Daily Devotion
With Pastor Ancel Presnell
“HOPE IN DEATH”
When our eyes get fixed on this world, we cling to the things that we love and cherish. Not all things that we love and cherish in this world are bad. Our families and loved ones are the most cherished of all the things. Is it wrong to cherish them? Of course not! God has given them to us.
Focusing solely on this life after losing a loved one, or during difficult times, can lead to destructive thinking. Believing there’s nothing beyond this existence sets us up for disappointment.
Some young believers of Thessalonica were facing this very dilemma and apostle Paul runs straight toward their error to correct them in 1 Thessalonians 4. Timothy was sent to help these believers for enduring a lot of trials and struggles, and we see this in 1 Thessalonians 3:2—4. Some believe that these believers felt they had missed out on the rapture, hence, this was the reason they were enduring such hardship and those who had died in Christ had missed out too. Paul had to confront this error; their hope depended on it!
Paul begins his address of hope with these words: “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.” Paul draws a contrast; those without Christ have no hope, and the way the young believers were wrestling with their trials and the death of those gone on before them was likened unto people who had not been born again.
Paul addresses the biggest struggle they are facing; and that is what happens or happened to those who died as Christians. Is there really anything after death? More real than the life we live on this earth is the life that begins when we close our eyes in death. There is hope in death and Christian hope that rests in the word of God are reality! Who else has hope that is reality? Only Christians! We have Hope in death!
1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14—” 13 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. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
