He who testifies to these things says,
"Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
(Revelation 22:20-21)
It's OK if you "come quickly"
Greetings Saints,
Why am I feeling this tension that the Apostle Paul felt in 2Corinthians 5:1-10? I am desiring to be at home with the Lord (vs. 8), but I desire to be pleasing the Master with the mission He has given me to do (vs.9). It is a tension that I believe many followers of Jesus are feeling currently. There is much talk of the ‘return of Christ’ these days, floating around in the air. Are you hearing it? Sensing the same? I believe that it was a real struggle for Paul as he endured the hardships of gospel ministry . While he is in prison for the gospel, he writes in the letter to the Philippians similar sentiments: “For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live.” (Phil. 1:21-24 NLT) Think about it! Is Paul thinking, “who will teach you what you need to know if I am not here?” Do we ever think like that: “How will my loved one get saved, or come back to the Lord if I don’t stick around to bring them back?” or “Who will teach my son or daughter to walk with Jesus if I am not here?” Valid questions indeed! But maybe a little too much emphasis on us…just saying. I have learned over the years that God is able to do a much better job at discipling and maturing the saints than I ever could. He is also much better at saving someone than me; he doesn’t need me to influence their decision. There is a myriad of ways He can open someone’s heart to the truth of the gospel (Acts 16:14) or by His Spirit convict a prodigal to return to the Father’s house (Luke 15:18). He is after all… God; I am not (1John 2:27). Do I even have to be here to see the prodigal come home? It would be wonderful to see the fruit of my prayers, but not necessary for me to see it. See, I believe that is the tension that Paul lived in and many of us also endure. We have a deep longing for the return of Jesus, to see Him face to face, but we also have a deep longing for our loved ones to be with us when He returns.
Why is this longing getting stronger? Because we are getting closer to the end, and “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior”(Phil. 3:20). We are after all, already seated in heaven with Jesus (Eph. 2:6). It also doesn’t help to hear Jesus say in the last chapter of the Bible, “Behold, I am coming quickly”, not once but three times! The eagerness arises out of watching the world spiral out of control to its imminent self-destruction lest the Lord intervene. Here is the good news: God is in control! His plans are all laid out, written down for us to read, and they will unfold exactly as He predetermined they would. The names of those who will be saved are written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8, 3:5). The Lord knows those who are His (2Tim. 2:19) and He will keep us/them to the end (1Cor. 1:8). We can rest in His sovereignty, and pray as John did, “even so, come, Lord Jesus”. That is a healthy place to be these days! It says, “Lord you are in charge, and I am resting in You; I will eagerly await your return, so come.” And the last words of the Bible are “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” And that is where our hope lies – grace, grace, God’s grace – His mercy and favor, and saving kindness; His strengthening and empowering to keep us persevering till the end; His effectual call to call wayward saints back to the Father, and His saving grace to save even the vilest offender. Grace is the reason we are heaven-bound in the first place, and to quote John Newton, “'tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” Let us rest in His amazing grace and eagerly look for His return, while resting in His ability to seek and save and bring into His abundant, overwhelming, inexpressible joy (1Peter 1:3-9…you just gotta read it!).
Enjoy His presence!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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