THE APPEARING
Having looked at the first part of the Christian’s hope— the Lord’s return in the air for His saints— and briefly traced the things coming on the earth, when God shall punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, we now come to the second part, the glorious appearing, or manifestation of Christ. This wonderful event, fruitful with blessing for the believer, and oft presented to our hearts in Scripture as part of our hope, and as an incentive and encouragement to faithfulness and devotedness so long as we remain here below, will be an hour of woe and judgment for the poor world of that day.
Scripture teems with passages relating to our Lord’s second advent, and the attendant circumstances and surroundings; when, accompanied with His heavenly saints, He shall descend to this earth, Himself manifestly and personally dealing with and judging His enemies, gathering “out of His kingdom all things (margin, scandals) that offend and them which do iniquity” (Matt. 13:41), and taking the reins of government of the world into His own hand (Zech. 9:13; Isa. 40:10).
The judgment of the living will be a prominent feature of that day; but how precious for the Christian to know that he has been already judged in the Person of his Substitute, Christ Himself. “Verily, verily,” saith the Lord, “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (or judgment); but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Here are our Lord’s own words telling us of our deliverance. Our judgment is passed; He drank the bitter cup in our stead; His precious blood, poured out on Calvary, has washed all our sins away, and thus we have the comforting testimony of John in the first Epistle (1 John 4:16-17), “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love” (marg., love with us) “made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.”
But some will reply, “Do you mean to say that the Christian will not be judged at all? I thought we should all stand together before God to know whether heaven would be our portion or not!” This arises from accepting the thoughts of men, instead of gathering all from the Word of God. The Christian will never be judged for his sins, because they were all borne and suffered for by Jesus on the tree, and put away forever (Heb. 10:12-17). God now expects the believer to walk in practical holiness, and have nothing more to say to sin at all. He is now called to follow Christ, and suffer for His sake. But “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,” (the Christian is a child), “Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Again, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
If, however, we neglect confession to God, and go on in sin, as He will not condemn us with the world, He will judge us now, by weakness, sickness, or even putting to sleep, cutting off in His governmental ways, though saving in grace. This truth is taught us in Paul’s letters to the saints at Corinth, who, though real Christians, were allowing sin unjudged. “For this cause,” says the Apostle by the Spirit, “many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:31).
It is perfectly true that we “must all appear before the judgment seat (or bar) of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). This is a broad statement as to the fact; but other scriptures clearly show that the time and circumstances in which the Christian will appear there, are entirely different from those in which the ungodly will be judged.
The ungodly, whether quick or dead, will be arraigned to be judged according to their works— the former at the commencement, the latter at the close of the reign of Christ—and punished for their iniquity. The saints are already justified from all things, but will be manifested in the Presence of Christ in bodies changed and fashioned like unto His own glorious body. We shall not, then, stand before Him like the wicked, as guilty culprits before a stern and inexorable judge, but as justified persons to give account of ourselves (Rom. 14:12) and to have our works thoroughly tested, as the following scripture shows.
“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. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon” (that is on Jesus Christ, the only foundation), “he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:10-17). “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). This manifestation will probably take place shortly after our being caught up to meet Him.
Being like Him at that wondrous moment, we shall see ourselves and all our works in the same light as He sees them. And how blessed at that day for those who have built good material, built according to the Word of God, to receive a reward from our gracious Saviour and Lord! to hear the “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” and to have praise of God (1 Cor. 4:5). As to our sins, of them He has said already, “Thy sins and thine iniquities I will remember no more.” “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Rom. 4:8).
(Continued and to be Continued).