◄ What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Mean? ►

When we first heard the good news that Jesus died and rose again to pay the price for our sins and that salvation is God's gift of grace to all sinners who believe in His only begotten Son, our hearts rejoiced with great joy. But our whole life should be lived in the knowledge that we really do have the most wonderful eternal hope, prepared for us in heaven.

Our salvation is the first step on our Christian journey through this life, simply because we believed. But our Christian walk through life, should also be seen as the first step on the great adventure of eternity – simply because we believed in the One Who is faithful and true.

Assurance is not based on wishful hope, but on sure faith in our Father. Confidence is not based on a creed, but on Christ. And since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we have a firm assurance and an established confidence that God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

Death is a natural part of life that affects every member of the human race, but for those who have been born from above, death takes on an entirely new and wonderful perspective. Oh, when dear friend or a precious loved one whom we cherish dies, it is right and natural to miss them and even weep over our loss, but our sadness should never be excessive and should never be akin to the hopeless grief that is so often the reaction of the unsaved for a loved one who has died in their sins – our loss should never eclipse the glorious future hope in Christ, for all who believe.

As Christians, we have firm hope and a wonderful assurance that is very different from the world, for we believe that the Lord Jesus died and rose again. In so doing, He broke the power of sin and death in the lives of all who believe. And the mighty power that raised the Lord Jesus from death is the same mighty power that will resurrect all that have died in the Lord so that when He returns in the clouds to take us to be with Himself, all believers that have fallen asleep in Christ will rise first and we that are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall ever be with the LORD.

Let us comfort each other with this truth, for Jesus died and rose again - this we BELIEVE.

Loving Father, thank you for the truth that the same almighty power of God that raised Christ from the dead, will raise up all who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Thank You that by beliving, I have eternal life in Him. In Jesus' name, AMEN.