Resources/Articles
Is He Coming?
“For from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continued as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Christianity has always faced mockery and scoffing. Such is true with the second coming of Christ. Some people treat it with skepticism in similar fashion as the proverb of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:11: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” As God spoke the world into existence and the flood to cover the whole earth, He will also “by the same word” fulfill His promise of Jesus’ return.
Even though there is a delay in the Lord’s return, there is a reason for that. “The Lord is...longsuffering to youward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Was this not the purpose of Jesus coming and living in the world - the salvation of all men (John 3:16)? God’s desire is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), but no man can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ (John 6:44,45; 14:6). This is why Jesus extends the invitation to “Come unto me” to everyone (Matthew 11:28-30).
Matthew 11:28 supplies the reason why we should turn to Jesus and be converted. Two words describe the condition of man without the Lord - Heavy Laden. People are burdened with the cares of life, whether it is sickness and disease or the guilt of sin. To all these, Jesus calls. He calls because He can give rest to the weary. He can refresh and make anew. He can give peace to minds bewildered by doubt. This is what a troubled soul learns of Christ. For these things to be ours, we must have a penitent and submissive heart. Christ will then exchange yokes and burdens - yours for His. His yoke is obedience. We learn by His example of what it means to be meek and lowly in heart. We will see the blessing of humbly working in His vineyard. The burden which He places on our shoulders is the cross. Daily we must carry it (Matthew 16:24). He supports our cross by His strength and leads us to the everlasting rest in the awaiting arms of God.
Sadly, though, not everyone will be like the prodigal son, who “came to himself” and “arose, and came to his father” (Luke 15:17-20). Let us not forget this urgent message: “Seeing that these things (i.e., coming of the Lord, the judgment of ungodliness, and destruction of the earth) are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought he to be in all holy living and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11).
