The Fallen Asleep in Christ 1 Corinthians 15:18

Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins”, and in chapter fifteen and verse eighteen of First Corinthians, Paul declared to the church members in Corinth, if Jesus was not “raised” then those who have “fallen asleep in Christ are perished”, where we read:

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

The verse begins, “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ ...” Paul began with the word, “then” or “therefore, consequently and accordingly” “they also” which means “” “are fallen asleep” or “those who have physically died” “in Christ” which refers to “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God”. Paul referred to the church members who had already “died” while believing in Jesus Christ as their “Savior and Lord”. Not only was the church members' “faith in vain” and their “sins” remained within them, there were those who had “died” while believing the “gospel” of Jesus Christ.

The verse goes on to say, “are perished”. Paul continued with the words, “are perished” which means “they are destroyed, put out of the way entirely, abolished, put to end and ruin, rendered useless and lost”. If there was not resurrection, those who had “died” in the faith were “destroyed, rendered useless and lost”.

When we meditate upon these words from Paul, we see yet another example of the “emptiness” that occurs if there is no “resurrection”. People who died that believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ would not inherit “everlasting life” but would rather be “destroyed and lost”. May the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit help us to know the importance of Jesus raising from the dead, and remember, those who have “fallen asleep in Christ” are with Him and enjoying eternal life.

Next time Paul tells the church members how Jesus, “if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”, 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.