JESUS IS COMING BACK VERY SOON (PART 3).
TEXT:
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." ( Revelation 22 verse 12).
In our waiting for the second coming of the Lord Jesus, it's important that we understand that when He comes, He's going to reward us according to what He finds with us. This accounts for His reminding us in the Scripture reading for today saying, "I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
Since this is what He's going to do as He comes back, every Child of God ought to live in readiness for the Lord's reward at His coming. To ensure that we are handsomely rewarded by the Lord at His return, two things are imperative, being obligatory acts or duties on the part of the Christian.
Firstly, we must live in repentance for misdeeds or wrongful lifestyles. As soon as the Holy Spirit brings us conviction of sin, our immediate responsibility is to repent as quickly as possible. To repent of sin or of unsavoury conduct is to recover oneself from further decadence; by remembering where one has fallen, repenting and doing the first works that were occasioned by our first love for the Master when we gave our lives to Him (see Revelation 2 verses 5 and 16).
After we have repented as aforesaid, the second thing we need to do is to "hold fast" unto that which we have so that no man will take our reward (Revelation 3 verse 11). The reason Jesus said this was because He knew that there is a power arrayed against us which would endeavor to rob us and defeat us. Holding steadfastly to that which we have entails that we recognise our strengths and that we endeavour to improve on them though we are faced with obstacles. In the Christian faith, steadfastness is key to a successful walk with the Lord.
These are the two basic things that we need to do as we await the quick return of the Lord, knowing that He comes to reward us and "to give every man according as his work shall be."
As we await Jesus' second coming, we need to examine ourselves and ask what manner of works He will find us doing when He returns. If our works are wholesome and good, we need to hold fast to them, and to improve thereon in order to be rewarded by Him when He comes back. On the other hand, If our works are unwholesome and evil, we need to repent of them and do what is good and pleasing unto the Lord.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, as You return, may You find me doing that which is pleasing unto the Father, in Jesus name.