D. Scott Meadows

²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Observation 4. Love and hope are connected. Those who “keep themselves in the love of God” will necessarily be “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life,” that is, looking for Christ’s second coming when we shall have this mercy. This is the Christian hope. Why are love and hope linked this way?

1. Love alleviates fear (1 John 4.18). When Christ returns, we will not need to fear the devil because he will be held in chains and judged by the saints together with Christ. Nor will we need to fear Christ, our Head, Redeemer, and Savior. Even as our Judge He is coming to plead our cause, right the wrongs against us, revenge our enemies, and reward our services. He who has been interceding for us all this time will not condemn us then.

2. Love stirs desire. The godly yearn for Christ’s return (2 Pet 3.12; Song of Sol 8.14; Rev 22.20). A cheating wife hopes her husband is detained, but a loving, loyal wife feels he cannot come soon enough. Worldly people do not desire Christ or His return, and this distinguishes them from true believers (Phil 3.20; 2 Tim 4.8). Sinners say, “Depart” (Job 22.17); saints say, “Come.” God’s children very much want to see the face of that Savior whom they have known by hearsay and spiritual experience.

Use 1. From this we learn the difference between a true Christian and a wicked person. The wicked wish Christ would never return; they are burdened and tormented by the thought of His coming, like demons (Matt 8.29). They feel just like a thief does about the convening of the court proceedings which will convict and condemn him, but a child of God is looking forward to this happy time of his Savior’s return.

Some are ready to object to this teaching. Are Christians always in this frame of mind? What about those who tremble through lack of assurance? What about even the best saints who do not always feel so strongly desirous of Christ’s return as they should?

It helps to realize that even the lowest true Christian has at least some faint desire for Christ’s return. Could anyone really want Christ to come into his heart but not want to see Him? The first work of grace is to raise us up to this hope (1 Pet 1.3), but it is also true that we are prone to spiritual drowsiness and letting our lamps go out (Luke 12.35, 36). Even the wise virgins slept (Matt 25.5). We are not as ready for His coming as we should be when we live carelessly, fail to watch and pray, and love the creature more than the Creator. Much of our old bondage remains on account of our imperfect love. We are like a good wife who realizes the house is not ready for her husband’s return. All Christians desire Christ’s return, but sometimes we are not as ready for Him as we should be.

Use 2. From this we may test whether we love God or Christ. How do we feel about His appearing? Genuine believers are unsatisfied with the world and look beyond it for more. It is easy to pretend we want Christ to return. Without a good sense of the life to come, we can overestimate our desire for it. When we truly hope, we are busy preparing. You would get your house ready if you were expecting the imminent visit of a king. So what are you doing now to get ready for Christ? Are you judging yourselves (1 Cor 11.31)? Are you making sure you are justified in Christ (Rom 8.1) before He comes to judge? Are you actively purging your heart and life of whatever sin remains (2 Pet 3.11)? Would you be embarrassed for Christ to come and find you in your present condition?

Exhortations. Let me exhort you who love God to look earnestly for Christ’s return.

1. Consider our relations to Him with their implications for our future. He is our master and we are His servants, and good servants wait for their master’s coming (Matt 24.45) when wages succeed meals (Rev 22.12). He is our Husband and we are His spouse, and the bride says, “Come” (Rev 22.17). We are betrothed to Christ now, but then we shall be wedded to Him.

2. Consider the privileges we shall enjoy when He comes.

• It will be a day of manifestation (Rom 8.19). Today Christ is hidden, His saints are hidden, our life is hidden (Col 3.3), our glory is hidden (1 John 3.2), but then Christ will appear, and we will appear with Him in glory. “Tomorrow the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy” (Num 16.5). Christ will be seen in His divine royalty, as the great God and Savior that He is, and the saints shall put on our best robes. We will blossom like trees in the summer after winter’s dormancy.

• It will be a day of perfection. A seed progresses toward its fullness and flower, so a Christian is growing toward perfect holiness and freedom. Even saints in heaven are now imperfect and waiting for the redemption of the body in their physical resurrection. Christ will effect a cosmic regeneration (Matt 19.28)—a new heaven, new earth, new bodies, new souls—that is the ultimate regeneration! Likewise He will effect our adoption (Rom 8.23), when we enjoy our full privileges as adult sons. Christ will publish our pardon to all our fellow human beings. Christ will then complete our redemption by glorifying us (Luke 21.28).

• It will be a day of congregation, or gathering together. We are now scattered around the world and across centuries, but then we will finally meet, all God’s elect, together, in one assembly (Psa 1.5).

Are not these compelling reasons for Christians to look earnestly for Christ’s return? Ω