When I wrote yesterday about the suddenness of disaster, I quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:3-7. And, I deliberately left out verse 9. I did that to prove a point. I did that to help you understand that your pastor may be a ‘peace and safety‘ pastor, causing you to ignore the sudden destruction that is coming.
You see, in verses three through seven, it is clear that Paul is telling us that we can avoid disaster by staying awake, watching for what is coming and then, by implication, taking steps to avoid the disaster that will take away those who preached ‘peace and safety‘. So, why do pastors use verse nine to preach ‘peace and safety’?
Would you believe that a lack of love has everything to do with it?
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1 Thessalonians 5 and Disaster
I’ll get to love in a moment, but let’s go over 1 Thessalonians 5:3-7, again. This passage tells us that we can avoid destruction by watching for it. Verse 9 then goes on to explain that we are not appointed to wrath – if (and because) we are sober and watchful. Here’s the verse that I’m talking about:
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, – 1 Thessalonians 5:9
But, our pastors pervert this verse to do the very thing that Paul warns against – using it to preach ‘peace and safety‘, to convince us to abandon our watchfulness and sobriety and lull us to sleep in the midst of catastrophe.
Isn’t that amazing?
Preachers and theologians take the very passage that warns us about avoiding disaster, and use it to do the exact opposite. They twist verse 9 to preach ‘peace and safety‘, condemning themselves and their congregations to the sudden destruction of verse 3. And, if you follow such pastors, you too will not escape.
I’ve written about this before, and it never ceases to amaze me how willing people are to ignore what is right in front of them. Why do we insist on being so stupid?
Well, the answer to that is simple – Truth hurts. And, we avoid those thoughts and ideas that hurt, which is why I wrote about disaster yesterday. We don’t have the luxury of ignoring the truth. We are now in the unenviable position of being forced to love the truth because it is only that love that will save us. Unfortunately, we don’t know what love is.
Love
I’ve had the opportunity over the years to talk about the true meaning of love. And, the reason why I’ve spent so much time talking about it is due to the foolish notion in our western culture that love is somehow a feeling.
Love is NOT a feeling. It’s a choice.
If you love the truth, you will choose it and believe it – even when you don’t like it. That is what love is, and it is love of the truth that will save you from what is coming.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul spoke of those who perish. Why do they perish?
Because they do not love the truth.
In 1 Thessalonians 5, why do they perish?
Because they preach ‘Peace and Safety‘.
Putting them both together, we now understand why our pastors and theologians preach ‘Peace and Safety‘:
Because they do not love the truth.
And, if you don’t love the truth, you will perish also.
The good thing is that there are pastors that are beginning to wake up. As I sat down to write this article, I checked one of the sites that I go to every day and saw this link:
Should the Church Prepare for the Fall of America?
It was heartening to see a pastor actually wake up and talk about disaster preparation. Will Joseph Mattera‘s congregation avoid the wrath that’s coming?
I hope so, but it’s awfully late in the game. And, Brooklyn is a bad place to be when everything falls apart.
So, do you love the truth?
Are you prepared to tell people about the true meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:9?
Are you in a good place to be when everything falls apart?
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If you find a flaw in my reasoning, have a question, or wish to add your own viewpoint, leave a comment. Your input is truly welcome.
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