Our Reality
Dearly beloved of God, the revelation in these brief verses communicate the comfort and reality of our hope in Christ.
I Thessalonians 4:13 AV
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [dead], that ye sorrow not [grieve not], even as others which have no hope.
I Thessalonians 4:14 Conneybeare and Howson
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also will God, through Jesus, bring back those who sleep, together with him.
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.
What glorious truth! This is, “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him.” It is when both the living of the Church, “shall be caught up together with them [the dead in Christ] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”. It is, “the departure”. It is, “the day of redemption”. It is when the Church, which is the body of Christ “will obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”. We will be “received up into glory”.
Philippians 3:20 and 21 AV
For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body [our humiliated body because it is mortal], that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
People may say, “So what; these are just words.” What they fail to recognize is that these words came from the mouth of the Living God, the Almighty God. These are words that the Lord Christ Jesus has the power to accomplish because God gave it to him after He raised him out from among the dead.
This is the comfort, the reality of our hope in Christ.
II Thessalonians 2:14 AV
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will obtain this glory! It is as certain as you are reading these words, beloved; as certain as you are breathing.
Colossians 3:4 AV
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Let’s forget the things that are behind us beloved, and live each day with the reality of our calling in mind. Press toward the mark for the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. He is coming!