What does 1 Thessalonians 5:10 mean?

Prior verses encouraged Christians to be self-controlled, self-aware, and ready. This is depicted using analogies such as night versus day (1 Thessalonians 5:4–7), and the use of armor (1 Thessalonians 5:8). In the prior verse, Paul pointed out that God had provided for our salvation so that we would not be subject to the wrath poured out on those "of the night."

In this verse Paul states that Christ died for us. Jesus' life was not taken from Him; He freely offered it as a sacrifice for our sin (John 10:17–18; 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3). Paul also returns to a reassurance he gave earlier in this letter: that those believers who have died before the return of Christ are just as much a part of the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:15–16) as those who still live when He returns. As such, Christians who die are said to be "asleep," in that their condition is only temporary. Using sleep as a metaphor for death is seen often in ancient literature, but it carries particular significance in a biblical sense.

Writing to the Galatians, Paul stresses the voluntary nature of Jesus' death. He writes that Jesus "gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (Galatians 1:4). Paul affirms in 1 Thessalonians 5:10 that Jesus died for us so we would live with Him. One of heaven's best joys is that of living with Jesus eternally. No Christian will miss out on this joy, because Paul insists that "whether we are awake or asleep we [will] live with him." This is a firm reminder that departed Christians will be resurrected when the trumpet announces the coming of Christ and living Christians will be caught up to be with Christ.