The Apostle's Creed Series #7

"And He Shall Come Again"
2 Peter 3:3-14

First it was Y2K. The possibility of a worldwide digital meltdown began to evaporate as the new millennium dawned around the globe on January 1, 2001. Billions of people were left united in a collective shrug. It wasn’t the end of the world after all. Then came 9/11. In the midst of tragedy, once again many were heralding the end of the world. Life went on. Now the great concerns are with global warming with its threat of imminent doom for a fragile planet, and with middle eastern conflict and the threat of all-out religious war.

I suspect that every generation of Christians has had those who thought that they were living in the last days; that Christ would soon return to the earth to right the wrongs and vindicate the righteous. And yet... and yet here we are, still coping with life on this small planet. What is a Christian to believe?

This morning I want to briefly look at the phrase in the Apostle’s Creed which states, "...from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead." With this phrase both the journey and the task of Jesus are now complete. Jesus came from heaven to earth, took upon himself humanity, gave his life for our sins, died and rose again to offer us life, and then returned to his former glory in heaven where he continually intercedes for us. Now we come to the final chapter, for we believe that someday Jesus the Christ will return, not to intercede but to judge.

To think about Jesus’ return, let’s look at 2 Peter 3:3-10 from The Message (3) First of all, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, (4) they’ll mock, "So what’s happening to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything’s going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing’s changed."

5They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God’s word. (6) Then God’s word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. (7) The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgement and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.

(8) Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. (9) God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.

(10) But when the Day of God’s Judgement does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgement."

10But when the Day of God’s Judgement does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgement." the notion of the Lord’s return, as many today still do. However, the apostle Peter reminds us that the God who created all things will someday bring down judgement upon all things. In God’s good time there will come a moment when this world as we know it will change. In the twinkling of an eye, at a moment when we least expect it, Christ will come again in judgement. Don’t be fooled, Peter says, if it seems slow in coming to us, for God’s time is not as ours.

The first error, then, is to completely disavow Christ’s coming. The second error is to become overly preoccupied with the Second Coming of our Lord. (11)The first error, then, is to completely disavow Christ’s coming. The second error is to become overly preoccupied with the Second Coming of our Lord. 12Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements will melt down on that day - but we’ll hardly notice. 13We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. 14So, dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. There are Christians today who are consumed by the notion of the Lord’s return, who spend far too much time and energy trying to determine the exact time of his return. However, Jesus himself said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father...Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:36,42).

Both Peter and Jesus were saying that since we cannot know exactly when Jesus will return, we shouldn’t dwell on it. Rather, we should live our lives as though Christ is already here. After all, he is! The more aware you are of the Spirit’s presence in your life today, the less worried you will be about Christ’s return tomorrow."Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival... So, dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and in peace."

Friends, Christ has not left us. He intercedes for us today in heaven, and he will come again. In the meantime, live life as if Christ could come today. We have the promise of Christ’s return, and we can look forward to it with hope.

Second, we have the Promise of Christ's Judgment.While the Bible doesn’t give precise details about the return of our Lord, there is one element of his return that scripture does address with certainty. Look at 2 Peter 3:5-7, " 5They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God’s word. 6Then God’s word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. 7The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgement and destruction of the desecrating skeptics."

Most of us are not comfortable with talk of God’s judgment. It is alright to talk about God’s love and mercy and we like the notion of the Jesus, meek and mild, but the idea of his coming with fire to judge is rather frightening. However, the Bible says that you and I are living between two visits by the Son of God. In the first visit, Christ came with humility and compassion as the Great High Priest to pay for the sins of the world. In his Second Coming, Christ will come in power and glory as the conquering king to judge the earth.

The Apostle’s Creed says that Jesus will come to judge the quick (which comes from an Old English word that meant "living") and the dead. All the peoples of the earth, those who died before his coming and those alive at his coming, will one day be judged for their actions. It is not something that we should fear. If we are living a life of faith, we have nothing to fear. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, "The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me but to all who have longed for his appearing."

The good news is that when we stand before Christ, those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior will be judged not on the basis of our sins but on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. The crown of righteousness can be ours as well.

"I believe in Jesus...who one day shall return to judge the quick and the dead." One day our Lord Jesus will return and we will give account for the way we lived our lives. Why not begin today with a commitment to live your life as if Christ were already here? It could make all the difference in the world.