Not Appointed unto Wrath
By T. E. Bowen
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 1 Thess. 5:9, 10. THIS is a precious scripture; glorious possibilities are held out to every struggling son and daughter of God in these few words. What a comfort to think that, notwithstanding all our unworthiness, our failings, our sins, we are not appointed to wrath! There is something far better in the mind of God for us than this. Not that all will escape the wrath; but now, in the day of salvation, God Himself, the Son, and all heaven are working to accomplish something infinitely more glorious—even our salvation. We are not appointed to obtain the wrath, but to win the salvation. It is in God's heart to give us the salvation. If we miss this and get the wrath, it is because we have missed God's appointment for us. He, therefore, will not be responsible for such an outcome. No one need miss his way in obtaining salvation. It is made clear and plain just how each one of us may actually obtain it. "Not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." It is by Him, the Lord Jesus, the appointment is made. It is through Him that we obtain salvation. Let us not clutter up this simple, open way by imposing restrictions not mentioned here, by which the coming of the sinner directly to Jesus is made difficult. No saint, no priest, no Virgin Mary stands between the seeker for salvation and its Giver. There is but one door, one fountain for sin and uncleanness, one name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved—the Lord Jesus Christ. It all comes by Him. And that we may all go to Him, listen to His wonderful invitation as He stood almost for the last time in the temple and cried, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." John 7:37. This salvation to which we are appointed cost something. It is without price for us, so that the poorest may gain it; but Jesus must die to make it possible for us to obtain it. "Who died for us?" The glorious Prince of Life, heaven's honored Commander, even the One whose voice brought worlds into being, was sacrificed for us, poor, lost, wandering sheep upon sin's barren desert. The Son of God died, not knowing that He ever would again see life—all for us. "How could He? And what for?" are questions that spring to our lips. These are anticipated by the next words of the apostle, "That, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." Yes, it was all the joy before Him of making it possible that— that induced the Lord to leave His glorious home above to come in among us as one of the race. The last recorded prayer with His disciples expressed this same cherished desire of His heart: "Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world." John 17:24. Being with Jesus is synonymous with obtaining salvation. He who can be with Jesus and behold His glory, has obtained eternal salvation. Jesus is not in Joseph's tomb; He is alive and will be alive forevermore. Hence those who can be with Jesus, will have obtained the gift of immortality, that they may live with Him. some have fallen asleep. Such are not excluded nor prerewarded; they are simply waiting the time when the rest, who are awake, can with them also be changed, in that supreme moment when the touch of immortality is given to the redeemed host of earth. See 1 Cor. 15:51-55. Those who have slept and those who are alive receive this change to immortality together. "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. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,9with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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." 1 Thess. 4:15-17. Thank the Lord, whether we wake or sleep, we are all going home together. Those who are alive that day will not prevent those who have been sleeping in Jesus. Neither have those who have been sleeping gone on ahead of those who at that time shall be awake. God says He has provided a better way than this, and that better way is that we shall all go home with Jesus together. Let us believe it, and comfort one another with this better way. "And these all [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the other worthies], having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us [the living] should not be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40.