The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 124

by encircling us with the Divine strength, which is &s thongh every part of our defenceless hearts were covered with armour. But faith only rightly defends when, at the same time, love gives Christ the possession of our hearts. It ie the world that tempts us to forget the Lord's coming, to make no preparation for death. When our hearts are filled with love to the Saviour, we are enabled to keep out the world. The breastplate of our defence beiag completed by love, brings it into agreement witl. what, in Eph. vL 14, and also in Isa. Iii. 17, is called "the breaatplate of righteousness." 2. The helmet, This is a single piece of armour. In Eph. vi 17, and also in ha. !ix. li, it is simply called "the helmet of salvation." But what is meant is what is here called "the hope of salvation." We have a certain experience of salvation already in the work- ing of faith and love. Hops reaches beyond this experience forward to the salvation which is to be completed at the Lord's coming. This hope is a defence to ns, a.~ the helmet UBed to be to the warrior. Wearing this provided armour, we can hold our head high and scathless above present troubles. Let us, thea, as sober men, not unclup our breastplate, not lay a.side our helmet. VL How THE SALVATION HOPED FOB BAB BEEN HADE A DIVINE CERTAINTY TO UB. "For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." For those who are sunk in spiritual slumber and intoxication there is an appointment unto wrath. The Divine displeasure must be manifested agaiaet the rebellious course which they have been following. But for us who are acting as sober men there is an appointment unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, i.e. at his coming. And what God has appointed will be carried out. A soldier endures in the hope of victory. But the victory is to him an uncertainty; it may not be realized, or he may not live to share in it. But the Christian soldier has a Divine appointment on which to proceed. If even now we take Christ as our Saviour, and from this point wait for his coming, then God intends that we shall conquer. Lei us seize the advantage of our position. While we have our faith and love in vigorous exercise, let us know also the sustaining power of a lively hope. VII. How THE OBTAINING OJ' SALVATION HAS BECOME ASSURED TO U8. .. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." 1. 011,f' life ha, ita source in Ohri8t'• deatA. Christ died for our benefit, and, by implication, in our stead. He died in the way of making satisfaction for our sin. la him, as our Hepresentative or Head, we obtain the benefits of his work. It is as though we had died, as though we had made satisfaction for sin. Thus in condescending love, in e.ccordance with eternal principles, are we introduced into salvation. 2_ Theji.nal end oj Ohri8t'1 death is that we should live together with him. Christ died with this view, that we should ultimately live along with him, and have fellowship with him; we entering into his thoughts and delighting in his love, while he enters into our thoughts !nd delights in our love. 3. This end is independent of our walr:ing or sleeping at Ohrist'a coming. Our waking or sleeping is accidental; the essential thing is that we shall have fellowship with Christ, and fellowship, as it then shall be. in the body. Both classes, those who wake and those who sleep, have the same reason for assuring themselves that they shall live together with him, viz.. in the fact that he has died to merit it for them, as he lives to secure it for them. Those who wake shall be changed without the union between soul and body being broken; and, changed, they shall live together with him. Those who sleep have the union between the soul and body broken, without any break in the union between the soul and Christ and in fellowship with him; and, raised from their graves, they shall live together with him. Thus the ultimate state of both classes is to be the eame, the apostle returning here to the conclusion reached in ob. iv. 17, where it is said of the same two classes united that they Bhail be for ever with the Lord. VIIL How IN THE OIBOUllSTANCBB THEY ABB 'l'O AOT TOW ABD BACH OTHER. "Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do." There is an unhappy change from "comfort" to "exhort" in the translation. It ought to be "comfort," as in the parallel verse at the close of the previous paragraph. They were to comfort one another with what was blessed in the Lord's coming. They wen: 11,lso to edify each other, in preparation for the Lord's coming~mmunicating know- ledge w each other, praying for eaoh other, p~essing d'l:ty on each other, stimu!ating each other by example. This they were do1D1t, and ID that way were admirably  124 THE FlRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [oe. T, 1-28.