“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and
be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding
feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I
say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table,
and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the
third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that
if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he
would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for
the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:35-40)
Preparation
seems to be the key thought here. We are to be expectantly waiting for our
Lord's return. And not simply in expectation, but ready to go, a workman who is
not ashamed at his coming. Will the Master find you eagerly preparing and
looking for him, or will he find you unprepared and careless? Prove what sort of disciple you are!
Prove yourselves therefore to be men and women of God who are not only ready
when he comes, but able to be set to a task in the regeneration, and faithful
to complete it.
Another portion of scripture has come to mind in 2nd Peter chapter 3. This
passage is eschatological and also speaks of those who consider the Lord's
delay as license to blaspheme and sin.
Are you growing weary in well-doing? Do you sometimes think your portion in
this life is too great to bear? Is bitterness over our Lord's patience getting
the best of you?
When Peter asked if this parable was for all or just for the disciples, Christ
answer was, in a sense, Be patient in
your work and faithful to the end for bitterness can creep in. The answer
is found and Peter’s comments in 2nd Peter 3:9 when we see the great
patience of our Lord with us, and remember His kindness to us, we can be
patient in the work, even if the work be hard and the day be long. We serve a
loving God.
If he was
so loving to you, even in your hatred of him (Rom 5:6-10), to save you, we
ought to be the same to others. Peter tells us the same, in this way, “What manner of persons ought you to be in
holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day
of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the
elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking
forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot
and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” (2 Peter 3:11b - 15a)
Finally
consider the justice of our God. He sees through the hypocrite (v.46), his
punishment is meted out fairly – to some more deserving of it more stripes, to
others deserving but not aware they had crossed the line, few stripes. Even
think on this: Because our God is just (by
definition) His Son died on the cross,
the just for the unjust (1st Peter 3:18).
The net result this transaction is God can appear to justly ‘bend’ the rules.
Not that he does not fairly apply it, but the letter of the law may demand many
stripes yet the party may receive a few. How can a just God do so and still be
just?
Read Psalm 85.
All our sin – covered forgiven in
Christ. All His wrath – Removed and turned toward Christ
This is all in verse 2-3. The golden verses on this Psalm are
10-13.
10
Mercy and
truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11
Truth shall
spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12
Yes, the Lord
will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13
Righteousness
will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
God can indeed be merciful to us, and justly,
because His Son met the demand of the law.
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