"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." — I Thess. 4:13-14
Just eleven months ago we "lost" our youngest child, a beloved daughter, who lost her battle with cancer. The wound has healed a little, but the heartache lingers still. In the interim some of you have suffered similar losses, and some are facing the prospect. We witness the veracity of the word of God, "It is appointed unto man once to die… " There is nothing in life more certain than that we will die, and few prospects in life more unwelcome.
To wrestle with the problem of death, whether one's own, or that of a loved one, is nothing new. It was obviously a concern for believers in the church at Thessalonica. And there, as in so many places there were varied opinions. The issue was sufficient to solicit the attention of the apostle Paul and the ministry of the Holy Spirit through him, not only for the benefit of the Christians there and then, but those who would follow after, to this present day.
Death for many brings perplexity and despair. For the Christian it may bring sorrow, but it need not plunge us into depression or unmitigated grief. Sorrow is understandable, permissible and where love prevails, inevitable. But the sorrow of the Christian is to be radically different from the sorrow of the unregenerate. We may, indeed, "sorrow," but not "as [those] who have no hope."
To afford comfort and assurance the word of God lays down a simple, but significant condition: "If we believe… " The theological/scriptural term that applies here is Faith. It is faith that can put solid ground beneath our feet when the earthquakes of life occur. The biblical definition of faith Is found in Heb. 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I like to paraphrase it, 'Faith is that which gives substance to things hoped for, and provides evidence for things not seen.' This, however, is not to be construed as blind faith without a foundation or evidence. That is the kind of "faith" exercised by those who live all their lives without a relationship to God, but who in time of grief cling to a groundless hope that there is more beyond, and their loved one has "gone to a better place." The Christian's faith, in contrast, is founded upon the testimony of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again…" The distinction is made by the scriptures in I Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is vain also." And again, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins [I Cor 15:17]." This is the hub around which all our hope revolves. It confirms the validity of the scriptures themselves. It provides illustrative proof of the resurrection of the dead. And it addresses the issue of death itself; why the problem and whence the solution. Here is the great central fact in scripture: Jesus died and rose again.
For the believer, this provides bedrock beneath his feet, and brings with it confidence in two great truths: First, Jesus is coming again; second, so are the "dead in Christ." As certainly as the Savior predicted His own resurrection from the dead, so did He affirm His eventual return to earth. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we cannot doubt that one day, in God's own time, He will return, "even as He said." And, with equal assurance we can expect that those who "sleep in Jesus" will accompany Him when He returns.
Finally to be noticed is the qualification: "them also which sleep in Jesus." This is not a blanket promise with respect to all the dead. It is limited to those who have trusted Christ as Savior. His death was designed to make eternal life a positive experience for all who would trust Him. It addressed the problem of sin, which brought the unwelcome specter of death into human experience. His resurrection was proof that His word was true. To appropriate its benefits we must receive Him by faith. And so must those we desire to join us in "the day of His appearing." That should make believers out of us for our own sake. And evangelists for theirs!
For the hope of eternal salvation,
"Pastor" Frasier
Just eleven months ago we "lost" our youngest child, a beloved daughter, who lost her battle with cancer. The wound has healed a little, but the heartache lingers still. In the interim some of you have suffered similar losses, and some are facing the prospect. We witness the veracity of the word of God, "It is appointed unto man once to die… " There is nothing in life more certain than that we will die, and few prospects in life more unwelcome.
To wrestle with the problem of death, whether one's own, or that of a loved one, is nothing new. It was obviously a concern for believers in the church at Thessalonica. And there, as in so many places there were varied opinions. The issue was sufficient to solicit the attention of the apostle Paul and the ministry of the Holy Spirit through him, not only for the benefit of the Christians there and then, but those who would follow after, to this present day.
Death for many brings perplexity and despair. For the Christian it may bring sorrow, but it need not plunge us into depression or unmitigated grief. Sorrow is understandable, permissible and where love prevails, inevitable. But the sorrow of the Christian is to be radically different from the sorrow of the unregenerate. We may, indeed, "sorrow," but not "as [those] who have no hope."
To afford comfort and assurance the word of God lays down a simple, but significant condition: "If we believe… " The theological/scriptural term that applies here is Faith. It is faith that can put solid ground beneath our feet when the earthquakes of life occur. The biblical definition of faith Is found in Heb. 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I like to paraphrase it, 'Faith is that which gives substance to things hoped for, and provides evidence for things not seen.' This, however, is not to be construed as blind faith without a foundation or evidence. That is the kind of "faith" exercised by those who live all their lives without a relationship to God, but who in time of grief cling to a groundless hope that there is more beyond, and their loved one has "gone to a better place." The Christian's faith, in contrast, is founded upon the testimony of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again…" The distinction is made by the scriptures in I Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is vain also." And again, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins [I Cor 15:17]." This is the hub around which all our hope revolves. It confirms the validity of the scriptures themselves. It provides illustrative proof of the resurrection of the dead. And it addresses the issue of death itself; why the problem and whence the solution. Here is the great central fact in scripture: Jesus died and rose again.
For the believer, this provides bedrock beneath his feet, and brings with it confidence in two great truths: First, Jesus is coming again; second, so are the "dead in Christ." As certainly as the Savior predicted His own resurrection from the dead, so did He affirm His eventual return to earth. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we cannot doubt that one day, in God's own time, He will return, "even as He said." And, with equal assurance we can expect that those who "sleep in Jesus" will accompany Him when He returns.
Finally to be noticed is the qualification: "them also which sleep in Jesus." This is not a blanket promise with respect to all the dead. It is limited to those who have trusted Christ as Savior. His death was designed to make eternal life a positive experience for all who would trust Him. It addressed the problem of sin, which brought the unwelcome specter of death into human experience. His resurrection was proof that His word was true. To appropriate its benefits we must receive Him by faith. And so must those we desire to join us in "the day of His appearing." That should make believers out of us for our own sake. And evangelists for theirs!
For the hope of eternal salvation,
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment