#sleepinJesus
In
a profitable conversation among saints (Malachi 3:16), the wonderful clause
"sleep in Jesus" was brought up in connection with an issue.
Let's
look at it; it's found here:
"For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him." 1Th 4:14
Let
us self-learn by asking some relevant questions:
1.
What does "sleep in Jesus" mean?
-
It simply means "die in Jesus."
-
John 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking
of rest in sleep.
-1Co
11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
("... many sleep" - their lives were cut short for abusing the holy
things of God.)
-
1Co 15:51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed…” (at Christ's return, those still living shall be gloriously
transformed.)
2.
Who sleeps in Jesus?
a.
One must be in Jesus first in order to sleep in Jesus;
-
One is in Jesus only by the gracious divine election in eternity, by the
redemption of Christ at the cross, and by the effectual calling out of his
native state of sin and death to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
-
Only such in Jesus can be said to sleep in Jesus when he dies; each one for
whom Jesus died and rose again sleeps in Jesus when he dies.
b.
Whether they die in their mother's wombs or they die at a ripe old age; whether they ever heard and believed the gospel, when they die, they sleep in
Jesus.
-
They must be in Jesus first by the divine effectual call before they have the
ability to hear and believe the gospel; but whether they hear and believe the
gospel, when they die they sleep in Christ; whether they work out their own
salvation with fear and trembling or they make shipwreck of their faith, when
they die, they sleep in Jesus
-
Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
-
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus...10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
3.
What happens to them that sleep in Jesus?
a.
When they sleep in Jesus, their bodies are subjected to death until the
resurrection day, when death is swallowed up in victory. At the resurrection,
death surrenders up all its captives to Christ Jesus who holds the keys of
death and hell; the emptied hell shall be cast into the lake of fire; death is
swallowed up in victory.
-
1Co 15:54 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
b.
Their spirits enter into the temporal intermediate state, of paradise or hell,
as determined by the divine judgment according to their works.
-
Heb 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment.” There is definitely a judgment at physical death; this judgment is
according to works; this judgment decides an elect's place during the
intermediate state - either paradise or hell.
-
Heb 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them
that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
For God’s children, Christ shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation,
i.e. there shall be no more judgment dealing with sin. The second time Christ
appear has to do with the consummation of their eternal salvation; it has
nothing to do with judgment. The judgment concerning our eternal destiny has
been perfectly dealt with by Jesus Christ.
c.
A man’s place in the temporal intermediate state - whether paradise or hell -
is according to his works.
- A
man’s place in the eternal state, whether heaven or the lake of fire, is
determined solely by whether his name was written in the Book of Life. Rev
20:15.
-
If you understand this, you have adequately understood salvation by grace
alone, and the distinction between eternal salvation and temporal salvation.
d.
Each and every one of the redeemed by Christ that sleep in Jesus shall be
awakened from their sleep; they shall be resurrected from the dead. Those that
are still living at His coming shall be gloriously transformed!
-
Jesus died and rose again; EVEN SO, all those for whom Jesus died and rose
again SHALL also be raised again on the resurrection day at Jesus' return for
His people.
-
The Lord Jesus Christ holds the keys of death and hell; Christ has authority
and power over death and hell. “I am he that liveth… and have the keys of hell
and of death.” Rev 1:18. What comforting and assuring words!
-
At the resurrection, both death (that holds captives the bodies) and hell (that
holds captives the spirits) must deliver up all those that are in them unto
Christ who holds the keys of death and hell. Rev 20:13.
e.
"... will God bring with him":
-
All that sleep in Jesus, all for whom Jesus died and rose, shall be resurrected
and glorified and be brought home to heaven with Jesus.
-
John 14:2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I
am, there ye may be also.
4.
What's the context of "sleep in Jesus"?
-
It is used in the context of the resurrection of the redeemed, even as
"Jesus died and rose again."
-
It says nothing about where the spirits of those that sleep in Jesus will be in
the intermediate state, whether in paradise or hell. For this, we need to look
at other passages of the Scriptures.
a.
Jesus did solemnly warn His own disciples to take drastic measures to deal with
sins to avoid ending up in hell or everlasting fire in the intermediate state.
-
Matthew 5:29 "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it
from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,
and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee
that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be
cast into hell."
-
Matthew 18:8 "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off,
and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or
maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting
fire."
b.
Many lesser disciples have confidently dismissed these solemn warnings of
Christ as a silly joke; in their minds, the thing warned is just an absolute
impossibility. Why? They screamed, “Christ has perfectly and completely and
effectually redeemed His people from hell.”
-
If that was true, they make Christ appear foolish uttering those solemn
warnings to His own disciples to take drastic measures to deal with personal
sins to avoid ending up in hell when such a thing is an impossibility!
-
Have they no fear of carelessly dismissing Christ’s own solemn words or
impugning the Lord’s integrity?
c.
Their idea betrays a serious misunderstanding:
Christ’s work of redemption has indeed secured the eternal salvation of His
people from the eternal lake of fire. Unfortunately, they equate hell with the
lake of fire even though they are plainly distinct.
-
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
Since
hell was cast into the lake of fire, how could hell be the same as the lake of
fire? What has happened to common sense? Is sola scriptura just a religious
shibboleth to them?
d.
Both "everlasting" and "forever" are in the realm of time;
there are beginning and ending points appointed by the eternal God.
Here
are simple illustrations:
“everlasting ≠ eternal"
-
Genesis 17:8 "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the
land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God."
-
Genesis 48:4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply
thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to
thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
The
"everlasting possession" began at a specific point in time, and
lasted as long as the LORD had ordained it; until then, the gates of hell (e.g.
the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medeo-Persians, etc) shall not prevail
against it; and then, at the appointed time, the end came. The land of Israel,
the everlasting possession, was long gone, formally ended in 70AD.
"forever"
≠ eternal
Gen
13:15 "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to
thy seed forever."
Exo
12:24 "And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy
sons forever.
Even
so, the "forever" ordinance was made obsolete and ended by the same
eternal LORD at the appointed time. Christ came and the old covenant ordinance
was abolished.
That which was declared as “everlasting” and “forever” by God Himself were brought to an
end by God Himself too.
5.
The eternal lake of fire
Rev
20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
Hell or everlasting fire is temporal, not eternal; that which is everlasting lasts as long as the eternal God appoints it. At the end of time, hell shall be emptied and cast into the lake of fire; its relevance ends with time. In the timeless eternity, “everlasting” has no relevance.
Rev
20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire."
Following
the general resurrection at the end of time, whosoever was not found written in
the Book of life - i.e. every one bypassed in Christ’s work of eternal
redemption – was cast into the lake of fire.
A
man’s place in the temporal intermediate state - whether paradise or hell - is
according to his works. Read the works of the two different groups in each of
the three parables in Mt 25.
A
man’s place in the eternal state, whether heaven or the lake of fire, is determined
solely by whether his name was written in the Book of Life, and whether he is embraced in God's sovereign purpose of redemption. Rev 20:15.
If you understand this, you have adequately understood salvation by grace
alone, and the distinction between temporal and eternal salvation.
May the Lord grant you an understanding of the things above.
