Here we are at 2021 and the blessed hope, the hope of rescue from this troubled world, is looming larger now. The blessed hope revealed in the Bible is the promise of the Lord Jesus returning in the air to snatch believers up to Himself, to meet the Lord in the air and to be forever with Him.
In fact that hope is now the only hope, dear friends, as the four dreadful horsemen of the Book of Revelation get ready to ride.
How wonderful of the Lord to give us that vital piece of information, that golden nugget of certain hope that He will Rapture us out of here. For we are very likely the final generation.
‘Therefore comfort one another with these words.’ What words? The words immediately preceding that statement – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, that the Lord really is coming back, not to the earth this time, but in the clouds, to call us all together in the air, all believers from all time, living and dead, the entire family of believers in Christ, united forever with the Savior* who shed His blood that we might all be saved.
That is our blessed hope and also our gut-wrenching worry for family members who have not yet acknowledged Jesus as their Lord, who have not realized that Jesus Christ died on the cross to suffer the consequences of their sins. Only God can wash our sins away, and Jesus is God who became a man so that He could shed His blood on our behalf.
This is a very unpalatable doctrine to most people today, many of whom do not acknowledge that they are sinners at all, but claim they are good people, so of course they are going to heaven, right? Wrong.
The Bible is absolutely clear.
1 All – ALL - have sinned and fallen short . Romans 3:23
2. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23
3 Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22 God is perfectly just; He is the God of justice. He shows us what sin is in His 10 Commandments, which no one but Jesus has kept perfectly. Sin is so offenive is to God that it requires the ultimate penalty, the shedding of someone’s life blood.
4 God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus, so that all of us sinners who put their faith in Him might be saved. Those who reject Jesus are condemned. John 3:16-18
5. Christ died for sinners. Romans 5:8-11 Jesus Christ paid the ultimate penalty - death on the cross, shedding His holy blood for us.
6 The blood of Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7-9
7 He is coming again for us. 1 Thes 4, 1 Corinthians 15:51, John 14, Luke 21:36
8. If you put your faith in Jesus, that He died for your sins, was buried and rose to life on the third day, you have to say so, tell someone.
Romans 10:9,10 ‘If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’
If only people would heed the Bible’s warnings. If only!
Jesus told us to watch and be ready and to pray always that we will be accounted worthy to escape all that is coming on the earth. Luke 21:36
A sample prayer for believers: Lord Jesus, I can see the awful things happening in the world now. I know You must be at the very door. Please help me to be ready so that I will not be ashamed when You come in the air.
I know I am not worthy, but please account me worthy to escape all that is coming on the earth and to stand before You.
I have failed You in countless ways, but I pray that if there is any way, anything I can still do, to help someone to put their faith in You, please help me not to miss any chances You might give me now at this crucial hour. Oh dear Father, that (name) might be saved!
A sample prayer for those who do not know Jesus in their lives: Dear God, I am a sinner. I have broken Your laws and gone my own way. I have tried to change, but it never works. I don’t want to go to Hell. Please forgive me (name every sin that comes to mind; He knows them already). I put my faith in Jesus.
I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. I put my faith in Jesus to wash my sins away because He shed His holy blood for me. Dear Jesus, I know I don’t deserve it, but please make me one of Your people. I am begging You now.
‘Whoever comes to Me, I will never turn away.’ Words of Jesus, gospel of John 6:37
*Yes, I know Savior is spelled wrong if you are in the UK, but we have readers in the USA too and there it is correct. Won’t it be nice when the Lord sets up His kingdom, with uniform spelling!
