The Resurrection of the Dead

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

 

 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NKJV) 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.

 

From what we see written in First and Second Thessalonians, we infer that some false teachers had come, teaching that the resurrection had already taken place and that the Thessalonians had missed it. This would mean their loved ones, who had died, apparently were not raised.

 

In 2 Timothy, Paul speaks of some false teachers who were teaching something like this. 2 Timothy 2:16-18 says:

2 Timothy 2:16-18 (NKJV) 16 But shun profane [and] idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

 

Paul compares their teachings to cancer. Cancer is hard to root out and deadly, and so are such teachings, so much so that this teaching overthrew the faith of some. (The Greek word used in the original is γάγγραινα(gaggraina) from which we get the word “gangrene.” Although scholars disagree on how to translate the word, the concept communicated remains the same. Since I am using the NKJV, I have used the same word that appears in my text. Your translation may use a different word.)

 

The cancer of these teachings is still with us. Teachers stray from the truth for different reasons. Some stray because of bitterness and envy, some stray because of greed, and some stray to gain followers. When we allow sin to rule in our hearts, the devil takes the opportunity to deceive us. Thus, the epistles contain a lot of instruction concerning false teaching and false teachers.

 

In Acts, when Paul spoke in any given location, he taught about the resurrection: first, the resurrection of Jesus, and second, the resurrection of the dead. From this, we can gather that knowledge of the fact that God will raise the dead to life again is essential. And this is precisely what Paul says here in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. He says, “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep.”

 

We must not be ignorant. We must be sure of the basic facts concerning the resurrection.

 

First, we can be sure that the resurrection has not yet occurred. 

 

Let’s look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NKJV) 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.

 

The Thessalonians mourned loved ones who had passed away, just like we all must do at some point. However, Paul says, “You have hope! Because Jesus will bring with Him all who have died in Jesus.” Therefore, there is your proof that the resurrection has not yet occurred.

 

“What,” you ask me. “How does that constitute proof?”

 

Paul discusses more in verses 15 through 18, and we will examine those verses. However, let me summarize them. The fact that they had loved ones in the grave is proof, because they are in the grave. If God raised them, they would not be in the grave. 

 

However, there is more to this. Let’s read verses 15 through 18.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (NKJV) 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. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

First, look at verse 15. It says, “that we who are alive [and] remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.” 

 

Next, look at verse 16. It says, “And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

 

Finally, look at verse 17. It says, “Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

 

These three events occur in the specified order. According to 2 Corinthians 15:51-52, these events will happen in a moment, making them effectively simultaneous.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NKJV) 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.

 

The second proof that the resurrection has not taken place yet is the fact that we are still here. We have not been caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

 

The devil leads people astray concerning this truth because it creates fear and uncertainty. Fear does not come from faith, and whatever is not of faith is sin. Therefore, it is essential to comfort one another with this truth.

 

Our loved ones are still in the grave, and we are still here, so the resurrection has not taken place yet. Paul does not want us to be ignorantof the fact that the resurrection has not yet occurred. This is the first basic fact about the resurrection that we must know. The second and third basic facts are also truths that many stumble over.

 

The devil has created a lot of confusion over the following two facts because this confusion creates doubt about the word of God and uncertainty about our purpose as believers and as the Church.

 

These facts are more complex, so I will introduce them to you now, but we will need to examine them more closely later. Many people take the approach that these truths are not essential, but the word of God treats them as crucial. The details I am referring to are part of the prophecies of the Bible. Almost a third of the Bible is prophecy. From this fact alone, we can see that God wants us to be aware of what is happening. But that is the point of Satan’s efforts. He seeks to sow confusion about what God tells us, thereby creating uncertainty and doubt about the word of God.

 

The second fundamental fact we must understand is that the resurrection of the dead we are awaiting is not the only resurrection that will happen, and it is not the return of Christ that will bring the end of the world.

 

The third basic fact is that verses 16 and 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4 say nothing about Jesus’s feet touching the ground. Instead, these verses say that we who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

 

With the second fact, we must understand that there is more than one resurrection that God tells us about. We must be clear which resurrection we are talking about.

 

With the third fact, the one about Jesus' feet not touching the ground, we must understand what God has revealed to us about His plans for the last days.

 

Oh, come on, Joe, what is so important about what is going to happen? It will all work out in the end, right?

 

Several issues arise from this truth, but the most significant one is its impact on our work as the Church and our goals. What is our purpose? Why does God keep us here?

 

Where are you with these facts?

 

Do you know what is at stake when we talk about the resurrection?

 

The resurrection is a matter of salvation. Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us, and He promised to return and take us to that place. If there were no resurrection of the dead, His promise would be meaningless.

 

And if we understand that there is a resurrection of those who died in Christ that is separate from the resurrection of the rest of the dead, then we will understand the urgency of telling the world about what is coming. 

 

In Revelation 20, we read:

Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV) 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Jesus spoke of the lake of fire as a place where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die. And He spoke with urgency because many more people will end up in this place of suffering than will end up in His Father’s house. When His disciples asked the way to where He was going, Jesus said:

John 14:4-6 (NKJV) 4 “And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

Jesus is the way to His Father's house, and He is much more than that. Jesus is the answer for all of life’s problems. All our issues have their roots in a spiritual problem. For one thing, before sin, the world was perfect, and there was no suffering or sorrow. 

 

In answer to the problems caused by sin, God says: 

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NKJV) 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He [was] wounded for our transgressions, [He was] bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace [was] upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

 

The Bible says, “By His stripes we are healed.” The only way we will ever be complete is by coming to the Father through Jesus. This is the truth that transformed the Thessalonians, and it continues to transform people today. 

 

Which resurrection will you be a part of? The key to being in the good resurrection is found in Romans 10:9-10.

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

If you do what these verses say, you will be one of us who will meet the Lord in the air, and thus be with Him forever!

Brotherly Love

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” Sanctification is God’s will for every child of His. 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 discusses sanctification in its negative form. By 'negative,' I mean actions we must avoid if we want to be sanctified. God’s will is our sanctification, and to be sanctified, we must refrain from certain behaviors. These forbidden actions include sexual immorality, pursuing fleshly desires, and taking advantage of or cheating others. 

 

As we continue through 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 9 through 12 address sanctification in a positive light. By positive, I mean things we must do to be sanctified, which is God’s will for us.

 

In the first verse of chapter 4, the writers say, “We urge and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more.” In verse 10, they repeat this call to abound more and more. 

 

Just as we must eliminate the things that destroy sanctification from our lives, we must seek to increase the things that build sanctification.

 

Let me show you what I mean.

 

Think of your life as a garden. Imagine a garden with me. You want your garden to have beautiful, healthy plants. So, you plant your choices. Some of you might plant corn and tomatoes, while others might plant violets, lilies, and daffodils. But, alas, weeds appear. Weeds grow everywhere. These are strong, healthy weeds. So you pull the weeds, hoe the weeds, and spray the weeds. Yay! You are a great gardener, but if you don’t water the plants you want to grow, they will die. 

 

Weeding is cutting out the things we do not want, while watering is increasing the things we want. 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 3 through 8, tell us what weeds need to be cut out, and verses 9 through 12 tell us what plants need to be cultivated.

 

There is only one plant that we need to cultivate: love. The Apostle Paul urges us to abound more and more in brotherly love.

 

In verse 9, Paul says, 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NKJV) But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

 

God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we are also told that love does no wrong to a neighbor. 

Romans 13:10 (NKJV) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love [is] the fulfillment of the law.

 

In 1 Thessalonians, we see that God teaches us to love one another. How does this work? And what has God taught us?

 

Let’s take a closer look.

 

In 1 John 4:8, John writes:

1 John 4:8 (NKJV) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

 

If we know God, we will know how to love. Therefore, we need to study diligently to know God. This is the quest for our everyday lives.

 

If we want to know what love is, we find love in God. 1John 3:16 tells us.

1 John 3:16 (NIV) This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

 

We must be careful not to make a mistake when we interpret this. It is easy to think that if we are willing to lay down our lives, that is love. But being willing to lay down our lives is not what this is saying. This verse does not say Jesus was willing to lay down His life. This verse says He LAID DOWN His life.

 

The next thing it says is: “We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” This verse is talking about LAYING DOWN our lives. It is not talking about thinking about it or being willing to do it.

 

How then are we to lay down our lives? 

 

Consider Jesus' example, as explained in Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV) 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross.

 

These verses give a lot of information. We first see that love is part of a mindset that does not prioritize self over others. And next, we see that Jesus obeyed God, and His obedience was absolute. Philippians 2:8 says He was obedient to the point of death.

 

When Jesus spoke with His disciples about love, He said:

John 14:15 (NKJV) “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

 

John 14:21 (NKJV) “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me...”

 

John 14:23 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…”

 

John 15:13-14 (NKJV) 13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

 

We see that love and obedience are tied together. Now consider that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God. It should be obvious that if we love God above all else, we will obey Him. 

 

We lay down our lives in our obedience. Whether we die or not is not the issue. Our will is the issue. Will we, like Jesus, say “Not my will, but Thine be done?”

 

So, our love for God is more than just an emotion. Our love for God is the shape and substance of our lives. Our love for God is devotion, determination, and strength.

 

If we go back to where we started, you will recall that we are urged to increase in brotherly love. If I lay down my life for God by obeying Him, do I lay down my life for my friend by obeying them? 

 

Obviously not! My obedience is to God. 

 

Once again, this question is best answered by Philippians 2, where Paul says:

Philippians 2:3-5 (NKJV) 3 [Let] nothing [be done] through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

 

By looking out for the interests of others, we love them. This is a deliberate act of our will, not based on how we feel.

 

But there is also great danger in looking out for the interest of others because of our flesh. Our flesh wants to take over the lives of others. Our feelings tell us they are making a mess of themselves, and we must help.We try to fix or correct. Running other people’s lives is bad, bad, bad. But running other people’s lives is precisely what our flesh does.

 

For this reason, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says:

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and [that] you may lack nothing.

 

“Mind your own business, and to work with your own hands.”

 

It rarely works out well when we make decisions for others. 

 

Making others’ decisions for them works about as well as the government making decisions for us. 

 

Let me show you how well it works.

 

How does it work out when the government tells farmers how and what to plant? Oh, I don’t know. Let’s look at history.

1. The Soviet Union – Holodomor (Ukraine, 1932–1933)  3–5 million Ukrainians died of starvation

2. The Great Chinese Famine (1959–1961)  20 and 45 million peopleare estimated to have died — the worst famine in human history.

3. The Cambodian Famine under the Khmer Rouge (1975–1979) Roughly 1.5–2 million people died — about a quarter of Cambodia’s population.

4. The Ethiopian Famine (1983–1985)  Around 1 million people died.

5. North Korea’s Famine (“Arduous March,” 1990s)  Between 2 and 3 million people died from starvation.

 

All these people died because the government thought it knew better what and how the farmers should plant. 

 

I used ChatGPT to look up these numbers because I couldn’t remember them on my own. Similar results have been observed in non-communist countries, but the ones listed are among the most dramatic.

 

I will give you another example.

 

For several years, I worked for an international company and learned how frustrating it can be when someone on the East Coast makes decisions for people living in Kansas. And it doesn't work out any better when Washington makes our decisions for us.

 

It is the same when we try to make decisions for others. We can encourage. We can exhort. We can teach. But we cannot run other people’s lives, not even our spouses’. The closer we are to another, the more encouragement or advice we can give them, but we cannot decide for them.

 

Trying to run someone’s life because of our great concern for them is not love. It is the flesh, and it never works.

 

This fleshly reality is why the exhortation to grow in love is accompanied with the exhortation to take responsibility for ourselves and to mind our own business.

 

If we love God and obey Him completely, this will never be a problem.

 

Today, as Paul has urged us, let’s determine to live in love, giving our hearts and minds to God in obedience.

 

Are you ready to put God’s will before your own?

 

Let’s make it our goal to live out Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:3-8 (NKJV) 3 [Let] nothing [be done] through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross.