Saturday, November 10, 2012
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
BEING READY -- ABIDING IN CHRIST
No talk about Christ's return is complete without talking about what makes us ready for His return. You can talk about what's going to happen on that day. You can talk about the signs that precede that day. You can talk about what's going to happen after Christ returns. But, what really matters is that you and I are ready to meet our Creator and Savior in person.
The apostle John says that we'll be ready for Christ's return if we abide in Him. What a strange little phrase that is: "Abide in Christ." To "abide" in Christ, to "live" in Christ is simply to trust in Him. To live each day with Christ as our great hope. This means letting our sins go as the horrible things that they are, dropping them at the foot of His cross, and knowing that because of His death, we truly stand forgiven.
Abide in Christ my friends. Your salvation doesn't depend on how well you've avoided temptation in the past, or how well you'll avoid it tomorrow. Sincerely seek to live according to Christ's commands, for sure, but remember that He is your Savior, not just your coach. By faith in His grace, you are ready to embrace Him with confidence when He comes in glory, instead of shrinking back in shame. To those who have rejected Him He will come as judge. But to those who trust in His promise of forgiveness, He comes as the long expected Savior.
Thanks be to God for the gift of life and for the gift of eternal life in Christ. Thanks be to God for the promises He has kept, and the ones yet to be fulfilled.
