Christ is coming back. We all know this. It’s a basic doctrine of the Bible that is hard for the world to deny, let alone us Christadelphians.
But what does Christ’s return mean to us? How do we picture his coming? Is this something that we ourselves have pictured before?
A world destroyed
Peter gives us a graphic picture of Christ’s return in II Peter 3. We see that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” Think about this. Everything in the earth will be revealed for its worth, whether useful or useless. It may be the things we have worked so hard to secure or build up will be destroyed because they do not glorify God.
What does this tell us about what we are doing with our day? When Christ returns, everything that we have worked for materially will be unimportant. Is this a discouraging thought to us? Peter didn’t find it so; he found encouragement in this purging of the world. Since everything will be revealed in this way, what kind of people ought we to be? We ought to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. Peter realized the foolishness of the things of this world and instead looked forward to the “New heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousness.” He would have seen the wisdom of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes.
Solomon’s wisdom
Solomon, the great king of Israel, tried to get the best out of what this world had to offer, and he did a better job than anyone else. Let’s see what conclusions he came to.
I wanted to see what was worth while for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives I undertook great projects I built houses for myself and planted vineyards I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them I made reservoirs to water groves off flourishing trees I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me I amassed silver and gold for myself and the treasure of kings and provinces I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well — the delights of the heart of man I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me In all this, my wisdom stayed with me I denied myself nothing my eyes desired, I refused my heart no pleasure
My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun Solomon realized there is nothing materially in this world that means anything. No work of his hands brought forth anything worthwhile; it was like chasing after the wind, an impossible task in itself! Solomon had more during his life than anyone before him, and probably ever since: buildings, vineyards, and vast savings. But what was the result? He realized these weren’t the important things. He had his eyes set on the things of this world instead of the things of the world to come. Solomon built the greatest empire Israel had ever known, but he died the same way all men do, even the poorest beggar in Israel. That is why at the end of Solomon’s life, he realized how meaningless are possessions.
Peter would have taken this lesson to heart. Peter was a fisherman who didn’t have the houses and vineyards, silver and gold like Solomon. But Peter had something that Solomon wished he had throughout his whole life.
At the end of Ecclesiastes, we see Solomon had come to a simple conclusion on what is worthwhile in this life. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
It’s amazing how simple the gospel message really is! We should be living holy and godly lives, fearing God and keeping His commandments. Solomon reduces all of life to two simple statements: fear God and keep His commandments. This wise man has shown that if you can do these two things, then everything else will fall into place. This has been a really powerful lesson that I saw recently in my trip to Jamaica.
A transforming experience
The brothers and sisters there have a practical faith which they apply daily in their lives. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ live in conditions that would make even the cheapest motel in the States look like luxury: rotting walls and floors, no running water, sharing their home with all sorts of insects and rodents. Some live from meal to meal. Some are severely physically crippled or homebound!
When I first saw this, I thought of Job’s wife saying to her husband during his afflictions: “Curse God and die!”
But, after seeing their faith and their wonderful outlook on life, I imagined I would have received the same kind of gentle rebuke Job gave his wife if I said this! These faithful brothers and sisters are, like Peter, looking past the problems of this world and looking forward to the joy of the world to come. The kingdom is exceptionally real to them. Their faith isn’t dependent on the house they live in or the car they drive or how much money they have in the bank; they consider themselves blessed to have been chosen by God to have the hope of the kingdom! They rejoice in the fact they know His truth and are considered worthy to suffer for His name.
Are we looking forward to the things in this world or the world to come? I’ve begun to see, just like Peter and Solomon, how meaningless many things are in this world. Does it please God when we work overtime just to have more money? Do we really need to go shopping every week for new clothes? What’s the point of having a closet full of clothes if, when Christ comes, he finds us without the proper garments on? The materialism of this world does not lead to the things of God.
No professor or lawyer will be able to talk his or her way out of condemnation at the judgment seat of Christ. What will Christ say to us in that day of judgment? Have we been increasing our talent given to us once we knew the gospel message? Or are we keeping it buried in the same seat we sit in every week at meeting and when at work or school, only talking about our faith if it comes up?
Rejoice in the world to come
What better way is there to make our faith real than to talk about it? The truth we have is a gift greater than anything any other man or woman in the world has! What possible reason would we have not to share it with him/her? Are they not interested? How do we know unless we bring it up! Do we not feel comfortable talking to others about our faith? Neither did Moses, but God helped him overcome his fear.
The more we talk about our faith, the more real it becomes. Why does small talk have to be small? When someone asks us how we’re doing or what we’re thinking about, why not tell him/her about the wonderful hope of the kingdom we have or how amazing God’s love is to us? Preaching can be as easy as that. It’s our job to plant the seeds; God is the one who will give the increase.
Just like our Jamaican brothers and sisters, Solomon, and Peter all realized, we need to look forward to the world to come. Why let anything get between us and God? Jesus didn’t let anything weigh him down in his walk following his Father’s will.
How much do we let unprofitable occupations weigh us down? Are we letting things burden us that won’t matter once Christ returns? Let us ask God for the wisdom to see the vanity of this world and also ask Him for the faith to keep our eyes focused on the world to come so we may have, through God’s grace, the one thing that really does matter!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One