1440. How They Waited for His Son From Heaven

How They Waited for His Son From Heaven

"And to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, our Deliverer from the wrath to come"

(1Th_1:10, \1911 Bible).

Perhaps, the third Sabbath Day that Paul preached in Thessalonica, he preached upon the fact that there was another King, one Jesus.

We know, at least, that he did preach on the Kingship of Christ (see Act_17:7).

We know also the result of his preaching–the Thessalonians waited for the Son from Heaven.

They certainly obtained the knowledge of the Lord's Return from the preaching of Paul,–they had no other source of information.

They certainly received Paul's message concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it was, in truth, the very Word of God.

Paul certainly preached the coming of Christ from the Old Testament writings, for he reasoned with the Thessalonians out of the Scriptures.

What then is our conclusion?

1. The Second Coming of Christ is a vital part of Gospel preaching. Paul preached a full, and not an emasculated Gospel. He preached the Cross and its salvation from the penalty of sin.

He preached the resurrection and its salvation from the power of sin.

He preached the Second Coming and its salvation from the presence of sin.

Paul preached the Second Coming of Christ in Thessalonica, a heathen city; he preached it to men who had been idol-worshipers; to men who had known but little, if anything, of the way of Truth.

Some ministers to-day have an idea that the Second Coming of Christ is a theme to be proclaimed only to advanced and matured Christians. It does not seem to dawn upon them that the Lord's Return is a doctrine that is vital, in every way, to one just coming into the knowledge of salvation.

2. The Second Coming of Christ is a vital part of the Church's faith. A model church must hold to a threefold message concerning the work of Christ.

The model church will never fail to emphasize the Cross, to live in touch with the risen Christ, nor to anticipate the coming Christ.

We care not what a church may be called; it may be Baptist, or Methodist, Presbyterian or Episcopalian; it may be Mennonite, or the Church of God; but, unless that church has a clear, positive conviction concerning the Second Coming of Christ, it is not a model, New Testament church.

The blessed hope of Christ's Return was vital to the Church at Thessalonica from its very beginning. Yet the Blessed Hope became more and more a comfort and a stay to the Church, as the days progressed. The time soon came when Thessalonica was called upon to suffer greatly for the cause of Christ; many of its trusted saints were early martyred for the faith.

Then it was, that the doctrine of the Blessed Hope became exceedingly precious.

The Holy Spirit comforted the Church concerning the Second Coming of Christ. He wrote unto them by Paul and said: "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope" (1Th_4:13, \1911 Bible).

Then, the Holy Spirit enlarged upon the fact of Christ's Return from Heaven with a shout; He told how the dead in Christ would rise first, and how the living that remained, would be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.

Then the Holy Spirit added: "Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1Th_4:18).

The model church will give the Second Coming of Christ, not only a place, but a large place in her faith.

This is emphasized by the fact that, in the Epistles to Thessalonica, God's model Church, the Second Coming of Christ is set forth in the closing verses of every chapter.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR