"Free! - to Face Death" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Many love to quote these words of Jesus and misapply “truth” and “free” rather generically to suit whatever ideology or agenda they are promoting. But Jesus shed light on the real meaning of these words just a few verses later when he also said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). So the “truth” is this: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have freed us from the condemnation of sin, the control of Satan, and the dread of death. Now that’s freedom! During November, are giving our attention to what a difference-maker our freedom in Jesus really is. That freedom determines how we face death. Without it, the thought of death is terrifying - and rightly so! But through the freedom that only Jesus offers, the dread of death disappears. Being free in Jesus means being free to face death.