“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NIV)
The first bit of information Paul wants to us to ruminate on is the ramifications of the truth of the Gospel we believed.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again.
We believe that being saved means we are “in Jesus”
That is when we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead;
that we are saved by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who brings us into spiritual union with Christ, never to die again.
Therefore we believe that for a Christian dying can be called sleeping.
Just as a sleeping individual although alive is of no earthly use until they are awakened, so an individual who is united with Christ in spirit, is still alive although their dead body is of no earthly use.
And furthermore we believe that these individuals are alive in the Presence of Christ, and that God will bring them with Jesus when He comes in power onto this earth.
John 11:25 records Jesus telling Martha that belief in Him meant she would never die, and then He asked; Do you believe this?
Do you?
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