One of the
great questions by the Thessalonian church members was, “what
happens to fellow believers when they die before Jesus returns”?
Paul the apostle began to address this question by not wanting them
to be ignorant and sorrowful concerning those “which are
asleep”, and in chapter four and verse fourteen of his letter,
he began to explain what happens to those who “sleep in Jesus”
where we read:
For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
The
verse begins, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again,...” Paul began with the
word, “For” which
means “as, because, even, indeed, no doubt, seeing then and verily”
“if” which is
conditional and means “forasmuch as or whether” “we
believe” or “think to be
true, are persuaded of, place confidence in, and the trust in Jesus
or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in something” “that
Jesus” whose name means
“Jehovah is Salvation” and refers to “the Son of God, the
Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “died”
or “perished, was slain and lost His life”“and rose
again” or “caused to rise
up, appear, bring forward, leave and stand forth from the dead”.
Paul gave a qualifier for this benefit. There must be a belief “that
Jesus died and rose again”
before we know the promise found in the next portion of the verse.
The verse goes on to
say, “...even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
Paul continued, “even so them also”
which refers
to “in this manner, thus and in this way indeed, even and” “which
sleep” or
“” “in Jesus”
which refers to “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God
incarnate” “will God bring”
which is the Greek phrase “agō
theos agō” which
refers to
“the Godhead bodily and trinity comprised of God the Father, Christ
the Son and the Holy Spirit leading, taking and bringing to a point
of destination or place” “with him”
or “along with God Himself”. Paul promised the Thessalonian
church members that those who died and believed that Jesus died and
rose again will “God bring with Him”
when He comes again.
When
we meditate upon Paul's words, we immediately realize the importance
of believing “Jesus died and rose again”.
Without this belief, people who “sleep” do
not have the promise of God bringing them with Him. People who know
the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior can know with
confidence that this promise of the Holy Spirit through Paul the
apostle is absolutely true. If we have people in our lives who “sleep
in Jesus” we can be assured,
they shall return with Him as well. Oh the comfort of the word of God
that is available to us if we simply believe in the Lord Jesus. May
the Lord help us to have confidence in His words, and may we know for
sure, those who “sleep in Jesus”
are even now presently with Him.
Next
time Paul shares about those who “are
alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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