The Work Of Christ: Past, Present and FutureGaebelein, Arno Clemens
Religion
The Work Of Christ: Past, Present and Future
Gaebelein, Arno Clemens
Jesus Christ -- Person and offices; Messiah -- Prophecies
That they belong to Him and are redeemed by His precious
blood is a sufficient title to be caught up and to meet Him in the air.
Of this double company, saints who died and who will be raised from the
dead, and saints who live and will be changed in a moment and caught up
to meet Him, we find a hint in His words in John xi:25-26. "I am the
resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live (Resurrection). And whosoever liveth (when He comes)
and believeth in Me shall never die (The changing of living believers).
Believest thou this?" May we answer Him, Yea, Lord, I believe. We may
not understand all the details of this wonderful event, an event which
will come suddenly, but we can believe His promise and wait daily for
its glorious fulfillment. This is the blessed Hope of the Church. For
this we are told to wait. Ere He begins His judgment work, before the
last scenes of tribulation and wrath can be enacted upon this earth and
He returns as the King of Glory to claim His blood-bought inheritance,
He will come into the air to meet His redeemed host and co-heirs. This
is the first event in connection with His future work.
The Judgment Seat of Christ.
All judgment is to be executed by the Lord Jesus Christ. "For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John
v:22). Up to the present time no judgment work has been done by Him. Nor
have His people received their crowns and rewards for service and
faithfulness. The meeting of the Saints in the presence of the Lord will
be immediately followed by the judgment seat of Christ. "For we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. xiv:10). "For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. v:10). No unsaved person appears
before this judgment for they were not raised from the dead, nor changed
in the twinkling of an eye. This judgment concerns only believers. This
judgment, however, does not decide their eternal salvation. That was
settled when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. The words of our
Lord in John v:24 make this clear. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed
from death unto life." "There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ" (Rom. viii:1). The works and the service of His
people will be dealt with by the Lord in this first judgment act in His
future work. Of this we read in 1 Cor. iv:5--"Therefore judge nothing
before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the hidden counsels of
the hearts; and then shall have every man praise of God."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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