As Plain as the Nose on Your Face
Dearly beloved of God, we are the heirs of salvation, and we will receive that inheritance when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to gather us up to meet him in the air. We have the Word of the Lord about this future reality.
I Thessalonians 4:13 and 14
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
God does not want us ignorant of “them which are asleep.” “Are asleep” is used as a euphemism for death.
Those who have died will remain in the state of death until the Lord delivers them from it.
God confirmed that Jesus Christ was His Son by raising him out from among all the dead people.
John 3:13 reveals that no other man has ever been raised out from among the dead never to die again, and then ascend into the heavenlies, and sit down in glory at God’s right hand.
In this verse, the words “even so” tell us that what follows is being compared with what preceded.
As Jesus died and rose again, so the dead in Christ will rise again from the dead. God, by His Son will lead those who have died out from among the dead.
Christ will bring them from where? The context teaches us that they:
• “are asleep” in verse 13
• “them also which sleep” in verse 14
• “are asleep” in verse 15
• “the dead in Christ” in verse 16
• in verse 17, the pronoun “them” refers to “the dead in Christ” mentioned in the previous verse.
The context teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ will bring them from the dead. I Corinthians 15:52-55 confirms this truth.
We do not need to sorrow as the rest who have no hope because when Christ returns for his Church, he will raise the dead in Christ and they will live again, and that forever. The verses that follow reveal how this will happen.
I Thessalonians 4:15-18 ASV
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Here we have “the word of the Lord” concerning Christ’s coming for the Church, and His word is beyond reproach.
I Corinthians 15:20 and 23
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that have fallen asleep.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming.
Christ was the first to rise out from among the dead, and the dead in Christ will follow at his coming.
Both the dead in Christ, and those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together. From this point onward the members of his body, the Church, will never be separated from him.
Dearly beloved, by God’s abundant mercy He has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. See I Peter 1:3-5.
Comfort yourselves with these words, dearly beloved of God. We are the heirs of salvation. God's Word concerning this future reality is as plain as the nose on your face!
Christ is coming, and who knows, it could even be today!