THE
GREAT SEPARATION
"Then shall two be in the field;
the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the
mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the
house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and
would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready:
for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:40-44
In that great day, when Christ comes again,
there will be a great separation (vv. 40-41). In the church, the factory,
the field, and the family the children of God and the children of the devil are
side by side. But it shall not always be so. When Christ comes again, there
shall be a great separation made. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
these two groups shall be forever separated. In that great and terrible day,
the divisions and separation of the godly from the ungodly will be decisive,
immediate, and everlasting.
There will be no time for
repentance. As we are in that day, so we shall be forever! Believers shall be
caught up to heaven, glory, honor, and eternal life. Unbelievers shall be
snatched away and cast into hell, damnation, and eternal destruction and death.
Let us make our calling and election sure. Do you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ? Do I? Is Christ your Lord? Is he mine? We are absolute fools, if we do
not seek to find the answer to these questions, not in the light of tradition
and religious custom, but in the light of Holy Scripture.
“Blessed and happy are they
who are of one heart in following Christ! Their union alone shall never be
broken: It shall last for ever more. Who can imagine the happiness of those who
are taken, when the Lord returns? Who can imagine the misery of those who are
left behind? May we think on these things, and consider our ways!” (J.C. Ryle)
It is our responsibility to be
always watchful, ready for and anticipating the Lord’s coming (vv. 42-44). This is a
point which our Master frequently presses upon us. He seldom mentions his
second coming, without urging us to be watchful. He knows the slothfulness of
our nature. He knows how quickly we forget the most solemn things. He knows how
worldly minded we are by nature. He knows how constantly Satan seeks to destroy
us and with what cunning devices. Therefore he arms us with heart-searching
exhortations to be awake and alert, lest we be found at last among the damned
(1 Thess. 5:6; Rev. 3:11).
We will be wise, like the
spouse in the Song of Solomon (7:12), to rise up early, shake off all carnal
security, determine not to be slothful and sluggish, and stand watchful over
our souls, that we may be prepared at any moment to meet our Lord and Master.
We do not know, we cannot even guess, in what watch of the earth’s long night
Christ will come. But we do know that he is coming, and that he may come at any
moment. Therefore we ought to be as watchful as if we knew that Christ would
come today.
“Oh, to be ready for his
appearing, watching and waiting for him as servants whose Lord has been long
away from them, and who may return at any hour! This will not make us neglect
our daily calling; on the contrary, we shall be all the more diligent in
attending to our earthly duties because our hearts are at rest about our
heavenly treasures.” (C.H. Spurgeon)
Are you ready? Are you ready now to meet
God in judgment? What an awesome thought that is! Yet, it is a thought that I
pray will never cease to rouse our hearts. Soon we must meet God in judgment.
Are we ready? There is only one way to that we can indeed be ready. We must be
in Christ, united to him by faith, washed in his blood, robed in his
righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #759
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net