he died in our place

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (JDV)

1 Thessalonians 5:9 You see, God has not appointed us for wrath, but for acquiring rescue through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 5:10 who died in our place, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 For this reason, encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

he died in our place

Paul is still addressing the issue of believers who have fallen asleep — that is — died and await the return of Christ for a resurrection. He now links that question (which would be categorized as individual eschatology) to the question of cosmic eschatology — what is the final state of the saved. His argument: Christ died huper hēmōn — in our place. Since these believers have died, it is obvious that Christ’s death did not result in their immortality — yet. Instead. Christ’s death resulted in the promise that believers (whether alive or dead now) will not suffer wrath. And what is this wrath? It has to be the penalty that Christ took for them. He died in our place. The wrath of which Paul is speaking is the second death.

Because he died in our place, we can live together with him when he returns.

Lord, thank you for dying in our place.