Our Real Future

Although the world is greatly worried about all the troubles that are happening on the earth, we know that these are the signs that God is working His purpose out and that He will send Jesus back. There will be peace instead of war, adequacy of food instead of famine, and happiness instead of sadness.

But before Jesus returns to bring peace to this earth, there will be great trouble in the world. We know that we shall be taken away to the judgment seat of Jesus suddenly and without warning, and there all those who have known the Truth will be judged according to the life they have lived. Knowing we face Christ’s judgment we must be careful to always do our best, but also knowing that we can ask God, through His son, to forgive us when we fall.

If we are constantly trying to be like Jesus, who is our example, this is what will happen to us in the day of his appearing and our acceptance by him: we shall be like Jesus (1 John 3:2) as we sing in our hymn.

‘We shall be like him’, O how rich the promise;
What greater could our Father’s love prepare?
Few are the words, and softly are they spoken
But who can know the blessings hidden there?

‘We shall be like Him’, pure in heart and sinless;
But His redeeming mercy ends not there;
These bodies like to His shall then be fashioned,
And we his resurrection glory share.

‘We shall be like him’, raised above all weakness,
For ever passed all weariness and pain;
Even death itself shall have no power to reach us,
When with our risen Lord we will live and reign.

So in the hope of bearing his bright image,
Rejoicing in his present gift of grace,
His love shall keep our hearts in patient waiting,
Till we in glorious beauty see his face.

This is the real future that is promised by God for us, if we do our best to please Him day by day. We are to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21), and to do good unto all men (Galatians 6:10). This is not easy, but Jesus did just that. Speaking before his death, Jesus spoke to the faithful “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19). Jesus was raised to eternal life, a life that knows no ending nor pain. We can share in this same hope if we keep on trying to please God and praying and asking for strength to live a good life. We can then have an answer of peace from Jesus Christ in the day of his return. God has promised that Jesus Christ is coming and his promise cannot fail. Likewise we must not fail God in our ways, in our speech, in our love for others and in our obedience to His word. We must pray that God will give us strength to win the prize of eternal life and joy. The grace of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, be with us to this end. Amen
 

Bro. Joseph Oppong (Cape Coast, Ghana)