Praise God Jesus Died That We Might Sleep!

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 [NKJV], the Apostle Paul writes, 13. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. This hand-picked by the Lord Apostle to the Gentiles made a point throughout his letters of encouragement to the churches scattered throughout that first century world that Jesus Christ’s triumphant resurrection and victory over sin and Death had removed forever the fear that Death had so long held over mankind. Those who are in Christ need no longer cower in the face of Death. No longer would the curse that had afflicted the entire world throughout the ensuing millennia, ever since sin first entered the world in the Garden of Eden so very long ago, hold sway and power over man. Death had been utterly and completely defeated by the Savior of the world for all of time when He bore our sins at Calvary. You see, we can sleep because Jesus died.

Nowhere in God’s word do we see any reference to Jesus sleeping when He died. Jesus had to suffer completely in order to be the payment and sacrifice for our sins. Paul states, 8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:8-10 [NKJV]). Jesus died. He did not sleep.

Our Lord has made it so very easy for all of us, but unfortunately, the world as a whole still chooses to remain in disobedient defiance of their Creator. God has designed that man still face death, but it is symbolic in that our death of our carnal nature occurs at baptism Paul explains this so very eloquently when he writes in Romans 6:3-11 [NKJV], 3. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6. knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7. For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9. knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Praise God Jesus died that we might sleep!

In Whom Is All My Delight

In Psalm 16:2-3 (NKJV), David writes, 2. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.” 3. And to the saints who are on the Earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all My delight.” We are not the Lord’s delight because we are the best at what we do, or the brightest person there is, or because of anything that we do upon this Earth. Nothing of ourselves makes us God’s delight. No, we are the Lord’s delight for nothing more than being His children, for no one other than His child is called a saint. It is because of His implanted righteousness brought about through the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we can come to Him in obedient, saving faith and be adopted into His holy family.

As His child, sometimes we will face His discipline. The Hebrews writer states, 5. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6. for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” 7. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? (Hebrews 12:5-7 [NKJV]) It is this loving discipline from God that will bring great reward to the faithful child of God. David later penned, 4. Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 5. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:4-5 [NKJV])

Ultimately, our greatest reward will come when the Lord calls us home. David writes again, saying in Psalm 116:15 [NKJV], “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” When we look at death from God’s perspective, we will understand that Death does not extinguish the lights of our lives, as many believe; but rather, it turns out the lamp because the Light of the new day has dawned!

Because Jesus died, we now can sleep. Jesus triumphed over death so that we no longer need to fear it. The Apostle Paul tells us, 51. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55. “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:51-57 [NKJV])

Seated in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus

In his Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul states God has “raised us up with Him, and made us sit with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6 [RSV]). So what is meant by this statement?

When we are immersed into Christ we re-enact the gospel of Christ visually, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Our old, carnal man dies and is buried in the watery grave of baptism and we are “born anew” (John 3:3 [RSV]) to rise up and walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 [RSV]). As new creations in Christ we are then clothed in His holy garments (Galatians 3:27). Those of us who have been immersed into Christ have undergone what John says in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is "the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5) and this explains why "the second death has no power" (Revelation 20:6) over us. As members of His Kingdom we serve God as priests (Revelation 1:6) while He reigns as its "King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Corinthians 15:24; 1 Timothy 6:16). Not only is Jesus our Lord and Monarch, He also serves in His Kingdom as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 5:10). He alone acts as the singularly only “Mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5 [RSV]).

The Apostle Paul tells us where Jesus is now: He "is at the right hand of God" in Heaven (Romans 8:34). As Paul told the Ephesians earlier in this epistle, God "raised Him from the dead and made Him sit at His right hand in the Heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:20 [RSV]). Because Jesus is serving as our Great High Priest in the Holy of Holies at the right hand of God in Heaven, those of us who have come to Him in obedient, saving faith have the right to "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16 [RSV]) as we cry "Abba! Father" (Romans 8:15 [RSV]) as His adopted sons (Galatians 4:5). Therefore, since we became part of His body, which is the church, when we obeyed the gospel (Ephesians 1:23), we are with Him now in a spiritual sense since God has "raised us up with Him, and made us sit with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). This occurred when the Lord added us to His body (Acts 2:47) and we were saved. It is a spiritual blessing now, but as Paul says, what we have by faith will become reality "that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7 [RSV]). The coming ages of which Paul speaks is when Jesus returns "in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet...and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). It is then that we will be able to gaze upon His glorious face unafraid and live with Him forever. "Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).

Nothing New Under the Sun

The Preacher stated in Ecclesiastes 1:9 [RSV], “there is nothing new under the sun.” The older I get, the more I see firsthand how utterly true this is.

In the First Century the apostles warned us against those who would bring about the teaching of false knowledge that would be to the detriment of those who are followers of Christ. The Apostle Paul stated Romans 1:22-23 [RSV]), 22. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. One needs not carve a statue and bow down to it to do as the Apostle Paul said. One needs only to elevate oneself above God in one’s own mind in order for one to be engaged in idolatrous worship. Take, for example, what a friend from my youth had to say this past week. He said,

“Science and reason alone are sufficient for the development of moral values and ethics. I do not need the threats or promises of any Supreme Being to define the moral law within me.”

I kindly pointed out to my friend that he was wrong for in his wisdom, what God calls foolishness, he has lifted himself above God. "Survival of the fittest," a key component of Darwinism and science, by definition leaves no room for compassion or love to others. The ability for humans to feel compassion and love towards others comes from somewhere outside of reason or science. According to the scientific method, compassion and love do not exist because they cannot be measured nor can they be tested empirically. And yet love and compassion DO exist and they ARE real. Without a Supreme Being Whose very definition is that He is love (1 John 4:8) there would be no love or compassion in mankind, there would be no moral values and no ethics. Without our God Who is love there is no moral authority. And without moral authority that originates from God then what results is utter chaos and, which is total negativity. The ONLY reason (pun intended) anyone has any morality within himself is not because it came from reason or science, but because we were created in the image of the Supreme Being, something we should never take for granted.

Even among those who profess to be followers of Christ Gnostic thought permeates. I have seen comments such as the following stated by those who believe they are following Christ, but in reality Gnostic thought has corrupted their doctrine.

“Is it reasonable to conclude that each of us has been born not by the will of the flesh but of God in similar fashion as Jesus? And that God has anointed each of us in similar fashion as God anointed Jesus? And that each of us has been begotten of God and become other children of God in similar fashion as Jesus?”

Now this may sound good and proper at first blush, but it really is not. At its heart and core the above message is stating that each and every one of us is just as much a god as is Jesus. And that, dear friends, is Gnosticism. As to our becoming children of God in similar fashion as Jesus, this is not the case. We are not begotten, for Jesus is the only begotten Son of God: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 [see also John 3:16) We need to be reborn, but Jesus did not need to be reborn for He lived His entire life “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus came into the world already spiritually alive and needing not to be born again from above as we all are. We who believe become not sons of God in our own right but in Jesus we become adopted sons of God when we come to Him in obedient, saving faith. Galatians 4:4-6 [RSV] says, 4. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5. to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

None of us has been anointed by God, as was Jesus. He is the singular Anointed One, and this is the meaning of His title, “Christ.” Yes, in a sense we are anointed with the Holy Spirit when we are immersed into Jesus Christ (1 John 2:27), but not to the extent as is Jesus. The Hebrews writer tells us, 8. But of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of Thy Kingdom. 9. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of gladness beyond Thy comrades.” (Hebrews 1:8-9 [RSV]) One cannot escape from the fact that God says here that Jesus His Son IS God, and that His anointing is beyond any anointing that we receive as His adopted siblings! I believe it is paramount that we heed the warnings given by John when he wrote, 2. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3. and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. (1 John 4:2-3 [RSV]) The significance of these verses is that Jesus is God Who literally took on flesh to become Son of Man Who can understand and empathize fully with each and every one of us. This is such an important tenet of our "like precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1) that John went further and stated in 2 John 7-11 [RSV], 7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8. Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9. Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. 10. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; 11. for he who greets him shares his wicked work.

While writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John calls the doctrine which denies God came in the flesh evil. This doctrine is Gnosticism, and it is still prevalent today and just as evil as it ever was.

Our Citizenship Is in Heaven

In his Epistle to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul stated in chapter 3 verses 20-21 [ESV], 20 But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.

This is yet another wonderful passage from God’s word that gives us a brief glimpse into seeing what awaits those of us who have been immersed into Christ and donned with His glorious apparel (Galatians 3:27). When we are clothed in Christ by submitting to being baptized for the remission of our sins, we rise up from the water to be clothed in His holy garments, a new creature whose citizenship and home now lies in Heaven. Paul also told the church on Corinth, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 2:17 [ESV])

Paul explains this passing away of our old carnal nature in his letter to the congregation at Rome, saying, 3. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4. We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7. For he who has died is freed from sin. 8. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. (Romans 6:3-8 [ESV]) Just as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ is His death, burial and resurrection, when we undergo baptism we declare and proclaim visually to the world this wondrous gospel plan of salvation message of Christ.

When we are baptized into Christ we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and as citizens of Heaven we are children of God and siblings of our elder Brother, Jesus. Paul writes, 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:14-17 [ESV]) But our suffering in this life will be worth it as our reward in Heaven will be great beyond measure: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18 [ESV]) And this revelation will come fully when Jesus returns to gather us with Him and carry us home to live in Heaven forever: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 [ESV]).