By Aaron Swartzentruber
Greenleafton, MN
At Christmas time we celebrate the first coming of Christ. Thank God for the first coming but, much more, thank God for the promise of the second coming of Christ.
So many of us worship baby Jesus instead of King Jesus. Baby Jesus can’t save anybody. Only the crucified, buried, resurrected, and glorified Lord Jesus who is alive at the right hand of the Father right now is able to save us. Of course the birth of Jesus is important, but only because it lead to the death and ressurection of Him, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be saved. And by the way, where are the founders of Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses and all the others? Neither religion nor politics are the answer; Jesus Christ is. There is only one name given under Heaven whereby men must be saved (Acts 4;10-12) and it’s not Buddha, Muhammed, Joseph Smith, or Joseph Rutherford, nor is it Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, or former President Obama.
So what about the second coming of Christ? There are two phases to it. First, the rapture of the Church, when Christ comes for His Bride, before the great tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18). Then, the second coming of Christ, to end the great tribulation and to establish His kingdom on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 19:11-16, 20:6).
Here’s a great passage supporting a pretribulation rapture, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. Verses 3-6 describe the antichrist. Verse 7 is the key, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” The “he” is this verse is the Holy Spirit. He is in the Church, He indwells every believer (John 14: 16-17). When the Church is taken out of the way, Verse 8 says, “and “then” shall that wicked (lawless one) be revealed.”
And may I say that if God restrains the antichrist with the Church than it seems to me like God wants His people involved in government. “The question is not, can you be a Christian and be involved in government? The question is, can you be a Christian and not be involved?” -Adrian Rodgers.
Somebody might say, “I’ll just wait to accept Christ until after the rapture because than I know the end is near.” But the Bible says, in the aforementioned 2 Thessalonians passage, in verse 9, the antichrist is coming. Verse 10, “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received (past tense) not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Verse 11, “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” Verse 12, “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Friend, if you hear the Gospel and reject Christ in the Church age, God is going to let you believe the signs and lying wonders of the antichrist in the tribulation period and you’re going to end up in hell. And God is not unjust for doing that. Because He’s reaching out to you right now! Think of the terrible regret if you end up in hell and you realize that you had a chance to get out but didn’t take it. God loves you and it is not His will than any man should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)
We have a unique opportunity in the church age. The Church is known as the Bride of Christ. So if Christ is the King of the coming kingdom then we (the Church) are the queen. What a glorious future to look forward to! The Church age started on the day of Pentecost and will end in the twinkling of an eye, of the rapture.
I love Bible prophecy. I believe correctly understanding Bible prophecy is vital to understanding the right role of the Church in this age, however, it is not essential for salvation.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). Until next time.
The Atheist in the Foxhole says
You’re wrong
Theodius T Pipple says
The gospel writers describe several events in Jesus’ ministry that brought him face-to-face with politics. For instance, shortly after Jesus’ baptism at about the age of 30, the Devil offered him the position of world ruler. Later in his ministry, a crowd wanted to make him their king. Still later, people tried to turn him into a political activist. How did Jesus react? Let us consider these events.
World ruler. The Gospels state that the Devil offered Jesus rulership over “all the kingdoms of the world.” Think of how much good Jesus could have done for suffering mankind if he had wielded the power of a world ruler! What politically oriented individual sincerely concerned with mankind’s advancement could resist such an offer? But Jesus refused it.—Matthew 4:8-11.
King. Many of Jesus’ contemporaries were desperate for a ruler who could solve their economic and political problems. Impressed by Jesus’ abilities, the people wanted Jesus to join the political process. What was his reaction? Gospel writer John states: “Jesus, knowing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain all alone.” (John 6:10-15) Clearly, Jesus refused to become involved in politics.
Political activist. Note what happened days before Jesus was put to death. Disciples of the Pharisees, who favored independence from the Roman Empire, joined by Herodians, members of a political party favoring Rome, approached Jesus. They wanted to force him to take a political position. They asked if the Jews should pay taxes to Rome.
Mark recorded Jesus’ response: “‘Why do you put me to the test? Bring me a denarius to look at.’ They brought one. And he said to them: ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to him: ‘Caesar’s.’ Jesus then said: ‘Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.’” (Mark 12:13-17) Commenting on the reason for Jesus’ response, the book Church and State—The Story of Two Kingdoms concludes: “He refused to act the part of a political messiah and carefully established both the boundary of Caesar and that of God.”
Problems such as poverty, corruption, and injustice did not leave Christ unmoved. In fact, the Bible shows that he was deeply touched by the pitiful state of the people around him. (Mark 6:33, 34) Still, Jesus did not start a campaign to rid the world of injustices, although some tried hard to get him embroiled in the controversial issues of the day.
Clearly, as these examples show, Jesus refused to get involved in political affairs
Aaron Swartzentruber says
You’re really making my point. If Jesus would’ve accepted the political position before He would’ve dealt with the sin problem of humanity by dying a sacrificial death on the cross He would have left humanity in the hopeless sin state that it has been in since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Yes, the Jews were expecting a political figure to redeem them from Roman bondage but He was here to deal first with the greater problem of theirs, and our, bondage to sin. (Luke 19;10) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” When He comes again He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Rev 19;11-16)
Perhaps you are familiar with the Jewish sacrificial system in the old testament. They were required to sacrifice animals to God because of their sins. John 1;29 speaking of Jesus says;” Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. (Hebrews 7;26-28) “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, seperate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s; for this He did once , when He offered up Himself, for the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
(Hebrews 9; 12-14) “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, an the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. He is also The High Priest who made and is making atonement, with his own blood, for the sins of those of us who trust and believe Him. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.
If you’re suggesting that Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics because Jesus wasn’t consider Romans 13. According to Romans 13 God ordains civil government. It doesn’t seem logical that God would ordain civil government and then tell His people to stay out of it. Jesus’s purpose was to seek and to save that which was lost. That’s not my purpose, My purpose is to point people to Christ to be saved, whether that is in public office, in my private home, or writing in to the local paper. (by the way, thank you fcj for publishing my articles). I can’t use government to force people to love God. Forced love is not love at all. I’m for anti-abortion, anti-homosexual marriage rights, and anti- legalization of marijuana legislation, not because I want to force God onto people, but because I know that God hates these immoral things and immorality is the downfall of a nation. And I’m sure that even most of those in favor of the aforementioned immoral acts do not want to see our nation fall.