WHEN JESUS COMES, WILL HE FIND THIS IN US?

Victor M. Eskew

 

            There is absolutely no doubt that Jesus Christ will return again.  He promised His apostles that He would come again.  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again…” (John 14:3).  When Jesus comes again, there is something that He will be looking for in every individual.  When He comes, will he find it in us?

            When He comes, He will definitely find unbelief.  There are many who boldly reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  Some do not believe He ever lived on the earth.  Others do not believe that He is deity.  Many mock the idea of deity taking upon Himself the likeness of a human and shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sins.  Yes, Jesus will find unbelief, but He will not be looking for this.

            When He comes, he will also find those in man-made religions.  Satan has deceived the world into believing that all religions are acceptable to God.  Religiously, what a person believes and what a person practices has nothing to do with the salvation of the soul according to man-made religions.  They believe that sincerity of heart trumps all other things.  Yes, Jesus will find those in man-made religions, but he will not be looking for them.

            When He comes, Jesus will find those who are disobedient to His will.  Some men flagrantly disobey God.  Others disobey out of ignorance.  Still others neglect to do the things that He has commanded.  Disobedience on any level is displeasing to our Lord.  When he returns, He will not be looking for the disobedient.

            When He comes, He will also find the fearful.  Fear is a negative emotion that presences itself in the presence of a real or perceived threat.  Fear paralyzes.  Fear causes individuals to retreat.  Fear keeps a person from boldly standing against the opposition.  Jesus exhorts us to be courageous, not fearful.  When He returns, He will not be looking for the fearful.

            If Jesus will not be looking for any of these things, what will He be looking for.  Let’s let Jesus answer the question.  In Luke 18:8, Jesus asks:  “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”  When Jesus comes, He will be looking for faith.  Thus, we ask the question:  “When Jesus comes, will he find faith in us?”

            Faith is the result of hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).  Faith is the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the only way to the Father (John 8:24; 14:6).  Faith is the victory that overcomes the world (I John 5:4).  Faith is the combination of what is commanded by God and what is obeyed by man (Jms. 2:20-23).  Faith is obeying God’s commands when man forbids it (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29).  Faith is belief that God will help us to subdue our enemies (I Sam. 17:45-46).  Faith is obeying God even when we do not understand everything He has commanded us to do (Heb. 11:7, 17).  Faith is the refusal of letting anything get in the way of pleasing God (Gen. 39:7-10).  Faith is courage rising against fear in order to accomplish the Lord’s will (Heb. 11:27).  Faith is choosing to follow God at the sacrifice of earthly wealth (Heb. 11:24-26).  Faith is denying self and carrying a cross (Luke 9:23).  Faith is the sacrifice of self-will for the Lord’s will (Matt. 26:39, 42).  Faith is trusting every promise of God, even those that seem impossible to us (Rom. 4:19-22).  Faith is standing for God in face of both persecution and death (Esth. 4:15-17).

            This will be what Jesus is looking for when He comes back.  Again, will He find this kind of faith in you?  If not, we need to ask ourselves:  “What is keeping me from having the faith Jesus wants to find in me when He returns?”  Is it yourself?  Is it your family?  Is it a sin in your life?  Is it sheer slothfulness?  Is it fear?  Is it your career?  Is it your schooling?  Is it your pride?  Is it your stubbornness?  Is it your unbelief?  Is it your thirst for power?  It is your love of money?  What is it?  Dear friend, whatever it is, you need to conquer it and replace it with faith.

            In the Day of Judgment, we will stand before God and be judged.  Here is what some will hear:  “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:  enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:23).  Did you notice the word “faithful” used twice in the verse?  Sadly, only a few will hear those words.  Jesus said:  “…for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).   

            Dear readers, we want everyone us of us to be among those of faith.  When Jesus comes, we want every one of us to be part of the faithful for which Jesus is looking.  Put off all those things which are hindering your faithfulness.  Slay them.  Put them to death.  Practice your faith every day.  Walk by faith, not by sight.  Live in such a way as to hear the words:  “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”