The certainty of His coming
And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 2 Peter 3:7-10
When we think about the struggles that we face at present, we try to find meaning in them. Yet as Christians, which was based on the decision we made trusting Christ as Lord and Savior, we are to look on the promise Christ made that one day He will return for in His return alone will all things make sense. This is why it is the Lord’s desire that people will come to a decision of repentance and experience salvation. This is what the Apostle Peter was alluding to from the text as to the reason why the promise of His return has not yet been fulfilled. He wants that all men and women would be given the opportunity to hear the gospel. “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). God is expecting a response to His invitation. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced”” (Romans 10:9-13). Response to His offer of salvation guarantees experiencing the presence of God for eternity. Salvation is all done by Christ alone accomplished through His death on the cross. Our responsibility is simply to receive the free gift He offers. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Eph. 2:8-9). God wants you to be certain that you know Him personally as your Lord and Savior. Do not let your faith be based at the notion of your feelings and circumstances. Your faith should be firmly grounded in Scripture. The delay of His coming as we perceived it is not due to His inability to fulfill His plan but it is prompted by His grace. If you have experienced His grace when you surrendered your life to Him why not be an expression of that grace to others? Who knows you might become His instrument so that they too will come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com