The Day Is Coming!

The Day Is Coming!

“‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.’” Mal. 4:1-2.

God be praised that the Day is coming when God’s righteousness will be revealed. The Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings for those who have feared the name of the Lord, and they will rejoice greatly. They lived in the sunlight of righteousness in the days of their flesh and were the children of the day who hated the works of darkness. Their entire life’s interest was the battle between light and darkness. When the Day comes—after they have conquered the power of darkness forever—their joy will be full.

With the full assurance of faith in their hearts, these believers have fought valiantly, thinking of the Day that is coming. They have endured the greatest hardships, have been misunderstood, despised, and mocked. Many of them suffered a martyr’s death after they were cruelly tortured. They truly died on the field of honor. Many have perhaps faithfully endured an entire life in slavery. They were whipped and beaten by tyrants; nevertheless, they possessed an inner joy at the thought of the Day that was yet to come, and this joy preserved them through it all. In His battle, Jesus Himself looked forward to the joy that was set before Him, and at the thought of this Day He could patiently endure the cross, despising the shame. Yes, “consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” Heb. 12:2-3.

It is truly a blessed comfort to consider Christ’s life, to follow in His steps, and to come to that same blessed Day under the same Sun of Righteousness.

Many foolish Christians wonder in their hearts if there actually is an advantage to taking heed diligently to the commandments of the Lord. They look around and see that it also goes well with the ungodly, and in their eyes it appears as if God’s blessing does not depend on a truly God-fearing life. By looking around like this and as a result of these thoughts, many who began with a fervent heart have fallen asleep.

However, those who feared God spoke often with one another; they had good thoughts in their hearts about being exact in their godliness. The Lord heard their acceptable words, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” Mal. 3:13-17.

On that Day the Lord will cause the book of remembrance to be opened, and then He will remember the conduct of each individual in each circumstance—in thought, word, and deed. Then it will be a question of whether we have thought of the glory of His name in all situations of life instead of having thought of ourselves and our personal advantage.

Not a single man has been able to imagine the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Cor. 2:9. It is therefore rewarding to love Him in truth and serve Him with uprightness as long as we live. He who tests the hearts and minds knows what dwells in man, and nothing is hidden that will not be revealed. The Day will come for the just and the unjust, for the truthful and the liar, for the merciful and the tyrant. Then we will also see the difference between those who have taken their godliness seriously and those who have taken it less seriously. We will also see the difference between those who have answered the call of salvation in their youth and those who have postponed their salvation to a later date because of youthful lusts.

All of us have a free will and can use it to do evil or good; but after that comes the judgment.

Everyone who understands even a little of what an advantage it is to serve God will not consider long before he wholeheartedly enters into a life of godliness.