Many there are who seem to be disturbed, rather than comforted, by thoughts of the Lord's return. What accounts for this? Three things. A defective apprehension of what He accomplished at His first coming; confused ideas of His second coming; and friendship with the world that rejected Him.
1. Numbers who believe that Christ died for their sins, are perplexed about indwelling sin. Thinking they have to judge of their acceptance before God by what they see in themselves, they regard sin's presence as a serious defect in their fitness. But if this were so, no saint on earth would have fitness. To deny we have sin in us is to deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8). To deny the necessity for its condemnation is to belittle God's righteousness. But in Christ's death, indwelling sin has already had its deserved judgment.
GOD "hath made him to be sin for us" (2 Cor. 5:21) and in Him "condemned sin in the flesh" (Rom. 8:3). Our acceptance does not consist in what we can make ourselves. God says what He has made us in Christ; and faith agrees with Him. GOD "hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6). We can only admire what we find in Christ, and take sides with God in condemning the evil we find in ourselves. But it is only in the light of God's condemnation of sin that we can really read our deliverance; and only in what God finds in Christ we can rightly see our acceptance. "Ye are complete in HIM" (Col. 2:10). In our "changed" or resurrection bodies we shall have no indwelling sin. We shall have bodies like His; and there is no sin in Him! Sin's absence will mark us then; its presence, with its condemnation, now.
2. Some confound His coming to take His saints to heaven (John 14:3) with His appearing with His saints from heaven, to judge the world and reign in righteousness.
The very mention of saints coming out of heaven seems to amaze many. Yet how plainly it is spoken of in Scripture (Jude 14,15 Col. 3:4; 1 John 3:2; 1 Peter 5:4). The Savior's work and merit are our only title for going in; but that which will materially affect our position in coming out is our work. We should bear both in mind. If I speak of only expecting a place just inside heaven, I cannot be thinking of His merits or how far inside they took Him. I must rather be taking some account of my own. If by way of excusing myself for some unscriptural course, I say, 'Oh, it will not be asked what I belong to,' I am forgetting what He will do before He brings us out again (2 Cor. 5:10). At His judgment-seat our whole course, as believers, will be thoroughly gone into; and this in view of being manifested with Him in the eyes of the world. Each one will occupy his own position in the kingdom; and this will be awarded by "the righteous judge" for faithful service during His absence. (See Luke 19:11-13; 1 Cor. 3:8-15;4:5; 2 Tim. 4:7,8; Rev. 19:8-10.)
FOR FITNESS TO GO IN, NO ACT OF SERVICE WILL COUNT. FOR REWARD, IN COMING OUT, EVERY ACT OF TRUE SERVICE WILL COUNT.
3. If His love has reached my heart, how could friendship with the world that hated and murdered Him be a fitting response to it? How could His coming be a comfort to one who is in close alliance with a world doing its best to get on merrily without Him?
If you have tasted His love, dear reader, be true to it. If you have not, be true to yourself, and come to Him. It is for your soul that the god of this world is bidding; and temporal gain his best price for it!