Ready for Jesus to Come Again
Are you ready right now for Jesus to come again? Some people do not even know that Jesus is coming again. Others have no idea what it takes to be ready. I would encourage everyone to stay ready for Jesus to come, because we do not know when it will happen. It will come as a thief in the night. Therefore, we need to hear what Paul told the believers in Thessalonica. (I Thessalonians 3:12,13) I believe it is vital information.
First of all, God must be your Father, and Jesus Christ must be your Lord. Jesus will be coming to receive His own to Himself. Therefore, we must belong to Jesus, having trusted Him by faith and having been saved by His grace.
Then, our hearts must be increasing and abounding in love to one another and to all people. The only way to have that kind of love is to know the Lord and to receive that love from Him through the Spirit. It is the love of Jesus. We can allow the Spirit to increase this love in our lives, or we can just love in a human way. Without His love abounding in us, we are not ready to stand before Him.
Finally, we must be blameless in holiness. This is a condition that springs from loving the Lord. When we love the Lord, we keep His commands. Therefore, we cease from sin, and we do the right things. That is holiness. When we are blameless in holiness, there is nothing that anyone can point out that we have done wrong, which we have not confessed and made right with Jesus and others. Also, there is nothing that He commands that we are failing to practice by faith in Him.
I know that is a high standard to reach to be ready to stand before our Lord, but it is possible if we apply our hearts to love and holiness. The Spirit will produce these things, if we are willing to pursue them with all of our hearts.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Thessalonians 4-5 and II Thessalonians 1.
First of all, God must be your Father, and Jesus Christ must be your Lord. Jesus will be coming to receive His own to Himself. Therefore, we must belong to Jesus, having trusted Him by faith and having been saved by His grace.
Then, our hearts must be increasing and abounding in love to one another and to all people. The only way to have that kind of love is to know the Lord and to receive that love from Him through the Spirit. It is the love of Jesus. We can allow the Spirit to increase this love in our lives, or we can just love in a human way. Without His love abounding in us, we are not ready to stand before Him.
Finally, we must be blameless in holiness. This is a condition that springs from loving the Lord. When we love the Lord, we keep His commands. Therefore, we cease from sin, and we do the right things. That is holiness. When we are blameless in holiness, there is nothing that anyone can point out that we have done wrong, which we have not confessed and made right with Jesus and others. Also, there is nothing that He commands that we are failing to practice by faith in Him.
I know that is a high standard to reach to be ready to stand before our Lord, but it is possible if we apply our hearts to love and holiness. The Spirit will produce these things, if we are willing to pursue them with all of our hearts.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Thessalonians 4-5 and II Thessalonians 1.