Lord’s Day, Vol. 5 No. 24

So Shall We Ever Be With the Lord            

(1 Thessalonians 4:17)

 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 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. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 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. 16 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: 17 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This is the glorious future of God’s people. It is the day the praying church of God awaits with great expectation. The day our Lord Jesus Christ returns to receive His saints into everlasting gladness. Our text tells us, “So shall we ever be with the Lord.” We want to spend time to meditate on this truth, that we may be comforted in our a hearts in our present temporal sojourn here on earth. The days of our lives are but a vapour in the light of eternity. God wants His people to see time with a heavenly perspective so that we may live wisely in the light of that day. Several thoughts arise from this truth.

(1) A Joyous Gathering

The adverb “so” is a follow-on thought. It gives the believer’s hope, a consequence of faith in embracing the gospel – Jesus died and rose again, ascended to heaven, coming again. This is the preview of His coming again. The dead in Christ shall rise first and the saints which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. The joy of being with our loved ones who have gone home with the Lord before us is a blessed reality for the saints and great comfort for the bereaved. There will be no more tears and separation, no more sorrow and pain.

Meditation on this truth does give an abundant basis for rejoicing. Most blessed is the truth that we will ever be with our Lord in His glory. We shall experience the fullness of our redemption in Christ, the reality of God’s love for us. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. It does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

We are able to rejoice in our hearts because of the hope that the Spirit of God brings to our hearts by this truth. This is the joy which gives us strength in the midst of sorrow. This is the Spirit’s consolation and comfort for the believer in the midst of his trials.

(2) An Enduring Gathering

The phrase “ever be with the Lord” tells us the permanence of this gathering. It has endured the vicissitudes of this life and receives an enduring consolation of blessed gathering that cannot be broken. The Scriptures cannot be broken.

“Heaven and earth shall pass away”, Jesus said, “but my words shall not pass away (Matt. 24:35; Mk 13:31; Lu 21:33).” This is the believer’s assurance. Jesus assures us in John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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. 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.”

(3) A Love for Souls

The pronoun “we” in our text is a reference to the saints. We shall be there but not those outside God’s kingdom. This thought must evoke joy in our hearts presently and provoke us to be concerned with the salvation of the people whom God brings into our lives. They may be our unsaved loved ones, relatives and friends, colleagues and even strangers.

May we pray for God’s mercy upon these souls, as Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come”! This petition is not about advancing the kingdom of men on earth. This is a missionary prayer. His concern is about reaching out to perishing men and women under the shackles of sin destined for eternal damnation in hell. His concern is to lead them to Jesus, to the blessings of everlasting life in heaven. It is a petition that God will rule in their hearts, that God’s law, God’s rule, God’s love, God’s peace and God’s joy may fill them. It is a prayer of submission, acknowledging that He only can save. It is God who gives to us His Spirit’s guidance and wisdom.

May the joy of God be a present reality of strength for us as we look forward to this blessed day of Christ!

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee