Bible Ballistics: Ready or not? 10/27/13 Vol. 2 No.24
We looked recently at the question of our “readiness” and I’d like us to revisit this subject today. Jesus IS COMING soon ready or not. Readiness is a question we all need to consider, saved or lost.
I’d like us to look at three things that will occur at or after Jesus’ coming. Now I won’t get into the timings of the events of His return but the ultimate effect on us personally.
The first option is ‘nothing’. (For our purposes this week I will be using the first person solely, you put yourself in that place). I may hear ‘nothing’ (at first)!! When Christ calls His church out of the world at the rapture, regardless of when I think it is, I may be left behind. I will not hear the call and I won’t know I didn’t hear the call. Contrary to the popular movies of the same title we won’t get a second chance if we have rejected Christ at that point.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 Paul states clearly, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Here we see plainly that those who have willfully rejected Christ as Savior and Lord will be sent a strong delusion from God because they
“received NOT the …truth, that they might be saved”, and they “believed not the truth”.
We must receive the Lord when we have the opportunity, we can’t count on a second chance. Jesus himself said that
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44,
and John 3:5 says, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 6:63-64a, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not.”
Also John 16:7-9, which reveals that it is the Holy Spirit which convicts my heart of sin and calls me to the Savior,
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;”
And finally John 14:6,
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ’s personal sacrifice for MY sin. Only when I experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit touching my heart and showing me my sin and my need of a Savior can I see the need to repent and trust Christ for salvation. GOD initiates it all and only when HE speaks to me can I come.
If I don’t know Jesus there is only one thing I’ll hear from Him and that is Judgment, as He himself reveals in Matthew 7:23,
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
We won’t quote it here but in the verses that follow, Jesus gives the contrast of the wise and the foolish man; “hear my words and do them=wise man” or “hear my words and do them not=foolish man”. We’ve probably all sung the children’s song that states the end of both. One stands, one crashes–referring to “life” not just houses.
Which am I?
Wise?
Foolish?
The second of our options is what I’ll call the “empty Christian life”.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 says, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
I can be a true believer, having been born again but not use my life to honor and serve Jesus as I should. This is not referring to wicked behavior but to selfish and spiritually useless service—doing what pleases, glorifies or satisfies me rather than God. God expects better of me because:
2 Peter 1:3-4, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
God gave me all I need to serve HIM when HE delivered me from hell and the corruption that is in the world. But sometimes we choose to walk too close to the world to be of any spiritual use to God.
Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
I have been saved, delivered and changed by the power of Jesus death on the cross, how could I do less than give Him my ALL? A sacrifice means dead to self (see Gal 2:20).
And finally the simplest of all reasons to serve HIM,
1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
Is anything less than my best what HE is worthy of? I think not. He loved me FIRST (see Romans 5:6).
And lastly the final of our three options—
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21.
Oh, I long to hear this greeting when I face my Lord. How about you?
Will you be “left behind” and be rejected in the end?
Or do you know Him but will be ashamed of your life when you stand before Him with only ashes to show for all He’s done for YOU? We wouldn’t put our paycheck in the fire—why would we waste our lives?
Or will you hear “well done….good and faithful servant”?
Heavy thoughts, but worthy of our attention NOW. Have a blessed week as you consider your life and walk with or without Jesus.
It’s your choice.
Choose well,
for each choice has a consequence—
an eternal one!!!
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