Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

In his first epistle to the church of the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul wrote The Following:
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” (4:13).

Paul wanted them to know that those who had died in the Lord Jesus did not die without hope. To be “without Christ” is to have “ no hope.” (Ephesians 2:12)

We have a “living hope’’ because of “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3). He assured the disciples, “because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19).

He is “ that blessed hope,” the one that we should be looking for.(Titus 2:13) According to the words of the beloved old hymn, our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and Jesus’ righteousness.

The Bible describes the death of God’s people as falling asleep in the Lord. When Steven was being Stoned to death for his faith in Christ, it says that “he fell asleep” (Acts 7: 59, 60). It is falling to sleep here on Earth and waking up in heaven.

I Can Only Imagine is the title of a popular Christian song. It gets the listeners to wondering what they will do when they wake up in the presence of Jesus in heaven. Whatever we do we will be worshipping our savior.