Christ is coming!
And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28 CSB
Closing the chapter, the author contrasts the death of human beings versus the death of Christ. All of mankind is “appointed” to “die once” and Christ has been “offered once.” Physical death is inevitable due to sin entering our world. Because of Adam’s sin, God pronounced the sentence of death. “You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust” (Genesis 3:19). When sin entered in this world, the penalty of sin is death. After death, there is “judgment.” Paul reiterates this inevitability in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” Now, this judgment mentioned in Hebrews is not necessarily immediately, but rather, the “final judgment,” at the end of history. Romans 14:10b-12 says, “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” At the end of time, Christ will return, “appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” This is important. The writer of Hebrews is not minimizing judgment for we will have to give an account of everything we have ever done in our lives, yet, the only thing that matters in relation to our salvation is whether or not we have made the decision to follow Christ as our Lord and Savior. He “offered once to bear the sins of many.” The penalty of sin had been paid in full by His blood. John 3:16-17 says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Not only that the Lord Jesus Christ promised to return but He will bring the fulfillment of the promised salvation to those who are awaiting Him. Christ is coming! Joyfully, the believers look forward to this day when Christ returns so that those who trusted Him as their Lord and Savior will dwell with Him forever. Will you be with Him in paradise or will you experience judgment?
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
