14.05.2019
IBC Admin
“God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, the light has come into the world.”
In I Thessalonians 4-5, the Apostle Paul lays out the doctrine of Christ’s second coming, which would include the resurrection of those who would die before His Jesus return and a rapture for those believers who who would be on earth when He comes. The reason Paul wrote this is because there was a lot of confusion around Jesus second coming and the resurrection within that church, not unlike much of the church today.
Listen to how Paul framed it out for us, “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up.” (II Thess 5:9-10) In other words, because we have such a great salvation in Jesus, we are to be a positive people, encouraging one another and building one another up with the truth of Jesus second coming.
A basic truth in the Bible is that while God has judged sin and will bring a final judgment upon earth, there is a way of escape for the sinner. We read this truth in John 3:17-18, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, the light has come into the world.”
In Titus 2:11-15, we are encouraged this way, because “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…” let us wait "for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us to redeem us…” Therefore let us "declare these things.” Let’s make them known.
When we discuss Christ’s return and end times, let us be filled with hope instead of fear, encouragement instead of anxiety. Let us encourage one another and declare these things to a world that needs hear that in Christ we don't have to suffer wrath but are able to enter into a loving relationship with God, who has paid the price by "sending His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have evernalsting life."