A Study in 1 ThessaloniansSample

More Second Coming. Less Second-guessing.

For God, everything is the History Channel, and nothing is the nightly news. God created time and can work in time but is not bound by time. God sees everything in its finished state and invites us to trust Him for a happily-ever-after ending for all of His people. To walk with Jesus is to march in the angelic army with the God who overcomes the world. We are to believe this by “our faith” until we see it by sight, as God does.

Roughly 25% of the Bible was prophecy when it was written. Prophecy is when God, who knows and rules the future, reveals it to His people so that they can live with less anxiety because they know the end of history. The storyline of the Bible is that Jesus came once in humility to save sinners, and that Jesus is coming again in glory to raise the dead, fill Heaven and Hell, defeat Satan and demons, lift the curse, and rule and reign forever and ever. When God finished creating our world and our parents in Genesis 1-2, He said everything was good and everyone was very good. Since sin entered the world, God has not abandoned His original divine design. God will return everything and everyone to the state of Genesis 1-2.

Knowing all of this helps Christians waiting for Jesus’ Second Coming to obey the most common command in all the Bible, “fear not.” We can live by faith, not fear, because we know that Jesus is over everyone and everything. He is our good Lord, and He has a perfect plan to work out all things for the good of those who love Him.

The new Christians in Thessalonica were struggling with the same things we are. They had a corrupt government, bankrupt culture, enemies and critics, and as new Christians, a lot of questions.

One question they had was what happened to believing family and friends who had died before the Second Coming of Jesus. Paul says that believers who die before Jesus returns are not “dead” but rather “asleep.” His analogy is that their body is laying in the ground like our body sleeps at night, and that their soul has gone to be with the Lord until the soul and body are rejoined at the Resurrection. Paul explains that Jesus will descend from His Heavenly throne, along with His angelic army, and believers will rise from the dead as Jesus rose from death.

When We Die, Our Body Goes into the Ground and OurSoul Goes to the Lord

•2 Corinthians 5:8

•Philippians 1:21,23

Jesus Rose From Death and Raises the Dead

•John 11:25-26

The Curse Will Be Lifted Forever

•Isaiah 65:17

•Acts 3:21

•Romans 8:18-22

•2 Peter 3:13

Heaven and Earth Come Together Forever

•John 14:1-3

•2 Corinthians 5:1

•Hebrews 11:16

•Revelation 21:1-3, 23-25,27

We Will See Jesus Face-to-Face

•1 Corinthians 13:12

•Revelation 22:4

Paul’s encouragement is to live life prepared to meet Jesus any day. We never know if we will die today or if Jesus will return. So, we should live every day ready to meet our Lord face-to-face.

Lastly, we do not know when Jesus will return, but the Bible does tell us what will be happening just before He does. 2 Timothy 3:1–5 summarizes the “last days” saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Our only hope is Jesus Christ. Thankfully, He is guaranteed to return before it’s too late and will make all believers and all creation perfect forever!

Reflection:

Who are you most looking forward to meeting in the Kingdom of God?