The Rapture - The Triumph of Patience
It’s amazing to listen to the cheap theology
of our apostate generation. Cheap grace that covers lacy religion is the
order of this last generation. Grace has become an excuse to live
self-centered lives and yet claim discipleship with Christ. The Bible makes
no such room for careless living. Grace does not cover for sin but breaks
the power of sin. Patience is ceaseless surrender in the face of many
difficulties to that power of grace at work in the believer’s heart. The
rapture of each of us to His presence will be the triumph of patience.
Listen to the Apostle of grace as he instructs
us to patience. “Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against
himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet
resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews
12:1-4). The world will never be fair to the saints. There is no unity
between us and a world under the sway of sin. We are the ones that must show
them t he pure life and never expect them to understand the conflict until
they are converted. We win others to Christ by patience.
“Let us run with
patience the race that is set before us.” It
is a race, a contest and an arena of spiritual sport. There is a world full
of dark spirits, wickedness in high places, and we are the opponents to be
defeated. Day by day we must see ourselves in this race and learn to deal
with each conflict patiently.
The other person may treat you wrongly, but
our Father says, “Love your enemies.”
They may even hate you, but remember they hated Him first. Our struggle is
never to be in a personal battle with individuals. “For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having
on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”
(Ephesians 6:12-18) This is a struggle to the end. There is no coasting
if you would win the prize. “In your patience,
possess ye your soul” (Luke 21:19). The triumph of
patience is the rapture of His saints.
The
Rapture: Triumph of Holiness
Jesus plainly said,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”
(Matthew 5:8).You will never find one scripture in the Holy Bible that even
suggests that those living in sin will inherit the eternal kingdom. The
opposite is always declared without compromise. The glory of the rapture
will be the triumph of Holiness. Pure, Godly, separated saints will be
caught up to meet Jesus in the air. The true church from Pentecost until
this hour has been badgered over Holiness above every other
thought. Theology is important but it never causes the attack that Holiness
does. People will divide over denominations, ideas of church government, and
other ecclesiastical matters but nothing causes more disputes than right and
wrong. What is the lifestyle acceptable to be called a Bible Christian is t
he ultimate place for church war.
Sometimes the problem is mainly the argument
over man-made standards. The church has often been deeply divided over
Holiness issues that are not Holiness at all. It would be impossible to name
or describe all the man-made standards imposed on believers. Good people
with impure spirits have developed man-made ideas about right and wrong that
reflect nothing but self-righteousness. There are a lot of Scriptures that
can be twisted to support many different man-made convictions. They always
do more harm than good.
Bible Holiness is not only right but the only
way into the Kingdom. The Gospel said, “Follow
peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”
(Hebrews 12:14). His church is a Holiness church. “But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people,
but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you
as evildoers, they may by your good wor ks, which they shall behold, glorify
God in the day of visitation” (I Peter 2:9-12). Search the
history of every great awakening—Waldensians, Anabaptists, Huguenots,
Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, or Pentecostals—in every case Holiness,
separation from the world, was the character and culture. There is no such
idea in Scripture of discipleship without Holiness.
I am not talking about man-made standards but
a Biblical culture. Every human individual was created in the image of
God. Our entire person was created in the Father’s likeness. As He is
triune, in three persons, we are triune in spirit, soul, and body. There are
three that bear witness in Heaven—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—three that
bear witness on earth—blood, water, and the spirit—and there is a three-fold
witness in every human person. We were created “a
little lower than the angels, but crowned with glory”
(Psalm 8:5). Because of our creation in the image of God, the ultimate sin
is to mar and defile that image which is ourselves.
Every commandment and restriction in Holy
Scripture is based on our likeness to God. Sin is anything that reduces my
life from the image of my Father. The commandments, both in the First and
New Testaments are never given to restrict our liberties or to place bondage
on our lives. They are given to protect His likeness in men, to keep us in
His image and in His glory. That’s the culture of Holiness that will fill
heaven and the New Earth and no one will inherit the Heavenly future without
the Heavenly culture and lifestyle. The Bible teaches this culture and
clearly makes it the only acceptable life in His family.
The Rapture will be the final triumph of
Holiness over sin and worldly living. One church put the following on their
outdoor sign, “The Rapture: Separation of Church & State.”
Joseph R. Chambers
jrc@pawcreek.org
