Coming Soon - Pt. 3

 

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then kat his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 ESV).

 

The Second Coming of Christ is a necessary feature of the Gospel message. Christ’s first coming brought salvation through his death and resurrection, but his second coming will bring about the resurrection of our bodies which is the final goal and hope of our salvation (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Romans 6:5-10, 8:23; Philippians 3:10-11, 21).

 

However, the hope we have of his return is more than an addendum to the Gospel. It gives us the confidence of his victory and the salvation of our mortal bodies from sin once and for all to have a glorified resurrected body that is pure, immortal, and incorruptible. The Second Coming, then, has implications for how we live our lives from day to day. Paul sums it up well when he writes: “… training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:12-13).

 

Waiting for his return should be seen as passive; it is an active purifying of our lives in the pursuit of holiness in readiness for our Lord. To watch with readiness for his return means we conduct our lives in such a way as to please him rather than be ashamed when he appears. Another implication of his return is that we can trust him to judge and make all things right when he comes. No matter what trials, suffering, of challenges we face here and now it is only temporary. This motivates us to refrain from seeking revenge or judging people, because we can entrust that the true and worthy judge will deal justice according to truth (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:5; Rom. 12:19). Finally, any delay in the Lord’s return is to allow more time for people to come to repentance and find salvation (2 Peter 3:9). There will be no hope of salvation for the lost after Jesus comes, today is the day of salvation. It is imperative that we share the gospel and hope salvation in Christ by grace through faith.