“4 But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief. 5 For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.” -1 Thessalonians 5:4-8, BSB
The word “darkness” refers to being blind, not knowing the truth. The rapture will not surprise the believers in Christ because that is the hope that we have, to be with Jesus.
The words “sons of the light” mean that the believers know the truth about the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the events that will come.
The word “sleep” shows that a person is not aware of reality and not in a state of alertness. It also means not being prepared spiritually to meet Jesus Christ.
The words “awake and sober” suggest that the Christian must be doing God’s will before the event that will make us “be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” [1 Thessalonians 4:17]
As Christians, we must not only continue in faith, love, and hope but strengthen it. Faith keeps us from abandoning Jesus Christ and stops Satan’s arrows from hitting us. Love will keep us close to our Lord and will motivate us to encourage others through the gospel to come to Jesus for salvation. Hope makes us focus on the return of Jesus Christ, which will keep us working for the kingdom of heaven.
If you are not a Christian, the rapture of the church will get you by surprise. You will stay behind and go through a time of great tribulation that has never been seen in world history as Matthew 24:21 clearly states, “For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.”
The good news is that you have time if you are reading this. All you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus died in your place by taking upon Himself your punishment of sin on the cross. Jesus was our atoning sacrifice. A person’s sin demands God’s punishment because God, who is a righteous judge, must bring justice. We are all born in sin. The moment we get to the age of accountability, we will know between right and wrong. When that happens, everyone will understand that they are guilty before a righteous God. No matter how good we want to be, all of us will always choose to sin. It is impossible not to. The second you put your faith in Jesus Christ, all of your past, present, and future sins are pardoned because His atoning sacrifice [His death on the cross and resurrection] covers it all.
Once you are saved through faith in Jesus becoming a born again Christian, you are required in a daily fashion to repent because when we fall into sin, it will put up a wall between the person and God. However, when one sins, salvation is not lost. God will not use a believer who is in disobedience, which will invite God’s discipline unless the Christian repents right away.
Spiritual Minefield 