"I will come again" - John 14:3 (Part 3)

R.M. Goatley

‘Hold fast till I come" - Rev.2:25. These words were spoken by the Lord to the church at Thyatira. He is seen here moving among the seven churches, assessing, warning, rebuking and encouraging, out of a full knowledge of all that was going on in each one of them. In the church at Thyatira, teaching was being tolerated that had turned the hearts of His people away from Him, to find satisfaction elsewhere, and He had given them opportunity to repent. The Lord now warned that unless they did so, He would intervene with such stern measures that all the churches would learn that He does indeed search the hearts and reward accordingly. Nevertheless they still possessed things that were precious to Him and He encouraged them to hold these fast till He comes. Likewise He would encourage us, amid the weakness and failure we must so often confess, to treasure the things that honour and please Him, both in doctrine and practice, and hold them fast, by His grace, till He comes.

"Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come" -I Cor.4:5. Some in Corinth had been criticizing Paul as to his motives and movements, but he assured them that he could look up to the Lord with a clear conscience. They were prone to favour the things that earned the praise of men, and therefore their judgment was of little account to Paul. When he said, "Judge nothing", he was not denying that there were things that they ought to be judging. He taught them emphatically that they must judge the shocking immorality that they were condoning among them. He taught them too, that they ought to judge themselves before they ate of the Lord’s Supper if they were to avoid the chastening of the Lord. But this was a different realm, one in which they had no capacity to judge, for they could not know the facts. It is the realm of hidden things, the counsels of the heart, which are only fully known to the Lord. When He comes He will bring these things to light, and the praise that each one will receive then, will be from God and not from man.

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come" - I Cor. 11:26. It was on the same night in the upper room that the Lord Jesus instituted His Supper of Remembrance. It is His desire that we remember Him in His absence (Luke 22:19; I Cor.11:24,25). But it is only till He comes, and thus it quickens our anticipation of that glad day when we shall see Him as He is, and our faith shall give place to sight. The earthly symbols will be no longer needed for we shall be forever with the Lord. The full details of what we shall be then are not yet revealed, but we know that when we shall see Him we shall be instantly transformed into His likeness (I John 3:3; Phil.3:20,21).

As the Lord Jesus brings the New Testament Scriptures to a close, His final words to us are, "Surely I come quickly". What joy we can bring to His heart as we truly respond, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus". (Concluded)