Guided by Paul’s teaching, we hope all things are done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40).
God is not the author of confusion, and Jesus witnesses this truth because He was with God from the beginning. Even this revelation confuses some people. So, imagine the confusion when God’s Word says Jesus relinquished His deity to save the lost. Perhaps you cannot imagine that surrendering power to become a servant is the order of things.
Do you believe that Jesus was born to a virgin, lived as a human without sinning, died, and rose from the dead? That was the order of things. Sometimes, we just need to believe God’s Word. Listen, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit” (Rom. 8:11). Paul continues to assure the Thessalonians that those who died in Christ were not left without hope.
Sometimes we worry about the wrong things, such as being first or last. If we are all going to the same place, what does it matter if we go first or last? You may want to be the last one to get to hell, but being last to get to heaven is immaterial. Being first is a petty-minded idea generated by pride and a narrow-minded belief that being first is favorable. However, this idea confuses some because God is not partial and does not show favoritism.
Paul addresses the order of things to come by saying: “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess. 4:15). You do not get a better room in heaven by getting there first; there is no ghetto or gated community. There is neither slave nor free, Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). When we die, social, cultural, and gender divisions are not the order of things.
As Christians, our spiritual relationship with Jesus is the path to eternal life. If we believe Christ rose from the dead, then it is just as easy to believe those who sleep in Christ will rise. If we do not believe it, then in our minds, those who have fallen asleep will perish (1 Cor. 15:18). That is the order of things.
Paul assures the Thessalonians that what he is saying is “according to the Lord’s word” (1 Thess. 4:15). Therefore, we should be confident that the gospel has been revealed to us. Paul reminds us that sometimes we just need to stay faithful, be obedient, accept what the Lord says, and follow His instructions. Open your mind and see the glory that is the future in the present. Embrace the order of things!
Minister Nettie Pennington, ia an Associate Minister at Springfield MB Church.
