Exceeding Riches of Grace
Dearly beloved of God, in the ages to come, God our Father is going to show us the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Who could have imagined such exceeding riches of grace? They are beyond anything we could ask or think about. “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard and it has not entered into the heart of mankind what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Our hope of glory is a certain future reality. When will we partake of this kindness toward us in Christ Jesus?
I Thessalonians 4:15-18
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
This is “the Word of the Lord.” The Lord Jesus Christ gave this revelation himself. Since he is the one that will perform this marvelous work, we should take him at his word.
What a day that will be! When this occurs we will obtain the salvation that we hope for today. God chose to save us in Christ and by his work. In fact, He called us by the gospel of God concerning Christ to the obtaining the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Dearly beloved, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. We will be glorified as heirs together with him.
Our citizenship is in heaven from where also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall transfigure our vile bodies that are today subject to death, so that they are conformed to the image of his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Who could have imagined such glory?
Furthermore, we will be delivered from the wrath to come. We will not participate in the period of time called the wrath of God that will take place in Day of the Lord. Such grace!
We are members of God’s household, His dearly beloved kids, and He determined beforehand that we would be conformed to the image of His Son, so that he, Jesus Christ, is the firstborn among many brethren.
Dearly beloved, God our Father will freely give us all things with Christ. We will be delivered from the grave, corruption, mortality, and this evil world, and coming wrath. Today we have the glory of the new birth, but when Christ Jesus the Lord returns for us we will receive the glory of the inheritance of which we are heirs together with Christ.
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. They are indeed “light” when compared to the far more exceeding and eternal heavy weight of glory that we will receive when we see Christ face to face, and we are as he is.
Press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus, dearly beloved.
We have an inheritance that is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that will not fade away; it is reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through believing unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Christ is coming with exceeding riches of grace for us, beloved! Rejoice forevermore!