Jesus Thinks He Is Coming Soon
Why You May Not Want to See Him
Some of the biggest arguments in the Church today are about the timing of future events. When is the Millennium? When is Jesus returning? In my understanding, Jesus thinks He is coming soon. He never said when, but He indicated that we must live ready to see Him at any time. More important than when is how. How will it be with us when we stand before the Lord?
Jesus is coming soon. You may not want to see Him.
16 And (all) said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev 6)
Born Again
When Jesus is revealed in the end times, He will not be sweet little baby Jesus, meek and mild anymore. God has made Him the Judge of the living and the dead. The most important thing is to be born again. Mother Theresa was asked if she was born again. Either she did not understand English or thought it was a political issue. In either case, she could not provide an answer. Jesus said it was imperative, an absolute necessity, and without it one would never enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5) or even see Life (v 15).
When Jesus appears or we pass from this life, we must have been born again. If we miss this one thing, nothing else matters. When we receive Christ by faith, we are made the very righteousness of God. The Father sees the perfect completeness of Jesus when He looks at us. All sin is forgiven - past, present, and future. There is no judicial penalty against us in our spirit. The wondrous reality of this truth is beyond imagination. This is the primary thing in the sense of our preparedness to meet Jesus, at His return or our leaving this temporal life.
While being born again is the most important thing for us in order to be ready to meet the Lord, there are some secondary things. These are not heaven or hell issues. However, several things are going to be of tremendous importance on the Day that we actually see the Lord.
Baptized
The Holy Spirit through Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, does not place the same weight upon baptism that He does upon being born again through faith, yet it is still very important. Why? Because it is the first step of obedience in the Christian life (Matt 28:19).
Though our spirit is totally saved, there are some issues related to our service for the Lord and our time in the body here in this temporary life. If Jesus should ask you why you were not baptized and you answer, Oh, I didn't think it was important, that might be a tough moment. Friend, I do not want to be standing next to you if that conversation starts. (And you would not want to be there, either.)
Obedience
When we see the Lord, we will not want to have been in disobedience. I am not talking about failures and struggles. I am referring to knowing what Jesus has said, and then deliberately ignoring Him. All of us sin and fail to live up to what we should. I think it is another thing to know what God has said generally in His Scriptures to everyone or specifically to us by His Spirit and then respond, Nah, it's not important.
I do not think we should agonize over and constantly worry about if we have followed through on every point of service. However, if we are living a lifestyle of disobedience, we know it. We do not want to meet the Lord in such a condition.
Faithfulness
I think the Biblical idea of pleasing God is more than a spasm of faith 30 years ago. Bible faith carries the idea of believing God over the long term. We would call that faithfulness. God calls it faith. He expects it to last a lifetime if it is real.
Jesus said many shocking things. One of the shocking things He said was that our dealing with money was the least matter of faithfulness (Luke 16:10). It really is the starting place of our life of faithfulness.
Watch and Love His Appearing
There is a special reward promised to those who long for and expect the coming of the Lord. When we all stand before the Lord Jesus, this issue of having loved the Lord's promise to take His people unto Himself will be brought up and it will be a big deal.
This idea of a Reward Ceremony is God's idea. He wants things this way. Do not ever get the idea that God is grudgingly going to part with a few of His trinkets or share a few shekels because He has to. He wants to lavish His good things upon His children. He is looking for almost any reason to reward His servants, in addition to Eternal Life.
In the writings of the Apostles, it is clear that their desire was that everyone would be joyful and confident at the Appearing of the Lord Jesus. They are expressing the desire of God that every one of God's children would look forward to being in the Father's House (I John 2:28).
Do not ruin it by selfishness.
May 20, 2024