Jesus in the NT :: 1st Thessalonians

The book of 1st Thessalonians gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the  New Testament (N.T).

The book of 1 Thessalonians is essentially an instruction booklet of how a fledgling church needs to grow in the Lord, by REJOICING, PRAYING and GIVING THANKS ALWAYS as they wait for his return. In fact, the 1^st book to the Thessalonians has 2 of the shortest verses in Bible – Rejoice evermore (5:16) and Pray without ceasing (5:17).

The Apostle Paul in this book expresses Not WHEN but How the Lord with return; descending from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first – 4:16) but he does not go on to tell us when. This means that all those who are dead or alive still have hope and that we all need to WAIT for the Lord’s return.

So as we look at Christ in the Scriptures, in the N.T., in the book of 1st Thessalonians, one sees Christ as the Lord who will return, but before we delve into that, we must first acknowledge and believe that Jesus is  the SOURCE of Salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:9). See obtaining salvation is our appointment; obtaining SONSHIP is our adoption (1 John 3:1).

And until Jesus Christ’s return to reign, He is the PRESERVER and PRESENTER of each of us to be HOLISTICALLY HOLY a.k.a., whole spirit and soul and body. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and he is faithful to do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

We see in the scripture that He will return once at his appointed time to reign, but before his second coming, there will be the rapture, where the saints and all who believe in Jesus will be caught up in the air. So who are those who will be caught up in the air in secret, a.k.a., who are the ones who will be raptured. Only those who are caught up with the Lord in public, here in Gattis School.

So let us not forget and earnestly wait for his coming, with the request as that of the thief on the cross “Lord remember me”. A thief recognized that Jesus Christ will come like a thief in the night. One needs to be sober, watching and waiting. We are to keep watching always for the one who always watches us.

In 1 Thessalonians, Jesus Christ is the source of salvation, the soon coming Faithful King, the one who preserves us and presents us as being Holistically Holy, in spirit, soul and body.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 (KJV)
⁹ For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
¹⁰ Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
²³And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.