preparation, readiness and receptiveness for spiritual awakening after resurrection from spiritual death (Romans 8:1-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).
The apostle Paul in today's epistle, admonishes believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethic and secular groups, who choose to follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery to be vigilant. He encourages them to reject the mind of the flesh and embrace the mind of the spirit. In the mind of the spirit, spiritually awake brethren realize deliverance from slavery to sin and the confusion of spiritual darkness. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ-centered spiritual mindedness believers experience spiritual discernment, spiritual enlightenment and spiritual formation, within witnessing community (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5).
In the mind of the spirit these believers are watchful and sober. In the power of the Holy Spirit, they are empowered to cast aside the mind and works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). As children of light, in the mind of the spirit, spiritually awake believers put on the mind of Christ, and manifest the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-26, 1 Thessalonians 5:6-7).
While living within witnesses paschal faith communities, believers do experience spiritual warfare. As children of the day, Paul therefore admonishes all believes to dwell in the spirit and put on the whole armor of God. He encourages believers to put on the breastplate of faith and love. He admonishes them to put on the helmet of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9, Ephesians 6:10-20).
In his life, passion, death, glorification and ascension, Jesus Christ as Messiah passed over from life on earth in the mind of the flesh, into a new and glorified life with the Godhead, in the mind of the spirit, here on earth. Today's epistle provides assurance, comfort and edification for Christ-centered, spiritual awake believers, who follow Jesus Christ in living this Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit. Whether physically alive or physically dead, these believers have discerned they forever dwell in the presence of the Godhead, through Christ (ADONAI), in their spiritual bodies (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11).
How is your witnessing paschal faith community living, declaring and sharing spiritual awakening, the Day of the Lord and Christ's second coming? Are you in the mind of the spirit, following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery? Are you realizing the awesome possibilities of Christ's (ADONAI'S) sovereign reign as indwelling, Lord, Master and Owner of your life?
No comments:
Post a Comment