Devotion:
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9-18.
Paul, like most early followers of Christ, initially thought that Christ’s return would be very soon. He taught with a sense of urgency that believers should be prepared for that imminent return. As a result, some of the new Christians in Thessalonica stopped working and became dependent upon others for their living. In addition to instructing them to excel in loving others, Paul wrote in this passage that they should get back to work, earning their own living, and not being dependent on others. Paul was beginning to realize that Christ’s return might not be as soon as he had earlier thought.
Since Christ had not returned immediately, Christians were aging and dying. This caused people in the church at Thessalonica to question whether those who had died had lost their hope of eternal life in Christ. Paul wrote verses 13-18 to dispel this fear and to reassure them and us that those who die in Christ will be the first to rise when Christ returns. This brief passage is the most descriptive of what we refer to as “The Rapture,” the time when believers rise and are reunited with Christ forever. We should read this passage, not so much as a detailed description of the Second Coming, as assurance that believers alive and dead will receive the gift of eternal life in Christ.
Personal Worship Option:
Reflect on how ready you are to meet Christ. Whether we are living or not at the time of the Second Coming is not important. The key thing is to open our hearts in faith to receive the gift of grace that Christ offers and then to live according to his teachings.
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