Rescue 5 - will be saved 2 – Behold I am coming soon (Revelation 22:12)

At the end of his life, Paul tells us that he has fought the good fight, and that a crown of righteousness is laid up for him and for all who love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:6- 8). “His appearing” of course refers to the promised second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has indeed promised to return, for example in John 14:3 He says “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” and the question I am asking myself this morning (and you through this blog) is “am I a lover of his appearing?”

Perhaps all of us experience moral outrage at times. I mean we feel that the Hitlers, Pol Pots and Stalins of this world are deserving of so much more than death. We feel that death somehow is just too good for them, there needs to be a judgement day, a day of justice where every wrong is put right. In fact there is such an day, for "We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, to receive according to what we have done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Christian will either receive or lose his reward, but in any case he will be saved, though some will only be saved as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:12- 15)! As for me, the thing I desire most on that day is to hear Him say “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:23).

In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul prays that we would know the multi-dimensional love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. In other words he prays that our knowledge will be so much more than an intellectual knowing that we are loved, but rather that we would have a deep intimate experience of it. It is a deep experience of this love I believe, that enables us to fight the good fight of faith, that leads us to be desperate for more of Him, and to yearn for the fulfilment of the promise that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2). That is we will be changed, you and I will be like Jesus, the super hero of all heroes. What a glorious thought!

Father, thank You that on that day, in the twinkling of an eye, You will complete your sanctifying process in me, removing from my life every sport, wrinkle and thing it is displeasing to You. For this reason I welcome Your judgement, Your final refining fire. At that time Your work of the cross will be fully complete in me, because as You have promised I will be like You. Hallelujah! Even so come Lord Jesus Amen