Saturday, November 19, 2005
2 Corinthians 5:10 We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
WE ARE ALL ON OUR WAY TO THE LAST DAY!
This is the message which rings out during these last Sundays of the church year. Though the world we're living in often appears to be eternal, yet ever-recurring catastrophes in nature demonstrate that all attempts of man to prolong his days indefinitely are doomed to failure. No one can prevent the arrival of that Day.
Nevertheless a new reality has appeared on earth and is even now present (though hidden). Ever since Christ appeared bodily on earth, He has been with His believers and will be with us to the end. He promises to sustain our faith through His Word and help us keep our minds fixed on eternal treasures, not on temporary earthly things.
Meanwhile, we're called to busy ourselves with end-time realities. We are to live in daily repentance, keeping spiritually alert, serving Him with gladness. Thanks to Jesus, Judgment Day has lost its terror. The grave has been stripped of its power. We look forward to an eternity of peace. The Church is not a society which is trying to aid in the formation of "a heaven on earth." We have a definite goal in mind: The coming of our Bridegroom, when all worries will be gone, all wrongs made right, and all who've grounded their hopes in Christ will be brought into the glorious freedom of God's children (Romans 8:21).
"Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,' says the Lord, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty'" (Rev.1:7-8).
To which we reply, in joy-filled faith: "Come, Lord Jesus!"
