Understanding the Second Coming

Scripture: And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28

Observation: For Jews who had learned so much about ritual sacrifice, the point of Jesus' death was understood as the shedding of blood for sin. However, the idea of "once, for all" was not understood. They performed their rituals over and over. In this way, they idea of Jesus' second coming was perhaps misunderstood. Jesus had been a sacrifice for their sins, so when he comes again, that must be because ... he still has to deal with sin.

As Hebrews points out, this is not the case. Sin is a settled matter. Jesus has given himself as the sacrifice for all sin, and therefore the forgiveness of all who believe. Therefore, his return is not to deal with sin, but rather to complete the salvation for those who believe.

Application: Even today I watched a lesson where the pastor digressed a moment to remind everyone of how to properly understand God's word. The bible never contradicts itself. In this case, if it says that Jesus' sacrifice addresses all sin, this his second coming cannot be a way to address MORE sin. It must be for another purpose.

I desire to keep this in mind as I read ... that understanding God's word requires the context of his entire word. After several years now, I have read enough to have that context. I do hope I can continue to apply it to my life.

Prayer: Lord, your word is a light unto my feet. May I follow in your path, knowing and learning it more and more every day. Amen.