 Okay, so it was 13. We see that Paul talking about the Word of God, which works effectively in us who believe, so that's one of the keys to have the Word of God effectively working in us. You know, we know that the Word of God is powerful, we know that the Word of God is alive, we know that the Word of God is a truth, we know that the Word of God carries the power of God, etc. But how do we experience the power of the Word of God? So this is the key that it effectively works in us who believe, so it's linked to our faith. When we believe in the Word of God, we can expect to experience the power of the truth of the Word of God. And then towards the end of that chapter, this talks about the kind of persecution that this church was going through a lot of persecution, affliction. And he says, you became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus. That is verse 14, chapter 2 verse 14, for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen just as they did from the Judeans. Okay, so this is what you did, you became imitators, how the other churches were facing persecution. You also faced the persecutions and you, you know, so like we read earlier says their faith, their hope, their patience and everything was something, the faith in God and the life they lived was something that was, you know, the whole region came to know it was a testimony, which everyone came to know. Okay, let's go to chapter three. Okay, let me share the notes also. Okay, so chapter three says, therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone. Okay, so what is it that they could no longer endure? See, this is something that they wanted to know how the believers in Thessalonica were doing. Right, so it's not like they could no longer endure the persecution that it's, it's something that they wanted to, they wanted to know, you know, what was the, what was the believers doing and how were they facing. And, and all that they so they wanted to know that. Right, so they, they sent word, what did they do? No, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. So Paul is obviously concerned about the faith of these new believers. Right, so he's in Athens. Now, they, the believers are there. And Thessalonica, the church is just new, but they've all come. There's a read about the Jews, we're about the multitude of the Gentiles, the medieval Greeks, and also some of the leading women, they came to know the name, know Christ through the gospel. And, and now, you know, he's sending Timothy, and this is how he refers to Timothy, brother, minister of God, fellow laborer. Timothy has been there through the first missionary journey and also the second missionary journey. And, and so he is obviously grown and, you know, is, I'm sorry, in the second missionary journey. Right, so he is grown, obviously, and he says our laborer, our brother and minister of God and our fellow fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. Okay, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, but you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. That's what I think. So no one should be shaken by these afflictions. You know, the thing is, now he's going to say, later, you know, in the verses four and five, he talks about how the tempter, how Satan is also instrumental in bringing these persecutions and in stirring up people to act against the believers, right, to oppose the message of the gospel, right, because he is the tempter. He is the destroyer. He is still kill and destroy, right. So he does that. So, so he says here that you should not be shaken and the word used there shaken means to be to be, you know, drawn away from the faith. Right, to be seduced to to be drawn away from whatever they were doing. Right, so says that you should not be shaken. Right, so that you so that you would not be. You should that no one should be shaken by these afflictions shaken by these. So even these afflictions, even these difficulties that they were facing were capable of drawing them away from the gospel because people could all always say it's too difficult. What is the point? And it's too difficult for us to continue. So no one should be shaken. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this and Paul says that all those who want to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. Right, so tells Timothy so. So the thing is that saying no one should be we are appointed for this. That's is very clear. He's not, you know, holding back from speaking the truth. So, you know, just like, you know, this is the truth that we are appointed for this. And the word appointed. It means that, you know, we are, we are set. Like it actually has a picture of a city that is situated on a hill. It we are sitting set in place. We are put in place like that. So we are set by God. We are laid down. All these things are put together, put down, set for this. So we are so Paul is saying that, you know, you know that we are appointed for this to go through these kind of afflictions. So it's saying no one should be shaken. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation just as it happened and you know. So, you know, so in addition to, you know, the gospel being the good news and how you are, you know, saved and what was what happened on the cross. And, and the fact that we are redeemed, you know, while all that is, you know, the great news, the greatest news of all good news and the word coming with, you know, not just in word, but also in power all while all that is true. The truth, the response from the people, the response from the community. While sometimes it is extreme, there is persecution, there are afflictions and typically for the church in Thessalonica, they face tribulation. So Paul in fact says, we told you before when we were with you that you would suffer tribulation. So you want them saying, for the sake of the gospel, there would be tribulation, but you need to be strong. You know, you need to stand strong. So he has actually prepared them for this persecution and tribulation. Verse 5, for this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith. You know, there's a second time he's saying, and the worst one also says, when we could no longer endure it. And again in verse 5, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith. Lest by some means the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain. He has spent about three weeks or more, three weeks definitely in the synagogues and then synagogue in Thessalonica and outside and then teaching House of Jason. So saying, you know, lest by some way Satan had tempted you away from the faith. So I wanted to know your faith. So that's where I'm sending. Therefore, that is why I sent Timothy to know how you were doing. And also verse 2 he says, to establish you, to encourage you concerning your faith. That's the reason Timothy was sent. Verse 6, but now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news of your faith and love and that you always have good remembrance of us greatly desiring to see us as we also to see you. Therefore brethren, in all our affliction and distress, we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord, for what thanks can we render to God for you? For all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God. Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith. So he's saying that. So Timothy's come back. He's come with good news. And therefore he's saying that you always have good remembrance of us greatly deciding to see us as we also mutually. We also feel the same way we want to see you. Therefore brethren, in all our affliction and distress, we are comforted. When we heard this great news, the church was doing great. The believers are doing great. The believers are standing strong in all this affliction. That comforted us so much that despite all the persecution and affliction that we were facing, we were comforted. And now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. So in other words, he's saying you stand fast in the Lord and that will greatly encourage us and strengthen us. And for that we can continue what we are doing. And what thanks can we render to God for you for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God. So this is Paul and his teams there, you know, how they rejoice for the for the believers and saying, you know, he says night and day praying exceedingly. That we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your face. They've been praying for these believers for this church and they've been praying, you know, without seizing. So night and day, they've been remembering them in prayers and praying earnestly. He says, praying earnestly, praying exceedingly, sorry. And he says that that we might see you and also perfect that perfect what is lacking in your faith. Okay, so he says exceedingly, which is, you know, like over and above, like what we can, you know, that's that's how we are doing praying exceedingly. That we might see you see your face, meaning we might be in your presence and that we might perfect. And that word there is to mend something, something that is broken to bring back so that it's it's repaired. Right to do it also means to complete something. Okay, to complete something to mend repair something saying what is lacking in your faith is something that is there. Of course, obviously they are growing and what is lacking meaning what is deficient. What is not there or what is there in a smaller measure. So whatever is lacking in your faith in the faith that you have, obviously it is a faith that that is being spoken of, etc. But there's always room for growing and for what is not there till now or what is missing. We should not say missing but what is actually not there in what is there in a smaller measure that it can always grow. So he's saying that we wanted to perfect that we wanted to complete that through the ministry. So what is lacking in the faith. Okay, now verse 11. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all just as we do to you. So that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. So he's saying, you know, this is what we want to do in ministry. We want to come in perfect. What is lacking now? Now may our God lead you. May he direct. May he, you know, lead us. May the Lord direct our way to you in his plan and his timing in his purpose. May he take us may he direct us to you so that, you know, all this can happen. Okay, and then he prays or declares over them. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all. Okay, so, you know, so this is something which is central to the theme of the believer, you know, a theme of the believer or life of the believer. He also says that, you know, that your love for each other abounds and that is noticeable the way they had love for one another. And that's something that people noticed immediately and something that drew people or people glorified God and it was spoken of as a testimony. Right. So something that Paul is reiterating again. Now may the, may the, may the Lord make you increase and abound in this love that you have. Okay. May it, may it increase. May it go beyond any limits. Right. And he says, and so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our garden father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Okay. So let your life, let the love increase. Right. May cause your love to grow and abound. So, so that he may establish your hearts blameless. So now this love for God and love for people is going to result in living a holy life because, you know, when you have the love for God and you have the love for people, you're not going to do anything against them. Right. No work of flesh or, you know, like cover justness or, you know, or fornication or adultery or jealousy or malice gossip, nothing of that sort is going to, you know, even though there might be suggestions from the enemy or our own flesh, but nothing of that sort is going to happen because you are already abounding in love. You know, your love has increased so much that you don't want to gossip. Your love for the fellow believers so much that you don't envy, you know, or, you know, you're not enwing them. You're not jealous about them, but rather you are encouraging and cheering them. Right. And your love for fellow believers so much that you don't want to indulge in any kind of, you know, sin like fornication or adultery. You don't want to cheat anyone. Right. It's because your love for another. So what happens is that the Lord is, it has established you in holiness as well. Right. So, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all the same. So, you know, the second coming of the Lord is very, very clear. It's established and he's saying, you know, that it's, let it be so you know the reality of it. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Okay. So, so this truth of the second coming is something that, you know, as much as the first coming of the Lord is established truth. And even historically, it is an established fact. So also the second coming of the Lord. Right. You recall that, you know, in Acts chapter one, you see that when the Lord is resurrected and he's ascending, you know, from the mountain top. And he's already gone. And the believers, disciples are standing there. And then they see these men and shining clothes and they ask them, you know, what are you, what are you doing looking up? And they say that the Lord is, you know, the Lord is taken up. And they say, yes, in the same manner in which you saw him go, he will come also. Okay. So we're talking about the second coming of the Lord. So which is the reality, which is the truth. And so we also must be strong in that truth that there, the Lord is coming again. Now that will result in, you know, in the in a different perspective of how we live our earthly life, how we live our life on earth because we know that the Lord is coming again. Now it could be during our time as we live here, or it could be after our time. But the time that we live here, you know, we will conduct our lives in such a manner that we know that the Lord is returning. The Lord is coming again, coming soon. So let's look at chapter four. Okay. Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more just more and more in the Lord Jesus. I'm sorry. We urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more just as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please God. For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. That you should abstain from sexual immorality. That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. That no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all, all such. As we also forewarned you and testified, for God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God who has also given us his holy spirit. So, in the previous chapter, the last few verses, Paul talks about how you should abound in love and then he's saying, you know, may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and may he establish you in holiness. May he establish your hearts blameless in holiness because, you know, before our coming, before the coming of our God Father and the Lord Jesus and all the company of angels. So, he's saying, okay, this is what it is. So he's talking about the holiness aspect of the believer. So he's saying we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus about how we need to live or how we need to walk. So walking, you know, how it requires life and growth and something that attracts attention of people and walking towards a certain goal. So our walk, the way we live our life needs to be in such a manner that we need to. So they were actually instructed how he says, just as you have received, how you ought to walk and to please God. So is our life pleasing God? No, that's a question. It's a simple question, but very profound. One is what I'm doing pleasing God. So we're not judging everything by the results. You might say, okay, I'm doing this, this, this. I'm sharing the gospel. People are getting saved. I'm ministering the word. People are being blessed or I'm leading in worship and people are experiencing presence and power of God and all that. Well, all that is good. So it's good to ask, am I pleasing God? Am I pleasing God? In my personal life, am I pleasing Him? Very important question. So saying that how you ought to walk and to please God. For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. For you to be living a sanctified life, this is the will of God. So primarily, there's not two ways about it. Is God interested in my sanctification? Is God interested in me living a pure life, holy life? Of course, this is the will of God. So he uses the word thalema, which means this is God's desire. This is God's inclination. This is God's pleasure. What is it? That you live a consecrated, set-apart life. With regard to your living a mortal life, it says that you should abstain from sexual immorality. So it's talking to the believer who might be tempted to consider to live an immoral life. It's talking to the believer. It's talking to the church. You should abstain, which means that probably there were some who were being tempted, were giving into temptation and living a life that was not holy. Apart from what, how the Lord would want them to live. You should abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you should know how to possess his own vessel. That it means that your own selves, your bodies in sanctification and honor and not in passion of lust like the Gentiles do. So you're looking outside, you're looking at society, you're looking at what's happening around in the world and it's very different. But you are called to be different. Many times you see others and say, this is how the world is living. So why can't I as a believer do that? Why can't I as a believer live the same way? This is how one lives their life. This is how they spend their leisure time. These are the things that they watch. These are the things that they listen to. This is the kind of entertainment they have. Or saying, God's pleasure and God's desire is that you live a sanctified life. So it's almost like saying that you bring delight to God's heart. You bring pleasure to God's heart when you live a sanctified life. So that is just how it is. So saying that not in passion of lust like Gentiles, that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter. So saying, this is God's will for you. This is something that brings pleasure to God. So it's his pleasure, it's his delight. And he's saying that you obtain from sexual immorality. He just spells it out, sexual immorality. Whatever would come under that category of sexual immorality, you avoid it. And he says, you should know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honor. And not like what the Gentiles would do. So in verse 6 it says that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother. So the word defraud it means to take an unfair advantage. It's like overreaching, taking an unfair advantage of another person. I don't want any of you to do that. And whatever could be the situation under which one might defraud their brother. So in this area of sexual immorality, so he's talking about another believer. You're taking advantage of another believer in this area. So you should not do that because the Lord is the Avenger of all such. So what does that mean that the Lord is the Avenger that he takes revenge. So it's very clear the Lord is the Avenger. So if you're going to be defrauding, if you're going to take advantage of other people, other believers in this whole area of sexual immorality. Beware because the Lord is the Avenger. You might think, okay, I'm a believer. I can get away. No, the Lord is the Avenger. There will be consequences. The Lord notices all this. So he says, for God, as we also forewarned you and testified. So look at all these things that Paul has been teaching the believers, the church in Thessalonica, that they should, about afflictions, about tribulations. These are not things that we normally would teach a new believer that he has been teaching. There will be tough times, there will be difficult times. There will be times that will test your faith, but you need to stand strong, afflictions, tribulations. Again, about holding yourself accountable, you know, that you live a life of sanctification. This brings God pleasure. This is the will of God. He's taught them that. He's also forewarned how, you know, don't take advantage of other people. Don't try to just, you know, selfish, fleshly needs, you know, do not take advantage of other people. And defraud, don't take unfair advantage over others in this matter. For the Lord is the Avenger and we have forewarned you. It's something that he's taught them, he's warned them. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. So therefore he rejects us, does not reject man, but God was given as his Holy Spirit. So it's very clear that, you know, God, this is what God has called us. He has called us to holiness, not uncleanness. So if you're rejecting this for whatever reason, rejecting this teaching, rejecting this truth, know that you are actually rejecting the word of God, right? You're not, you're not rejecting the word of man. It's not, because in other words, he's saying, this is not my opinion that you should reject it. But it's actually God's standards and God's words. So if you're rejecting this, you're actually rejecting God and not man. You're not rejecting the word of man, but you're rejecting the word of God. And who has also given us this Holy Spirit. And why does he say that? Because they are speaking by the Spirit of God. They are ministering by the Spirit of God and they are bringing this truth by the Spirit of God. So he's saying, you know, you're rejecting God, who has also given us his Holy Spirit. He's given us a Spirit and we are ministering, we are speaking by the Spirit of God. And so you are rejecting God. Okay. Verse nine, but concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you. For you, yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed, you do so towards all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge your brethren that you increase more and more, that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you. That you may walk properly towards those who are outside and that you may lack nothing. Some very practical instruction here. So he's saying that, you know, I don't have anything more to say or write to you about concerning love for one another. Or loving one another, loving each other. So I don't have anything more to write because you are taught by God about this. You are directly taught by God about this. You know this. And so you also do. It's something that you live out practically daily in your life. So we see that and not only to also brethren, but also those who are in Macedonia. Like whoever's maybe visiting or you are visiting, you know, you show this love in very practical ways. So it's evident. It's clear. But he's saying is we urge your brethren that you increase more and more. So he's saying that, you know, why don't you increase more in this. There is always more. You know, the fact is that whatever attributes of God that you see, it comes from a place of infiniteness, right? Because God is, is, is big, is infinite. So when we talk about patience, when we talk about love, when we talk about forgiveness, it comes from that place. God is God being the source of it, you know, especially when you look at the fruit of the spirit of love and joy and peace and so on. Galatians 5 talks about that. We see that it's the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. So the Holy Spirit is the one whose Holy Spirit, whose God was infinite, who was making all these things happen, was bringing these characteristics. So there's always more because he comes, it is infinite. It's without limits. It does not run out. So he's saying, I urge you that you increase more and more. What are the other practical instructions? You live a quiet life, you know, to, you know, you mind your own business. You know, don't, don't be like, like a busy body that interfering in other, other people's lives. You know, the word quiet life, meaning a restful life. Like so he's saying, quiet life, you mind your own business. Don't be, you know, unnecessarily be poking your nose into other people's things. You work with your hands and so that you will have something. You work with your hands, meaning that so that you may lack nothing. So which means that God is not against us, you know, when there needs to be taken care of. God isn't really not against us working in that way. Right. As working. And, you know, if sometimes we think, right, oh, I should not work. Well, God will provide that it's true God provides when God provides through the, through the work as well. Right. So, so he's saying you may walk properly towards those who are outside and that you may lack nothing. There's no lack. So this, you know, when you when you do this when you don't, you know, when you don't interfere in other people's lives unnecessarily, and you're working with your own hands and you're minding your own business and you're, you know, living a quiet life. So this will enable you to walk properly in a right manner towards those who are outside. Those who are when you're saying outside is saying those who are, you know, off the world that we may walk properly and the word used there is decently and orderly and honestly towards those who are outside to those who are outside of your faith outside, not part of the church and so on. So they, you know, you're, you're, you're living a decent life. Okay. So, and that you may lack nothing. Okay. And verse 13 to 18. Okay, so here, Paul talks about another important aspect about about the Lord's coming again, and about those who died. Okay. So before the coming, second coming of the Lord, what happens to those who die? Okay. What happens to those who pass away? So he is writing about that. He's establishing something about that. So he's saying, you know, but I do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep. For the best you sorrow as those who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this ways, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. The self will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. So comfort one another with these words. You know, the thing is the truth, not only does it edify, not only does it liberate, but truth is also comforting. Truth can make us uncomfortable, especially if you are not in the truth. But truth can bring a lot of comfort and reassurance to those who need it. But this is the truth about those who have fallen asleep in Christ, who have passed away. And so he's saying, I do not want you to be ignorant. You see that this is the same thing that he uses in one Corinthians also. He says, I do not not concerning spiritual gifts. I do not want you to be ignorant. I don't want you to be without knowledge. In other words, he's saying, you cannot live ignorantly. You cannot say that, I don't know yet. He's saying, okay, scripture teaches. God eliminates the Holy Spirit, brings about elimination. So this lack of knowledge or information about this, I don't want you to be ignorant. I don't want you to be without this information. I don't want you to be lacking in this information or lacking in this truth. What is it concerning those who have fallen asleep? Lest you sorrow as those who have no hope. Now, yes, it is true that people are dying believers who put their faith in the Lord Jesus, maybe family members, maybe friends, and they have gone on to be with the Lord. He's saying that I don't want you to sorrow. Sorrow is, yes, it's something that is natural. You miss them. People who have passed away. We miss them in our daily lives. We miss their presence. We miss their conversations. We miss who they were. Suddenly there is absence. So he's saying, yes, there is definitely sorrow, sadness. Now, but he's saying, I don't want you to sorrow as those who do not have hope. So it means there is a place for us to sorrow, be sorrowful and grieve over people who have passed away. Yes, you do this crying and this sorrow and sadness, etc. But it is different from those who sorrow without hope. When those who sorrow without hope, without any expectation, without any faith and hope, that sorrow is different because that's a sorrow which has no end. That's a sorrow which does not have hope and expectation. That's a sorrow which is like a prison. There's no way out. There is no hope at all. But then he's saying, you sorrow as those with hope. How? If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, you believe in Jesus? You believe in the resurrection? We believe that. That's how we have new life. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, you know, as much as, you know, that is something that all of them believe in, right? As believers, they have actually turned from the idols to put their trust in the living God. So they have trusted in God. They've experienced the power of the gospel in their own lives. And like we see in every church, like Paul planted and Paul would have taught them about the gifts or would have taught them about the, you know, prayed over them about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, like praying in tongues and prophecy and all those, he would have taught them and they would have experienced the power of God. So there's no doubt in their minds about, you know, the gospel, they would have seen the transformation in their own lives. So he's saying, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, as sure as that truth is that you believe in, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. So he's talking about the resurrection, he's talking about the resurrection of those who sleep in Jesus and, you know, the fact that they will be brought by God. For this, we say to you by the word of the Lord. So here is a revelation from the Holy Spirit. And it's the word of the Lord, right? This is the word of the Lord. What is it? That we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. Which means that when we remain, you know, there is something happening together. There's nothing, we will not go ahead or we will not be with the Lord ahead of those who are, you know, they will by no means precede them who are asleep, for the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout. So verse 16 talks about what is happening at the coming of the Lord. The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel. You know, there is the proclamation, there's the voice of the archangel. And there is the trumpet of God. Okay, which is again, trumpet of God speaking about proclamation, you know, it's something, it's a trumpet alerting something of an event. Okay, so the trumpet was sounded for battle. The trumpet was sounded for before an a royal announcement was made, right? So here is it. Here's a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. So those who are dead in Christ, now that's important. Who are the dead in Christ? Those who have died believing in the Lord Jesus or those who have died experiencing salvation. These are the ones who have saved. These are the ones who are born again and they have died. Okay, so they will rise first. Then we who are alive and the people who are still alive and the people who are remaining will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. He's saying, you know, since this is the truth, as much as salvation, what you experience is the truth. You comfort one another. You share this with one another. And sorrow, you know, be sorrowful or grieve with hope. So grieve with hope, with this expectation that we will be reunited with the ones who have fallen asleep in Christ. So that's the difference. So he's saying, I don't want you to be ignorant. Do not grieve as those with no hope. This is something that he's taught the church. And we get an opportunity to teach, you know, maybe at funerals and so on. But this is something that every believer should know. He's saying, I don't want you to be not knowing this truth. Okay, let's look at chapter five. I think we have a few more minutes. But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. When they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do. Let us watch and be sober for those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet to hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing. So he's talking about times and seasons, the second coming of the Lord. And he says, yeah, it's going to come suddenly abruptly and like a thief in the night. But, you know, you will not be, but you don't have to be taken by surprise. Or this day need not overtake you because you are not in darkness but you are in the day. And he contrasts between those who live in darkness, those who live in the day. So he's saying, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch, be watchful and be sober. Those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. So he's talking about the lifestyle of those who are in darkness, in ignorance. So this is what they do. They are in darkness and they do that. They are not expecting, they are not watching, they are not sober, their lifestyle reflects that. But you are of the day. So be sober, put on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. Okay, so let this be your lifestyle. You be sober, you put on the breastplate of faith and love. For God did not appoint us to wrath. Now, as believers know that you are of the day, know that you are of the light. Now, you are not appointed, you're not set in place for the wrath. And what else, what are you appointed for? But you are appointed to obtain salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Now you might say, okay, have I not already obtained salvation? Yes, of course, but the salvation is complete in the day of the Lord, right? Who died for us that whether we should wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. So whether you're alive, whether you're dead, and now, you know, we should live for Him or live with Him. Now that's what God's desire is. Okay, therefore comfort one another. Again, He says, you know, use this to comfort one another and more than comfort build up one another, just as you are also doing. Okay, so this is what He says about, so He's talking about the second coming and He's talking about how it would be, how the day would be. And it need not caught, catch you unaware because you live as people in the day, not doing something that people in darkness would do. You'd be sober, you'd be expectant, you'd be watchful and let your life be one of as those who live in the day. And so God has not appointed you for wrath. He's not appointed you for condemnation, know that, but it is for salvation. Your salvation will be complete in Christ. You know, your redeemed, glorified bodies and salvation is going to be complete. So you've been appointed for that and not for condemnation. So for the believers who are living, you know, that's again comfort. So you're saying comfort and not just comfort, but there's built, built up, like edify one another just as you are also doing. Okay, so we'll continue from verse 12 in the next class. And then we will also study second Thessalonians, which has like three more chapters. And with that we'll come to the end of our course. And so next class we will finish this course. Okay. Right. Thank you. God bless. We'll meet again next class. Bye-bye.