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Paul stated that regardless of the believer's lifestyle, or "whether we are asleep or awake, we will be together with Him" in 1 Thess 5:10. The context begins in v.4 and contrasts believers with unbelievers, or day with night, or being alert with being asleep or sober with drunkeness.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Analysis of this passage:
v.4 tells us that believers are "not in darkness"
v.5 differentiates believers (sons of light and day) with unbelievers (not of night or darkness).
v.6 encourages believers to not live like unbelievers (not sleep as others do, but be alert and sober).
v.7 describes unbelievers and what they do.
v.8 explains that "since we are of the day" (believers), we need to be sober.
v.9 explains the destiny of the believer - not destined for wrath but for salvation
v.10 says that regardless of the believer's lifestyle, we will live together with Him.
Now, those who do not believe in eternal security, in spite of Jesus' clear words in John 5:24 and 10:28, respond by claiming that the terms "asleep" and "awake" do not refer to lifestyle, but rather to be understood as being alive or physically dead, because Paul used "asleep" in reference to physical death in 1 Thess 4:13 - Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
However, we get a very clear meaning from Paul in another passage which proves that he was referring to awake as the proper Christian lifestyle of obedience, and asleep as the lifestyle of an unbeliever in a parallel passage in Rom 13-
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Analysis:
v.11 is a command for believers to pay attention, rather than being lazy.
v.12 is a clear comparison to the lifestyle of unbelievers by "deeds of darkness" and to put it aside.
v.13 is a command for proper lifestyle, and uses "daytime", just as he did in 1 Thess 5:5 and 8.
v.14 is a command for being filled with the Spirit and walking by His means, since the command to "not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh" is very nearly the same phrase as found in Gal 5:16 - So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Therefor, 1 Thess 5:10 is a clear statement that regardless of lifestyle, whether awake or asleep, we will live TOGETHER with him.
This is not a defense of antinomian living. In fact, the Bible also addresses God's plan for those children who think they can "get away" with living how they want, doing what they want.
Heb 12:11 says, " No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
After Paul took the Corinthian congregation to task for abusing the Lord's Table, he wrote 1 Cor 11:30 - That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
Notice the progression? Weakness, then sickness, then physical death.
For those unruly children of God, if they AREN'T "trained by God's discipline", per Heb 12:11, then they WILL experience 1 Cor 11:30.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Analysis of this passage:
v.4 tells us that believers are "not in darkness"
v.5 differentiates believers (sons of light and day) with unbelievers (not of night or darkness).
v.6 encourages believers to not live like unbelievers (not sleep as others do, but be alert and sober).
v.7 describes unbelievers and what they do.
v.8 explains that "since we are of the day" (believers), we need to be sober.
v.9 explains the destiny of the believer - not destined for wrath but for salvation
v.10 says that regardless of the believer's lifestyle, we will live together with Him.
Now, those who do not believe in eternal security, in spite of Jesus' clear words in John 5:24 and 10:28, respond by claiming that the terms "asleep" and "awake" do not refer to lifestyle, but rather to be understood as being alive or physically dead, because Paul used "asleep" in reference to physical death in 1 Thess 4:13 - Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
However, we get a very clear meaning from Paul in another passage which proves that he was referring to awake as the proper Christian lifestyle of obedience, and asleep as the lifestyle of an unbeliever in a parallel passage in Rom 13-
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Analysis:
v.11 is a command for believers to pay attention, rather than being lazy.
v.12 is a clear comparison to the lifestyle of unbelievers by "deeds of darkness" and to put it aside.
v.13 is a command for proper lifestyle, and uses "daytime", just as he did in 1 Thess 5:5 and 8.
v.14 is a command for being filled with the Spirit and walking by His means, since the command to "not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh" is very nearly the same phrase as found in Gal 5:16 - So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Therefor, 1 Thess 5:10 is a clear statement that regardless of lifestyle, whether awake or asleep, we will live TOGETHER with him.
This is not a defense of antinomian living. In fact, the Bible also addresses God's plan for those children who think they can "get away" with living how they want, doing what they want.
Heb 12:11 says, " No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
After Paul took the Corinthian congregation to task for abusing the Lord's Table, he wrote 1 Cor 11:30 - That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
Notice the progression? Weakness, then sickness, then physical death.
For those unruly children of God, if they AREN'T "trained by God's discipline", per Heb 12:11, then they WILL experience 1 Cor 11:30.