Our Lord's Return - Attitude
One needs only to observe conditions and to read the daily newspaper to be convinced that this prophecy is being fulfilled at the present time. Everywhere one looks there is tumult and turmoil. World leaders are distressed knowing not what to do to put the world right. Universal anarchy threatens the world and they do not know how to cope with it. To the man with this blessed hope the very hopelessness in present world conditions demands the coming of the only One who can set the world right and to indicate that His coming must be near.
In the apostasy of the last days there will be two outstanding marks, religious decadence and moral deterioration. These signs are appallingly evident today. Every distinctive foundational truth of the Christian faith, the virgin birth, the Deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the literal resurrection and the Lord's return, are openly and avowedly denied in the pulpit and in the religious press and, as a result, in the pew. With almost incredible arrogance men are tearing the Bible to pieces and retaining only what suits their desire.
Following inevitably upon this rejection of God's Word and refusal of His authority is the breaking loose from all other bonds, parental and magisterial. A wave of lawlessness is sweeping irresistibly over the world which is bound to engulf it ultimately.
Liberalism in belief produces license in conduct. The laws of human society are disregarded and every man becomes a law unto himself. This is the day of divorce, free love, companionate marriage. It is the day of the discarding of parental authority and advice. It is the day of shameless immodesty and indecency in dress. It is the day of bold corruption and dishonesty in high places in governmental affairs. It is the day of traitors and truce breakers, when friends my become enemies over night, and when treaties, solemnly made, may be lightly broken. It is the day of moral deterioration.
God says that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" so that so that there would be nothing for this world to look forward to but moral suicide unless the Lord Jesus Christ were to return to save it from itself. But these things are to happen in 'the last days" so the hope of the spiritual man burns brightly for they are to him a sign that the approach of the Lord is sure.
These signs constitute both a call and a challenge to the Christian. A call to reaffirm his hope, to lift up his head and to rejoice that his redemption draweth nigh. And a challenge to fill his lamps with oil and to prepare his bridal robes that he may be prepared for the coming of the Lord.
Our Lord's Return - Appeal
The coming of the Lord will be with suddenness and without warning. The constraining appeal that this blessed truth makes to every man is for readiness. The Lord Jesus warns us of the terrible peril of unpreparedness for His return and appeals to all men to be ready and watching so that whether He comes in the second or in the third watch they will not be caught unawares but will be ready to welcome Him.
What appeal does the truth of our Lord's return make to the unsaved person? It appeals to him to accept without delay the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. Christ warns us that in the day when He shall be revealed unsaved men will be as indifferent as in the days of Noah. They will be engrossed in business and in pleasure, utterly forgetful of their Lord. Suddenly He will come - a wife will be taken and the husband left; a child will be snatched from the mother's arms; a business associate will be caught away to meet his Lord in the air and his partner will be left to carry on alone.
And what will it mean to the one who is left? It will mean the ending of the day of grace and the beginning of the day of judgment. The rejected Saviour will then be the righteous Judge before whom the ungodly must stand and receive their punishment for He has come to execute judgment.
All down through the ages there have been those who have mockingly said "Where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Peter 3:3-4). Ten days after His return to glory He fulfilled the promise to send another Comforter. More than nineteen centuries have passed and He has not yet fulfilled the promise that He would come again. Oh! why does He not come?
Oh! my friend, perhaps He delays His coming for your sake. He may be waiting for you to accept Him. You may be the last one needed to complete the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. God may be holding the door of grace open a little longer for you to enter. Will you do so today?
What appeal does the truth of the Lord's return make to the saved person? It is a threefold appeal, to purity of life, to separation from the world and to zeal in service.
The outstanding appeal of the blessed hope is to purity of life. It challenges us to be both holy and righteous, to be void of offence both to God and to men. It calls us to so live that we would be unashamed to met Him face to face at any moment.
If Christ should come today would He find you with a clean heart? Or would it be filled with rebellion toward Him? With jealousy, unforgiveness, hatred, anger, malice, bitterness toward another? Would He call you to Himself out of the midst of a church quarrel? If Christ should come today would you leave behind unpaid debts? Unfulfilled promises? Unconfessed sins? Oh, Christian, He may come at any moment, "be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless."
The hope of our Lord's return appeals to us to live a separated life. In the twinkling of an eye we shall have left earth and earthly things and shall be in the pure atmosphere of His holy presence which is to be our abiding place throughout eternity. God would have us prepared to breath that heavenly air by a separation now unto the things that are unseen and eternal; He would deafen our ears to the jazz noises of earth that we might be prepared to appreciate the melodious symphonies of Heaven. He would deepen within us the consciousness that we are already citizen of Heaven and only pilgrims on earth that we might be freed from encumbersome luggage, that we might be ready to go at a moment's notice.
The hope of our Lord's return appeals to us to live a fruitful life. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns He will bring rewards and will bestow crowns for faithful service. A special crown is waiting for those who have zealously won souls to Christ. Will you be in line for coronation? Are you doing your part to hasten the day of His coming by winning souls to Him?
"Just a few days - and our tears will have ended;
Just a few hours - and our task will be done;
Yet still hear them calling,
From darkness appalling,
While we rest in the light of the fast-setting sun.
"Just a few day - and the gifts we've withholden,
Just a few hours - and the call we refuse -
Will rush on forever,
Or return to us never,
And Eternity's crown we no longer may choose.
"Just a few days - and then nought will avail us,
The thought of the crown that we might yet have won;
And ah! what the sorrow
If we miss on the morrow
Our share in that joy, when He whispers, 'Well done!'
"Just a few days - Oh Lord, strengthen our courage;
Just a few moments - to publish Thy Name.
In our weakness enfold us,
Though darkness uphold us,
'Till He come,' make us faithful Thy love to proclaim."
"Surely, I come quickly.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
~Ruth Paxson~
(the end)
[ for those who have enjoyed Ms. Paxson's dedicated work, there will be more of her sound, Biblical writings in the near future.]
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