For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Truth to Learn
We need to realize what God has given us and fight for Him.
Behind the Words
“For” is from hoti, meaning “because.” It serves to introduce something that is the reason for what was just said.
The Greek word translated “appoint” is tithēmi, which means “to set” or “to put in place.” Here it means that God did not place us in a position in which we would receive His wrath.
“Wrath” is from orgē, which properly means “strong desire” or “excitement of the mind,” that is “strong passion.” By implication it means “punishment,” but it is most often translated as “wrath.”
Peripoiēsis is the Greek word translated “obtain.” It is made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” Thus, peripoiesis carries the meaning of surrounding yourself with things. It is most often translated with the English words “acquire” or “obtain.”
“Salvation” is translated from sōtēria, which refers to “safety, deliverance, or preservation from danger or destruction.”
Meaning Explained
In the previous verse, Paul exhorted us to put on the breastplate of faith and love as well as the helmet of salvation. This is to be followed by being of a sober mind, thinking logically and rationally with a mind that is not under the influence of extreme thought patterns. You may know Christians who are so worried about losing their salvation that they have a difficult time moving forward in their Christian walk. Others are caught up in experiencing miraculous demonstrations of God’s Spirit and become distracted when they aren’t seeing such signs in their own lives. Still others are so bound by legalism that they spend all their effort trying not to break the rules their church has bound them with. They’re wearing so much spiritual fluff and have their minds so filled with distractions that they can’t effectively engage the enemy. As a result, they are easily defeated when they face spiritual battles.
Instead, Paul wants us to be dressed for battle and mentally prepared. The source of that mental preparation is knowledge of what the Bible actually teaches. The only way we can do this is to engage in regular, consistent reading and studing of God’s Word.
So, why should we always be prepared for spiritual battle? Why shouldn’t we live like the world, like those who have no clue regarding what the future holds? Because God did not put us here to receive His wrath; we will not experience the Day of the Lord. Instead we will be resurrected from the earth and granted complete salvation, that salvation which only comes from faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, out of a heart of true thanksgiving and gratitude, we should take up sides, put on the battle gear, and get ready to do battle for Him!
Application
Consider what God has done for us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. Consider what He has promised us, both now and eternally. Given what He has already done, how can we possible just drift through life? We need to get in the race! We need to engage in battle! We need to give our all to serving Him who gave us the most precious gift we could possible get!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved