The Coming of the Lord for the Church: A Joyful Event Not to Be Feared
The coming of the Lord for His Church is not a threat hanging over the believer’s head, but the very heart of our encouragement and hope. Scripture calls it the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), a promise that should stir in us a longing—not dread—to see Him face to face. We are meant to anticipate this day with bold confidence, knowing it will be a gathering of rejoicing, not a tribunal of shame.
The Poison of False Teaching: Turning Hope into Fear
Yet, many believers shrink from thoughts of Christ’s return. Why? Because they have been poisoned by teaching that recasts His coming as a day of judgment and discipline for the Church. This error is not a minor misstep—it strikes at the root of grace. If you believe God’s attitude toward you is one of disappointment or anger, you will not draw near to Him; you will hide, robbed of joy and assurance.
I know this from experience. For years I labored under the lie that my acceptance at His coming hinged on my progress, my qualification, my ability to meet some undefined standard. The result? Joy evaporated. The Christian life became a fearful calculation, not a relationship of sonship. This is the inevitable fruit of any doctrine that conditions your inheritance on your performance.
The Day of the Lord vs. The Day of Christ: Cataclysm or Celebration?
Scripture makes a crucial distinction that false teaching blurs: the difference between the “Day of the Lord” and the “Day of Christ.” The Day of the Lord, as revealed in the prophets, is cataclysmic—a day of darkness, destruction, and woe for the nations (Isaiah 13:6; Amos 5:18). It is right to tremble at such a day.
But the New Testament, through Paul’s revelation, unveils the “Day of Christ”—a term never used for judgment, but for the joyful manifestation of the Church. This is the day when the mystery hidden for ages is revealed: the glorification of the sons of God, the Church as God’s own inheritance (Romans 8:19; Ephesians 1:18).
If you collapse these two days into one, you lose the very hope that is meant to sustain you. You exchange the blessed hope for a fearful expectation, and in so doing, you undermine the finished work of Christ.
The Mystery Revealed: Our Instantaneous Glorification
The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—did not reveal the secret of the Church’s destiny. There was no mention of the regenerated sons of God, no hint of the secret catching away of the Bride, no unveiling of our transfiguration into Christ’s likeness. These things were a hidden mystery (Romans 8:28; Colossians 1:26-27), reserved for Paul to disclose.
When the Lord comes for His Church, He will catch us up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). In that moment, every believer—dead or alive—will be transformed. All sin, all spot and blemish, will be gone. We will be as He is, in nature and appearance (1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:21). This is not a process, but an instantaneous act of God’s grace. The entire universe is waiting for this unveiling, when God inherits the finished product of His work: the glorified Church, the many sons conformed to Christ’s image (Romans 8:29).
This is God’s delight, the praise of His grace before angels and all creation (Ephesians 1:5-6). Nothing remains to be added; the project of grace is complete.
Justification Has Already Qualified Us—No Further Condition Remains
Here is the foundation: justification by faith in Christ has already qualified us for that day. This is not a project that begins with grace and ends with works. Abraham, the father of faith, was justified in order to inherit the world—not by law, not by effort, but by promise (Romans 4:13-16). Paul is explicit: the inheritance is secured and guaranteed for all who believe in Christ (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:29; Hebrews 6:13-19).
You may not feel qualified in your present state—flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:50)—but God’s solution is not further striving. It is resurrection and transformation. The change will happen instantaneously and simultaneously for the entire Church. The dead in Christ will rise, and we who are alive will be caught up and changed. Then, and only then, will we be fit for the kingdom. This is not a comfort for the elite, but for all who are in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
What Is Lost If We Accept the Error?
If you accept the teaching that only the “overcomers,” the perfected, or the especially faithful will inherit, you lose everything that makes the gospel good news. You make justification insufficient, inheritance uncertain, and sonship provisional. You place the believer back under the law, back under fear, and back under the shadow of condemnation. You rob the Church of its confidence, its joy, and its longing for Christ’s appearing. In short, you trade the blessed hope for a perpetual anxiety that can never produce the fruit of the Spirit.
No Outer Darkness for the Church—No More Separation
Some claim that those who do not “measure up” will be cast into outer darkness during the millennium, to weep and gnash their teeth. But Scripture is clear: when we see Him, we will be as He is. Those caught up to meet the Lord will ever be with Him—no more separation, no more distance (2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). The passages about “outer darkness” are found in the synoptic Gospels, which do not reveal the mystery of the Church. To apply them to the Body of Christ is to ignore the very revelation that defines our position and hope.
Rewards: The Generosity of Our Lord
Yes, there is a judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10), but it is not a tribunal of terror. It is the Bema seat—a place where the quality of our works is tested, not our sonship. Works that endure will be rewarded; works that do not will be burned up, but the believer himself will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). There are crowns for loving His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8), for enduring trial (James 1:12), and for faithful service (Hebrews 6:10). The Lord is generous; He remembers every tear, every act of faith, every cup of water given in His name (Mark 9:41; Psalm 56:8).
But hear this: whether you receive a crown or not, nothing will diminish or increase God’s love for you, or His joy in displaying the treasure of His heart—the many sons of God, glorified by grace.
Watch and Rejoice—The Blessed Hope Is Yours
The Bible exhorts us to watch for the Lord’s coming. In the Gospels, this was a warning; in Paul’s epistles, where the mystery is revealed, it is pure encouragement. The coming of the Lord for the Church is not a day to fear, but the day we have been waiting for—the unveiling of our inheritance, the consummation of our justification, the display of God’s grace for all to see.
Let no one steal this hope from you. Stand firm in the finished work of Christ. Look for His coming with boldness and joy, knowing that you are already qualified, already beloved, and destined for glory—not by your striving, but by His promise. This is the blessed hope, and it belongs to all who are in Christ.
