We are not bidden in Phil. 3:2020For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20) to look for the Savior. It is said that we do it. Our salvation is not yet complete; for the consummation we wait or look. It is the normal sequel to conversion. When we turn to the living God it is to serve Him, while waiting for His Son from Heaven. This is the normal Christian attitude. To " look for " or " wait for " in this sense does not necessarily mean to expect with gladness, or to be alert with anticipation. The words rather have the force of this-knowing that a certain event lies ahead. So we read of some whose future outlook was gloomy indeed, " a certain fearful looking for of judgment " (Heb. 10:2727But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:27)).
Remembering this, and that we Christians are not looking for judgment, but for " the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life "; not for a Judge, but for a Savior, let us examine an objection that is based on Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28). It is said that, since it is " unto them that look for Him ", Christ will appear unto salvation, it follows that only those who are zealously watching for Him will be translated at the Rapture.
But look carefully, not only at the verse itself, but at its immediate context. The habit of dragging texts from their context, and building theories upon what they then appear to mean, is a most pernicious one.
In verse 24 (Heb. chapter 9) we are told that Christ, our High Priest, now appears in the presence of God for us. Our blessing is thus secured; we have not to wait for our acceptance before God, nor for our title to enter even the Holiest of all, until we leave this earth. Is there, then, anything yet to look for? There is. There is the future salvation, and it will be ours at the Coming of the Lord. His " appearing " is not the Rapture, but it is a wide term that sometimes includes, as here, all that pertains to the period of His Coming. When Christ returns, it will not be again to take up the question of sin. This question He forever settled by the sacrifice of Himself at His first appearing (verse 26). His future appearing will be " without sin " (i.e. having no reference to that matter), and " unto salvation ".
Now, the contrast here is plainly between what we have as the result of Christ's present appearing, and what we shall have as the result of His future appearing. The people addressed, being Hebrews by birth and training, would readily understand this. They would understand how the Jewish priest was accustomed to go into the Tabernacle to offer incense before God, and then come out to bless the people who waited outside. We have a scene like this depicted in Luke 1:9, 109According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. (Luke 1:9‑10). Zacharias, the priest, went into the temple to burn incense, " and the whole multitude of the people were praying without ". They waited for his reappearing, and " marveled that he tarried so long" (verse 21).
In the same way the disciples saw their Lord ascend with uplifted hands, and thus He disappeared from their sight. But—
" He Who, with hands uplifted, Passed from this world below, Shall come again, all gifted, Rich blessing to bestow ".
Like the waiting people in Luke chapter 1, we are looking for the reappearing of our Great High Priest. He has entered Heaven itself, there to appear on our behalf, while we are waiting for Him here. And the promise of His return is sure, though we may be kept waiting and looking for Him for years.
The first thing He will do, when the time for His reappearing comes, is to summon all who are His, living or dead, to meet Him in the air. This, as we have seen, is salvation. We look for Him as Savior, and, to our longing eyes, He will assuredly " appear the second time without sin unto salvation ".
If any one can find one class of Christians distinguished from another class in Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28), he must be singularly incapable of discerning the line of truth expounded in these verses.
It is sometimes argued that, since the Coming of the Lord is spoken of as a " hope ", uncertainty is implied as to whether we shall share in the Translation or not. But hope may be certain as well as uncertain, and in Scripture the word is often used merely to indicate what is future, and not to suggest uncertainty. " Hope maketh not ashamed," and for the unseen hope we patiently wait (Rom. 8:2525But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Romans 8:25)). When we believe in Christ much immediately becomes ours. We do not, however, receive all that we shall eventually possess. For God has predestined us, " to be conformed to the image of His Son " (Rom. 8: 29), and therefore we are saved in hope; that is, saved with something further to follow in due course.
Now, in order to be operative in producing holiness of life, the hope has no need of being turned into a threat. Some seem to imagine that we need to be urged on to zeal and watchfulness, by a threat of being left behind at the Translation, unless we come up to the mark. But the Scripture declares, not " he that remembereth this threat purifieth himself ", but " he that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure " (1 John 3:33And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)). The hope in this verse is that we shall be like Christ at His appearing.
Of course, nothing that we have said has any reference to those who show by their lives that they are not true believers. They may make a profession, and take for granted that nothing more is needed. But it is only of those who truly believe, and who " belong to Christ ", that we have written.
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