LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY! The "spirit" can live without the body, BUT the body "cannot live" without the "spirit." So why should Christ when He comes even bother with taking the bodies of the living saints? Why doesn´t Jesus just take the spirit of the living saints who have received the righteousness of God through Christ by faith (Rom. 3:22), and just yank them right out of their bodies and forget about the flesh, since the spirit can live without the body?


And for another reason! Why should Christ when He appears even bother then with raising the dead bodies of those saints who He is bringing with him at the time of His appearing, and who are already alive in Christ, in spirit? For they were already found righteous by their faith in Christ, and therefore were allowed to enter into the presence of God at the moment of their death. Why raise their dead bodies? They don´t need them! No living saint in Christ at the present time has to die in order to get eternal life. They already have it! (John 5:24).


MY POINT IS THIS FOLKS! The resurrection/Rapture is NOT a "works merited event." It has nothing to do with saving the spirit of anyone. The spirits of the dead saints who are coming with Jesus have "already been made righteous" by faith in Christ as well as the spirits of the living saints when Christ appears. This one event is not about saving mans soul. It is only about glorifying the saints body (1Cor. 15:50-58; Eph. 4:30). The resurrection "is" the Rapture, and the Rapture "is" the resurrection. Therefore we are only talking about "one resurrection." There is only "one spiritually identified group" in this text of 1Thess. 4:13-18 who are being raised. It is the "dead saints" and the "living saints" who are in Christ. They make up the "whole complete body of Christ." Both are caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1Thess. 4:17).


Therefore Jesus is coming for "one purpose, and one purpose only!" He is simply coming in order to give the "already righteous saints" who are dead in Christ, and who are coming with Him a new body (1Thess. 4:14). And He is also coming in order to give the "already righteous saints" who are still alive in Christ a new body (1Thess. 4:17). They did not "earn" their new bodies by the "works of their flesh" which is "perishable and corruptible" (1Cor. 15:50-55). BUT they are receiving their new glorified bodies ONLY because their spirits were made righteous by the righteousness of God through Christ prior to the event (Rom. 8:10). God is going to quicken that perishable and corruptible body and transform it into a body which is "imperishable and incorruptible" (1Cor. 15:50-58). Those spirits of those dead saints, and those spirits of the living saints have to occupy that body in order for that body to "Live forever!" All God is doing at the time of the resurrection/Rapture is giving new resurrected bodies to the "dead" and the "living" in Christ.


They just can´t forgive themselves, even though Christ has!


Those who teach that the believer in Christ can miss the Rapture, or lose their salvation are people who are all hung up on the whole issue of "SIN." Either their own sin in their own lives, which they cannot forgive themselves for. Or the sin in other so called "professing Christians" lives whom they observe failing over and over again. Whatever their reasons! Scripture emphatically teaches that Jesus has already paid "the debt or penalty" for all of our sins and has "nailed it to the cross" (Col 2:13:14). They just cannot forgive themselves, and therefore they don´t believe that God should forgive them either.


This is why this false teaching of "losing your salvation, and missing the Rapture" due to sin appeals so much to these people. Their reasoning is that "God needs to thrust them into the terrible horrors of the tribulation period so they can be purged and judged for their failures, and shortcomings." This makes sense to them since they are in a state of "self condemnation." This terrible cycle could be completely stopped if they would just "TRUST" what the word of God already clearly states. Jesus has already died for all sin for all time! (Heb. 10:10-14). Question: Since the penalty for all sin was paid for by Christ. What penalty for sin do those who are in Christ have to pay for? That´s right! NONE!


God is at this present time is in the process of completing His bride (the church). When the body of Christ is therefore completed, then the "age of grace will close" with the resurrection of ALL the saints who are "in Christ", dead or alive! The reason for ending the age of grace is so that God can "restart" His prophetic program with Israel, which involves "judgment and wrath" (tribulation period / Jacob´s trouble). The church saints in Christ are not destined for wrath of judgment of any kind (Rom. 5:9, 8:1,2; 1Thess. 5:9).


Appyling the "partial Rapture theory" to 1Thess. 4:13-18


Since we have now answered some important questions. We will now "apply" the "partial Rapture theory" to this text in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. What will happen when we do this is that it will "reveal" how unscriptural this teaching really is. Once people see the falsehood of the "partial Rapture theory", in that it is grossly flawed with all kinds of "loop holes" theologically. They will then see that it is impossible for any believer to lose their salvation, since both teachings are fueled by "good works and merited favor", or the lack of it. This teaching "throws a monkey wrench" into the work of Christ!


The partial Rapture theory is built upon nothing more than the false teaching that one can lose their salvation. All those who support this false teaching of a "partial resurrection" of the church saints are usually people who believe one can forfeit their salvation through disobedience and sin in their lives. The scriptures that we have already examined show very clearly that this is a false doctrine which is not supported, nor taught in the New Testament epistles by the apostle Paul. God´s word was divinely inspired by God (2Tim 3:16,17).


Therefore God cannot contradict Himself. It is people who bring "confusion and contradiction" to God´s word by their use of "perverted interpretations" which are built upon their "lack of insight and spiritual understanding" of the word of God. There are a number of reasons for this, of which one may very well be that they don´t possess the Holy Spirit who teaches and guides the believer into "All truth" (John 16:13-15). If this is the case? Then they have never been saved by grace through faith, since they don´t possess the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9).


In order go to continue I need to ask the same 3 questions once again, that I asked earlier.


Question: How many groups of church saints (categorically identified) do you see in this resurrection/Rapture text of 1Thess. 4:13-18.
Answer: That´s right, Only two!


Question: What is the difference between them categorically?
Answer: They consist of those who have already died in Christ (1Tess. 4;14). And those who are alive in Christ at the time of His appearing (1Thess. 4:17). So there are two groups "the living" and "the dead."

Now listen carefully!

Question: How many groups of church saints can be "spiritually identified" in this resurrection/Rapture text?

Answer: That´ right! Only one. And who is this one spiritual group? That´s right! It is the dead in Christ, and the living in Christ who make up the "one body of Christ." The church is "one in Christ" by the indwelling of God´s Holy Spirit "For by one Spirit we were "ALL" baptized into one body" (1Cor. 12:13).


The apostle Paul also teaches the following: "There is one body (the body of Christ) and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope (the blessed hope / Titus 2:13) of your calling. one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4:-6).


As you can see the scriptures teach clearly that the believer is "baptized into"one body" by the Holy Spirit" (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4-6). This position in Christ which the believer has received was not attained by their works (Eph. 2:8-10), but this position was received as a gift by grace through faith in Christ alone, which sealed them with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). And thus the Holy Spirit has placed them into the "one body of Christ" (1Cor. 12:13).


The text of 1Thess. 4:13-18 is clearly speaking of only "one spiritual body" of believers. This can be confirmed easily by the phrase "in Christ" which identifies them. Though there are "two categories" of saints identified as "the dead ", and "the living", yet they are still only one body spiritually. These saints did not attain their position in Christ through good works, and merited favor. They are only participating in God´s resurrection program because of their "spiritual identity" as being one "in Christ." No one can be "in Christ" unless the Holy Spirit indwells them (Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13).


Since the "partial Rapture theory" is built upon "good works and merited favor" in order to qualify for the resurrection event. We then have to "reconstruct" the text of 1Thess 4:13-18 by using the framework of "works" which causes us to have to create 4 additional categories of people "outside" of the scriptures context. Then we have to interject them back into the text itself. Of course you will shortly see how this destroys the scripture passage which is built upon "grace" and not upon mans "works or merited favor." You cannot mix Law with grace! God´s word is clear about this!


Thus the reconstructing of 1Thess. 4:13-18 is necessary for the purpose of being able to "apply the rules" of this teaching of the partial Rapture theory to each new category of people that this theory creates by its own theological demands and doctrinal structure. The partial Rapture theory requires this reconstruction of the text, since this false teaching is driven by "Good works, and merited favor." God´s spiritual guide lines and requirement for mans salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ, apart from works (Titus 3:4-7).


These spiritual guide lines from the word of God therefore must apply to both the "dead" and to the "living." To those who are alive at the time of Christ´s appearing, and to those who are already dead at the time of Christ´s appearing. No category of people are exempt. Whether a saint is transported into the presence of God through the process of "death", or transported into the presence of God by being "snatched up alive" at the time of Christ´s appearing. Which ever takes place first. Either way, both are taken into the presence of God only because they possess the righteousness of God through Christ by faith alone! The dead and the living in Christ fall under the same scriptural guide lines for being able to stand in the presence of God.