Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5:9

"For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," — 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (ASV)

Paul now summarizes the reason for this guaranteed salvation. Negatively, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath.” Without question, this wrath is future and specific, being identified with the messianic era just prior to Christ’s reappearance (1:10; 2:16) and with the sudden destruction mentioned in v.3. When God vents his anger against those who live on earth (Revelation 6:16–17), the body of Christ will be in heaven as the result of the series of happenings outlined in 4:14–17. This is God’s purpose.

The positive side of this purpose is that believers will “receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Receive” (GK 4348) here carries the idea of “possession” or “adoption.” As Christians have been elected (1:4), they have also been adopted. For them to be possessed by God as his very own is synonymous with the future salvation to come “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the certainty of this provision the Thessalonians could find relief from the frantic activity and panic that had been disturbing their tranquil anticipation of the future.