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. 1 Thessalonians 4:13
A dear older sister in the Lord was broken hearted when her husband died suddenly. His departure left a huge void in her life. Everything changed, and she initially found it hard to cope. But she was made of good stuff, and she rallied to take up her new situation in the best way that she could. But when my wife would call her on the telephone, she would talk about her departed husband. She would go over the many wonderful memories that she had of him, and talk about what he would think of recent developments in the news, and discuss so many things about him. She told my wife that most of her other friends and family members never talked about her husband. Perhaps they didn’t know what to say, or perhaps they feared that the subject would be grievous to her. My wife was the only person who would talk openly and freely about him. This dear sister did not consider her husband gone forever, just departed for a time, awaiting their reunion in the Glory. And so, she loved to talk about him. It seemed to me that she was not ignorant concerning one who had fallen asleep.
We should never downplay the grief and sense of loss that loved ones feel when someone dies. This is part of what we are as human beings. But as our text declares, we do not sorrow in the same way as those who have no hope. When people bury a loved one without any hope or expectation of seeing them again, the loss must be overwhelming. The lack of hope lends a finality that is painful and crushing. The false assurances offered by the religions of the world ring so hollow that they give no real hope. All this hopelessness is caused by the fact that those who are left to grieve are ignorant concerning them which are asleep.
So, in what way are we not ignorant concerning then which are asleep? For one thing, it is in the fact that our saved loved ones who die are not gone but are asleep. Yes, their bodies are in the grave and may well moulder into dust. But those bodies that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake (Daniel 12:2). 1 Corinthians 15:42 assures us that bodies that are sown in corruption will be raised in incorruption. The rapture will terminate that sleep, and terminate it forever. The unsaved are ignorant of this, and so they have no hope. We are also not ignorant of where our departed loved ones are while they await the resurrection of their bodies. The apostle Paul had no uncertainty about his whereabouts when he died: having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better (Philippians 1:23). This refutes those who would tell us that our souls sleep prior to our resurrection. Stephen was certainly not anticipating any such soul sleep as he was being stoned (Acts 7:56).
If there is any hopelessness in our sorrow,, it is because we are ignorant of all that God has prepared for them that love Him, whether in life, or in death. – Jim MacIntosh