Transformed and Transferred - January 12

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Reflect

Think about the contrasts presented in these verses between believers and unbelievers (light/dark, day/night, asleep/awake). How else can believers be contrasted with unbelievers?

Chances are you’ve heard the saying: “It’s a matter of when not if.” This certainly applies to the return of the Lord. We know that He is coming soon, we just don’t know when. The rest of the world is going to be unprepared for His return, in spite of many warnings. That day is going to seem like a thief in the night for unbelievers. They are going to be incredibly shocked and terrified on that day.

But in today’s verses, the apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that they shouldn’t be surprised at all when the Lord returns. Why? Because they aren’t in the dark about it! They know that this is God’s plan. It had been revealed to them and it was always presented to them as a matter of when, not if! Christians shouldn’t be surprised by Christ’s return and we shouldn’t be terrified of it, either. If we are in Christ, we have nothing to fear!

Before we were in Christ, we were just like everyone else but now we have been transformed and transferred. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminded them of that transformation: “at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true) and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” (Ephesians 5:8-14). We have been transformed.

We have also been transferred. To the Colossians, Paul wrote: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

As believers in Christ, we shouldn’t be stumbling around in the darkness or running for the cover of darkness to try to hide our sins. We aren’t children of the darkness anymore. We are children of the day! That means we are children of the light, not children of the night! We aren’t drunk, we are sober. We aren’t in a stupor, we are alert. We aren’t in bondage, we’ve been delivered. We aren’t ashamed, we’ve been forgiven. We don’t belong to this world, we belong to Christ!

Because we’ve been transformed and transferred into His kingdom, we aren’t going to be caught off-guard when He returns. We aren’t afraid of that day. On the contrary, we are looking forward to that day with hopeful expectation.

Respond

Lord, what a work You’ve done in my life! You have transformed me and transferred me from outside of your kingdom to inside Your kingdom. I was once in complete darkness, but now I am a child of God, a child of light! I long for Your return. Help me to stay awake and alert, continuing to serve You and live wisely while I wait. Amen.

Reveal

How does the transformation that God has worked in Your life reveal the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord? Share the testimony of how God transformed and transferred you with someone who needs to hear the Good News.