Loving His Appearing!

Daily Devotions with Pastor Chuck

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“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (I John 2:28 – NKJV)

The apostle John commands us, we who are the “little children,” that he is writing to, “abide in” Christ Jesus the Lord. Remain “in Him” John writes. Why? So that “when He appears” . . . . . Ah yes, “when He appears.” Brethren, Jesus is coming back, He is going to “appear” again on planet earth. It is a promise spoken about often in the letters of the New Testament.

“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4 – NKJV)

The apostle Paul wrote of His appearing. He, “Christ, who is our life,” He is going to “appear” again.

“and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (I Peter 5:4 – NKJV)

The apostle Peter wrote of His appearing . . . “the Chief Shepherd,” He is going to “appear” again.

“He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself . . . so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:26, 28 – NKJV)

The author of Hebrews wrote of Christ appearing a first time “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” and then he notes that He “will appear a second time.” He is going to “appear” again “to those who eagerly wait for Him.”

Our Lord is “coming” back, He is going to “appear” to us one day . . . . . maybe today! Do you love the thought of His appearing? Note this great promise that John wrote of regarding His return,

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (I John 3:2-3 – NKJV)

There are great and wonderful promises that you and I have that are associated with His appearing,

when He does appear we “will appear with Him in glory” . . .
when He does appear we “will receive the crown of glory, that does not fade away” . . .
when He does appear “we shall be like Him”

. . . great and wonderful promises that should motivate us to abide in Him and to live for Him and . . . to love His appearing!

Brethren, there is a danger noted here, that we might be found “ashamed” when He appears, maybe being somewhere we shouldn’t be, doing something we shouldn’t be doing, saying something we shouldn’t be saying. May we be alert to that possibility and be on guard, and as those who have “this hope” of His return, found abiding in Him, seeking to purify ourselves “just as He is pure” . . . . . . . . and loving His appearing.

Have a good day . . . and as you walk think upon His appearing and embrace the hope of it, and may it serve as an incentive for you to live godly in this world of ungodliness.