Discerning the Signs but Looking for the Lord
I do listen. As I get older, I forget more easily, but I do listen to people’s concerns. In the last several years, a number of devoted Christians have asked me some form of the following question: “Are we close to the return of Jesus Christ?” As with any Biblical teaching, we must be careful with this subject. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man.” Later, in Acts 1:7, He added, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons.” Paul wrote in I Thesssalonians 5:2 that “the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” Thus, date-setting defies God’s Word and dishonors our Savior. However, in Matthew 16:3, Jesus pointedly asks, “Can ye not discern the signs of the times?” We do not know and cannot know the exact time of Jesus’ Second Coming and the resulting period of the Tribulation, but we are told to seriously study the signs found in Scripture. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In closing this study (which could be much longer if I did not exercise some restraint), let us return to Titus 2:13, which says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” We have “that blessed hope,” the certain expectation that Jesus will call all believers (alive and dead – I Thessalonians 4:13-18) to meet Him in the air. (If you are interested in the details of this passage, you can view my sermon of September 27 on Facebook or YouTube; it is entitled “How Can Christians Be Ignorant?”) How does this knowledge of Jesus’ appearing affect us? We saw yesterday that it reveals Jesus’ tender concern, encourages us that our labor is not futile, and comforts us regarding those who have died in the Lord. Verse 14 provides further exhortation; it speaks of Jesus, “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” We should not view these words as threatening and think that, if Jesus returns while we are not looking for Him or, even worse, while we are sinning, He will reject us. I am certain of this fact: I will not be perfect before the coming of Jesus. Even if I am in a coma and not capable of actively sinning, I will still possess my sin nature. No, these verses are not intended to frighten us into obedience. Rather, as we contemplate the continuing goodness of God, we are drawn to respond in love. We want to serve Him, because He is so good to us. Part of that goodness is His “glorious appearing.” May our heart’s desire be that of Revelation 22:20: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.