What is the next program of the Lord? It is the presentation of the Bride namely the church to the Lord Jesus Christ through the purging process. The church must be bold denouncing error and separating from the unbelieving world which will destroy the Word. Any thing that destroys the Light must be dealt seriously. Our coming judgement seat of Christ is compared to the great contest in the New Testament. As we read the use of race illustrated this point in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 saying “Knowing ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” God will provide gold metal to every Christian who meet God’s standard. This incorruptible reward and crown will continue forever.
In 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Paul tells his son Timothy certain qualifications that he needs to do to please the Lord. “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” How much more does God need to say? Those who please God will be those who discipline themselves to put His Word and plan first in the line before anything else. We ask the Lord, “How do you want me to serve you, Lord?” The answer is that our love must be the greatest to the Lord Jesus who died for us and put His spirit in us. We need to trust Him faithful and we can not say, “I can not do it.” If we deny Him, He can not be your God. Thus as long as we live in this world we must please Christ.
Do we know what Paul says about reward? We read in Colossians 2:18 “Let no man beguile you of your reward.” It is sad to say that it is happening all the time. The Christians are hearing the different voice and following deliberately the wrong church and they are loosing their reward. However some may say “I do not care about reward.” We must care about it, for Christ had died and paid the infinite price to make possible for us to have reward. Truly we must be willing to take what He wants you to receive otherwise He is not our Lord. Thus Paul reminded us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we must be careful and do not let anyone loose it.
When will all these happen? The answer is at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in Revelation 19:7-9 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” When the church is raptured from this earth, the great tribulation will occur to this world and those who do not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. But to those who love the Lord there will be a blessed day for them where they can see Jesus face to face. In Revelation 20:4, 6 we also see some of the rewards that will be given in the millennial kingdom. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.....they live and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Thus we will rule the world together with God for a thousand years and in that millennial kingdom Satan will be bounded. We will be like Jesus, and we will be revealed in the glory and final sanctification and to see Jesus Christ.
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