1 Thessalonians 3: 11-13

1 Thessalonians 3: 11-13

Have you ever realized how when most modern Christians talk about Jesus's Second Coming they focus almost exclusively on dates, symbols, and supposed inside knowledge? When the New Testament writers addressed the second coming it was almost entirely about ethics! If the teaching of a prophecy expert is about supposed inside knowledge or insights that they have about the when and what of Christ’s return and how they have fit together some sort of time frame, be assured they are either a deceiver or the deceived. 

In Paul's anticipation of the Lord’s coming he addressed the issue of personal holiness. He wanted the believers to be ‘unblamable’ in ‘holiness”. That is an extremely high level of ethical integrity. “What will you be doing at the moment that Jesus returns?” is a question that attempts to warn believers into constant vigilance and off of bad behavior. Not bad, but Paul takes a somewhat different approach. Verse 13 begins with “so that”, this means that the methods to the personal holiness at the moment of Christ's return is found in verse 13 is given to us in verse 12.  The secret of the second coming, and being ready for the second coming, is by growing in love for our brothers, and all men.  That is how we will be holy at the time of Christ's return. The real secret is there is no secret. Rather than when we are to focus on abounding in love. 

The word “increase” means to have superabundance. The word “abound” means to have more than enough. Superabundance and more than enough of love for all people is the only thing that can secure a disciple in holy and ethical behavior. No law, not even the Ten Commandments, is enough to keep us from sin. But love is. We cannot deceive someone and love them, you cannot steal from someone and love them, generalized sensuality is profoundly unloving. 

This is all rather simple, but this is not the same as easy. Someone said, “Life before the coming of Christ is about learning to speak the language of Heaven, so that when Christ arrives we will be fluent.” The language of Heaven is love.  As we learn to speak that language we will be holy and when He comes we will already be eloquent. 

“Lord, help me learn to speak the language of Heaven. AMEN”