Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them– Revelation 14:12-13
The first thing we see about the dead who are blessed is their position: they are in the Lord. They are in the Lord by choice because He elected them. They are in the Lord by blood because He redeemed them. They are in the Lord by calling because He drew them to Himself.
Then we see their description: they are called saints and they are described as being obedient. They keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Only those who fit this description can lay hold of the comfort and assurance in the rest of the passage. Are you striving to obey God? Are you a faithful contender for the glory of Jesus?
Finally the text speaks of their rest—all trouble ended, all conflict over—eternal rest with the Lord. It is not a rest following a lifetime of laziness, but a rest after a life of labor in His kingdom. Such labors—do not miss this—follow them, even after they are gone.
Do you want to make a difference, to leave behind you something that matters? Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, because their lives continue to touch and change and bless people, even long after they are gone. (From “A Good Thing”)
Living in the Lord should lead to laboring for the Lord, because we are leaving to be with the Lord, where we shall be like the Lord. That’s where love for the Lord leads!–HDS
