Children of the Light - 1 Thessalonians Series

This devotion is written by Matt O’Reilly from his book, “The Letters to the Thessalonians.” Matt O’Reilly is a contributing author at seedbed.com. We hope you will be encouraged.

1 Thessalonians 5:4–7 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.

Key Observation. Christian behavior should reflect Christian identity.

Understanding the Word. “Remember who you are.” My grandmother spoke those words to me and my brother as she handed us our jackets. We were heading out the door to meet some friends. I have no idea what she thought we might do. Nevertheless, her point was clear. She wanted us to remember that our family had a good reputation. She didn’t want us to damage it. Our grandmother expected our behavior to accord with our family identity.

That’s also what Paul expects of the Thessalonians. You can see his logic in the movement from 1 Thessalonians 5:5 to 5:6. He begins by reminding the Thessalonians of their identity. He wants them to remember who they are. And here Christian identity is described in terms of the future. Christians are “children of light and children of the day.” To identify believers as light-people was Paul’s way of saying they belong to Jesus. For Paul, God has lifted the blinders and led believers out of darkness to “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Light-people know God because they’ve seen God in Jesus.

Notice also that Paul uses family language to describe believers. They are children of light and of the day. Paul’s original Greek actually used a word that means “sons,” but translators rightly render it “children” to be inclusive of men and women. The importance of family relationships in the ancient world cannot be overstated. You take your identity from your family, and you owe your loyalty to your family. Paul’s use of family language to describe the identity of the group reinforces the deep emotions that would be attached to this new family of God.

Not only are they identified as light-people, they are also day-people. The day in question is the day of the Lord. They belong to Jesus. And the day of his return will be the day that all the implications of their identity in Christ will be revealed. For the Thessalonians, their identification with Jesus makes them a mockery among outsiders. They suffer for it. But on the day of the Lord, they’ll be vindicated. They’ll participate in his resurrection. Their union with him will come to its fullness. But if they are going to make it, they’ve got to remember who they are in Christ and who they are together.