In First Thessalonians 4:14, Paul states that God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. "Where are they now," asks a gracEmail reader, "that they will be brought to the earth? What does this verse mean?" * * * The young church at Thessalonica to whom Paul wrote these words seemingly expected the Lord to return during their own lifetime (1 Thes. 1:9-10). However, some of their fellow-believers had died already -- "fallen asleep" is the common biblical metaphor -- and Jesus had not come yet. This raised a concern for the Thessalonians whether their departed loved ones would miss the … [Read more...]
IMMORTALITY IS CONDITIONAL
A sister from an independent Christian church in Idaho writes: "You mentioned a book you co-authored on the subject of final punishment, your part being to present the biblical case for conditional immortality. What exactly do you mean by 'conditional immortality?' " * * * Part 1 "Immortality" means deathlessness, and anyone who is "immortal" is incapable of dying. According to the Bible, God "alone possesses immortality" inherently or in his own nature (1 Tim. 6:16). Human beings are not naturally "deathless" or "immortal." We are mortal human creatures who owe our existence every moment … [Read more...]
LIFE NOW AND FOREVER
This final week of 2004 has seen what is perhaps the largest natural disaster in the world's history, following an earthquake under the Indian Ocean more than 740 miles long and having the force of a million atomic bombs. The quake, which jolted the earth's rotation, spawned monster waves called tsunamis which swept across the Indian Ocean, killing (says the Associated Press) more than 44,000 people in eleven countries from Thailand to Somalia. Human life is fragile and precious, in the big picture and in our individual cases. Immortality is Christ's accomplishment and the Christian's hope. … [Read more...]
