We live in the season of Jesus’ appearing to take us to the place that He’s preparing for us. He may not come for us as soon as we would like, but the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation and all the signs tell us that this period of God’s wrath upon the earth is ever so close.
Many are not ready for the Lord’s return because they trust in something other than Jesus for their hope of eternal life. Good works, religious behavior, church attendance, etc. will not suffice; one cannot earn a future in heaven. It only comes by God’s grace.
As the day of Jesus’ appearing approaches, it’s critical that you know for sure that you belong to Jesus and possess eternal life.
I’m also writing for those left behind after the Rapture. As world descends into chaos and darkness, you may be wondering what caused so many people to suddenly disappear and if there’s still time to respond to the saving message of the cross. Yes, there is!
Please know that eternal life resides in Jesus and in Him alone. No one else! This is true now and will also be the case after Jesus removes His true church from the earth.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He alone is the path to the glories of heaven and eternity.
Most people recognize John 3:16:
John 3:16 KJV – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
However, many do not understand the saving message inherent in the above words or the exclusive nature of God’s offer of eternal life. Apart from Jesus, people will perish.
Jesus endured a horrific and cruel death on the cross because no other way existed to pay the penalty for the sins of a lost and condemned humanity. The payment for our sins had to come from a perfect sacrifice; the blood Jesus shed on the cross as the perfect God/Man satisfied the demands of God the Father for that perfect and righteous offering.
Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead to prove that His claims are true. He later ascended into heaven and someday very soon will return for us, His true church.
All these things comprise the essence of the Gospel. Let’s further examine the good news of our salvation in terms of the past, present, and future.
GOSPEL PAST: “IT IS FINISHED!”
Just before Jesus died upon the cross, He uttered these words, “It is finished” (John 19:30). With these words, the Lord signified that He had paid the debt for our sins. He died in our place on the cross so that we would no longer bear the guilt for our sins. He completed our salvation.
This, however, does not mean God automatically forgives all human of their sins. Eternal life comes to only those who respond in faith the saving message of the cross. Ephesians 2:8-10 says:
Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Notice that our salvation is all of grace; even our faith to believe the saving message of Jesus comes as a gift from God. It leaves us with no grounds to boast since it’s all of God’s grace and mercy.
What happens when we place our faith in Jesus?
First, the Holy Spirit does an amazing work inside us that we refer to as “being born again.” You may not experience anything at the time, but know that this happens inside all who respond in faith to the message of the cross. Titus 3:4-7 describes new birth in this way:
Titus 3:4-7 KJV – “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
In the above passage, Paul refers to something else that happens at the moment of our entrance into God’s kingdom: God justifies us.
In Romans 5:1, Paul wrote: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
In the apostle’s day, the Greek word for “justification” was a legal term. Picture a courtroom setting with a judge contemplating the evidence before him. He then declares the accused, standing in his presence, to be “not guilty” thus freeing him from all the charges against him.
For believers, God looks at our entire life at the moment of our salvation and amazingly declares us to be righteous solely on the bases of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. He died in our place thus absorbing God’s wrath for our sins so that He might declare us forever “not guilty” of all our sins.
Please know that there’s absolutely nothing that can overturn God’s verdict of “not guilty” upon our lives. There’s no future thought or action that God did not know all about when He applied Jesus’ blood to our account and declared us righteous in His sight (see also 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Our justification guarantees our glorification in heaven (see Romans 8:30-38).
GOSPEL PRESENT: A WALK OF FAITH
At the end of Romans 1:17, the apostle Paul said, “the righteous shall live by faith.” Those that God has declared to be righteous, i.e., justified, walk by faith.
Colossians 2:6 says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” We receive eternal life when we place our trust in Him, and afterward we walk with the Savior in the same way.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says this about the change that the Holy Spirit works inside us at the moment of our salvation:
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
The Lord changes us from the inside. Once the transformation begins, we have power over the presence of sin in our lives, but it’s a lifetime of growth as we learn to trust Him and grow in our love for Him.
We may not always feel the Spirit at work inside us, but looking back we realize that our desires have changed and we are quite different from the world around us.
Please note that in Ephesians 2:8-10, the good works happens after Jesus saves us. They are something Jesus creates in us and prepares for us ahead of time.
Wherever you are at in your journey with the Savior, it’s good to meditate on Ephesians 1:3-14 knowing that every word describes your position in Christ. We serve the Lord as beloved saints, forever secure in Jesus.
If you are reading this after the Rapture, it’s critical that you immerse yourself in the words of Scripture, particularly the Gospel of John and Paul’s epistles starting with Colossians and Philippians. Ask the Lord for understanding of what you read, and His Spirit will guide you.
GOSPEL FUTURE: MEETING JESUS IN THE AIR
The Gospel speaks to our future in eternity. For believers, it will begin with meeting Jesus in the air as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. The rapture is what Paul referred to as our “blessed hope” in Titus 2:11-13:
Titus 2:11-13 KJV – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” (emphasis added)
Another place in Scripture where we see close connection between Jesus’ appearing (the Rapture) and the hope into which Jesus saves is in Romans 8:23-24a: “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope:”
The “redemption of our bodies” happens at the Rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). Notice that the apostle says that it’s “in this hope we were saved.” New Testament saints did not divorce the Rapture from the Gospel as is popular today.
The appearing of Jesus to take those that are His to the place He’s preparing for us was an essential component of the Gospel message proclaimed by the apostles in New Testament times.
The Bible tells us that a large multitude of people will come to faith in Jesus after Rapture. Even though the antichrist and his minions will kill most that do, they will receive new glorified bodies after Jesus’ Second Coming when He raises them from the dead (Revelation 20:1-4).
However, it’s far better that you respond in faith to the message of the Gospel before Jesus’ appearing.
JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE
I love the simplicity of the Apostle John’s words in 1 John 5:11–12:
1 John 5:11–12 KJV – “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
Jesus, as revealed on the pages of Scripture, is the only path to eternal life. Those who come to know Him as their Savior have a glorious future ahead of them, beginning with the Rapture and our receipt of glorified bodies. The Lord is Life to those who know Him as their Savior. This is the message of the Gospel, past, present, and future.
If you have not already done so, please put your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. Romans 10:13 says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Eternity is at stake; do not delay. And, you do not want to face the horrors of the “Day of the Lord” that will ensue shortly after the Rapture.
