“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 The certain promise of the Lord’s return is one of the great sources of hope for the believer. The Apostle Paul, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words about the Rapture, knew what it was like to face persecution and hardship. He was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, hated and slandered because he preached the gospel. Yet, through all that, Paul had the hope that the same Lord who changed his life during their meeting on the road to Damascus would return for him. A pastor once asked Dr. John Rice if he thought the Lord would return in his lifetime. Dr. Rice replied, “Paul thought so.” The statement “we which are alive and remain” is a declaration of faith in the certainty of the Rapture. While the Rapture did not happen while Paul was alive, and centuries have passed since then, the promise is no less certain today. Jesus is coming back, and those believers who are alive on that day will be taken up to meet Him. We do not need to face the future with fear. In fact, the truth of the Rapture is meant to build confidence, not doubt or uncertainty. Paul concluded this teaching with this admonition: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). The certain hope of the Lord’s return gives us strength to overcome the obstacles we face in serving Him day by day.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Apr 2014 21:06:53 +0000
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