The Scriptures abound in threats to the world and promises to the Church that Jesus Christ will come back to the world the second time. The hope of the world is in the salvation which Jesus provided by His first coming into the world. The hope of the Church is in the second coming of Christ.

This distinction is fundamental. It is no more valid to preach that the second coming of Christ is the hope of everyone than it is to preach universal salvation. When Christ comes the second time He will bring no offering for sin. His coming is more directly connected with judgment than with mercy. There are, of course, blendings of mercy and judgment in connection with His appearing, but starting with what we have now, the changes that are made are all in the direction of judgment, and of decreased mercy.

The prophecies of Christ’s second coming constitute a very interesting study, but they are no more saving in their force than the study of the history of the past would be. In fact prophecy is a miracle of knowledge, comparable to the miracles of power manifest during the days of Christ’s earthly ministry. Prophecy is in reality just history written in advance.

Prophecy is not a cause. Therefore we are not to suppose that God wills a thing just because His prophets have foretold its occurrence. And we are not to suppose that the mere knowledge that things are coming is preparation for their coming. One may be an apt and accomplished student of prophecy and still be spiritually unprepared for the issue which he has discerned is about to occur.

We all know that we are “born to die,” and that unless we are translated by the coming of Christ we shall die, as all except two —Enoch and Elijah—who have lived in the generations of the past have done. But this common knowledge does not prepare us for death and the life beyond death.

It is folly for us to talk of the second coming of Christ as our hope and prospect unless we gladly and fully accept the full benefits provided for us in His first appearing in the world. And in that first appearing, including His life, ministry, death, and resurrection, He provided a complete solution for the sin problem and a full cure for the disease of sin. “Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” ( Matthew 1:21). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ( 1 John 1:9). “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate” ( Hebrews 13:12). “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8: 2). What more could be promised? What addition could be made? The Blood was shed in this world and it is available now. If it cannot make an end of sin in us now, it can never do it, unless we are ready to admit that death or purgatory or some other real or imaginary thing is to assist God in doing the difficult thing of ridding His people of sin.

Jesus made the principal call to preparedness for His coming, “Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” ( Matthew 24:44). And to be ready is to be “blessed and holy,” that is, regenerated and sanctified. Holiness of heart and life are the only qualifications for meeting Jesus in joy at His second advent. Surely no one can deny this. But if these are the qualifications and we are to be ready always, then this is evident: we must get the blessing of a clean, holy heart and keep it continually and live out its implications in everyday contacts and conduct. To say that we will be given holiness at the appearing of the Lord is entirely gratuitous, just as is the claim that there will be further opportunity to repent after death. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” ( 1 John 3:1-2).

Now if this were the end of the passage we might suppose that being “like him” means being cleansed from sin at His coming. But the third verse is in direct connection, and refers to a present accomplishment, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” The hope of seeing Christ as He is and of being in a glorified body and in a glorified world as He is has this practical effect upon all who possess it: they at once apply themselves to the conditions for being made pure from sin, for sin is the one thing that will keep one from entering into that happy state. The claims of those who say they are hoping for His soon coming are validated only by their pressing immediately into the grace of holiness of heart and then by their living holy lives from there on out to the end.

The Church, that is, the body of true believers who welcome Christ at His second advent, is, according to John of Revelation, like a pure bride adorned in pure, clean, white linen. And for such a Church, Jesus is said to have given himself, “that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” ( Ephesians 5:25-27).