It is certain that Jesus is coming
The fact that Jesus is coming soon is incontrovertible. It is one of the absolute certainties in life. Both in the physical and spiritual realms it is established. If there is no second coming there wouldn’t have been a need for a first coming. As a believer, one of the things that must constantly engage your attention is when he is coming back and how ready you are to receive him when he does.
In Matthew 24 Jesus was walking with the disciples when they saw a church building that caught their attention but Jesus told them a time was coming when not one of the stones would remain. This happened 40 years after Jesus had died—the temple was destroyed. If Jesus says he is coming back, you better believe him. His birth and life were prophesied. His coming was prophesied, and every single bit of those prophecies had to be fulfilled. Even the tomb in which he had to be buried was prophesied. When he died, not one of his bones was to be broken—also a prophecy.
Now Jesus says in his father’s house are many places and that he is going to prepare a place for us so he would come back and take us there. To be more emphatic, he said he wouldn’t have told us if it weren’t so. In Acts 1, the angels confirmed it again that the same Jesus whom they had seen going up will come back in the same manner.
When the disciples wanted to get a sense of when it was going to happen, Jesus told them that only the father knew. The coming of the son is certain but the time is uncertain—to us. Jesus said if the strongman of the hose knew when the thief was going to come, he would have been on guard so his house would not be broken into.
Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5 that it was not necessary to write to them concerning days and times. They were always to be ready. Jesus’ coming will be so sudden that there will be no time to do anything. Jesus told the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Many of us will be asleep when he comes.
*Don’t neglect the master’s call; Jesus is coming with his reward in his hand *
Jesus has been gracious to us. Some of us had no identity but now we completely ignore the master’s business. He says his heart is bleeding—that’s what he said in the prophecy. He said he’s counting on us. God did not have only you in mind—the grace of God has appeared unto all men.
God has asked us to tell you that he’s coming soon and there are consequences for his coming. He has his reward in his hand. There is a day of reckoning. Whereas salvation is not by works but by grace through faith, the rewards are based on your works. So, Apostle Paul told us in 1 Corinthians that our works will pass through fire. There is a day of reckoning where the children of God will stand before their maker and give account. So, Jesus said the faithful servant is the one whose master will come and find him doing what he has been asked to do. Yet we seem engrossed in the things of the earth to the neglect of the things in heaven.
God is patient with us, giving us time to repent
If there is one scripture in the Bible I’m so grateful to God it ended up in the Bible, it is the one in 2 Peter 3:7-9. It says God is not slow concerning his promise as some of us consider slowness but he is patient with us because he doesn’t want anybody to perish. He is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle.
If you are hearing me and you don’t know the Lord, know that you will be called to give account (2 Corinthians 5:10). Galatians 6:7-8 also says we shall reap what we sow. If we sow to the flesh, we shall from the flesh reap corruption but if we sow to the spirit, we shall from the spirit reap life everlasting.
Why won’t you take advantage of the free gift of Jesus? Why do you want to pay for a crime that someone has already paid for? God will repay each person according to what he has done but there will be trouble and distress for everyone who does evil (Romans 2:6-9). The entire drama will end soon. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Lord.
The gospel is simple
Someone left his glory to come and die for you so that where he is you might be also. What is so hard to understand about this? May the Spirit of God aid you to understand this message and accept this great grace he is offering. An innocent man was so disgraced and humiliated that there was nothing attractive about him. How can you reject such an offer? He has paid for your salvation with his blood and he is calling you to come and enjoy. Accept him now.
What kind of people should we be?
Since everything will be destroyed, what kind of people should we be? We ought to live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:11). We must make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (2 Peter 3:14).
Main references
John 14:1-3, Acts 1:9-11, Revelation 22:12, 2 Peter 3:7-9, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Galatians 6:7-8, Romans 2:6-9, 2 Peter 3:11, 14