And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master's word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they'll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
The phrase 'The Dead Christ' means there is the possibility that some might have died in something or someone else or will die in something or someone else.
The Dead in Christ simply affirms what Jesus said in John 11:26:
‘Everyone WHO LIVES believing in me does not ultimately die at all.’’
It simply means the person believed in Christ Jesus and did not denounce his or her faith in Christ Jesus until he or she checked out of this mortal body. These people do not, I repeat do not need wishful words like "may his or her soul rest in peace". This kind of wish is not a request God will answer. God will only answer to a person securing the peace of God through faith in Christ Jesus whilst alive. The person checks out into eternal peace and labelled as 'The Dead in Christ' awaiting for 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 to be fulfilled.
If the dead who believed in Christ Jesus before death are labelled as 'The Dead in Christ', then it is logical and imperative that there are other categories of dead persons. The Bible will not just qualify the Dead for the fun of it or to be verbose for the sake of it. The definitely are other categories of Dead people. Those who did not die in Christ Jesus. Probably we can label them 'The Dead in the Devil' as not believing that there is a Living God is also a belief system. The atheist believed there is no God. He or she believes in something else other than God. It may be nature, science et cetera.
Can you imagine standing by a dead person labelled as 'The Dead in the Devil's casket' and wishing him or her rest in peace? The Devil has no peace to offer and did not force the person not to believe in peace before death. He will vehemently resist such a wish.
God is a just God and will not break a spiritual principle or law. He has given us the power to decide which side we want to belong in death. So, freely you choose, freely you will get what you chose. God will not answer a catalogue of WhatsApp messages wishing 'The Dead in Devil' a peaceful rest. Such messages are just to please the living who have lost a relative. They are eye and lip service. It ends on the WhatsApp page/platform or vanishes into tin air just as it was said with ease.
LIFE CHOICES
The choice is yours. You either choose Christ Jesus and be labelled 'The Dead in Christ' and await the fulfilment of 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 or you reject Christ Jesus whist alive and be...
BE PREPARED as it's not enough to be prepared for retirement. It is not enough to exercise and eat a healthy food. Preparation for your eternal destination is the most important. BE PREPARED.
