Walking in the Freedom of the Light, Part 2


By Pastor Dan Kennedy

© November 6, 2016

www.pastorkennedy.com


Spiritual delusions plague each person in the world today.  Believers in Jesus Christ must be illumined by the Light emanating from God and His Word or they will be encased, confused and visually impaired through the blinding artificial light permeating the world.


The Sources of Alluring and Confusing Artificial Lights

  1. The world and all its attractiveness lures us to seek power, pride and assets following its “wide road” with a turbulent mass of others, leading to destruction.


  1. Our flesh and its seductive persuasiveness compels us to fulfill our fleshly desires.


  1. The devil deceitfully constructs his own uniquely personalized provocative plan of attack through profound spiritual deceptions, lies and manipulation – for his own pride and purposes, the humiliating destruction of the individual, and the ultimate disgrace of God, his archenemy.


This triad of unholy alliances (the world, the flesh and the devil) presses each person…including each Believer in Christ to be potentially deceived by the alluring blindness of spiritual darkness – even while believing sincerely that we are still walking in the light.  How deep in the darkness are we if the “light” we perceive within us is actually a greater darkness.


Matthew 6:22–23

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!


2 Corinthians 11:14–15

14 … Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.



Today we are continuing this brief series of “Walking in the Freedom of the Light”, originating in Galatians 5, but today we will be looking at both letters to the Thessalonians, and other key passages, with a similar theme.

Previously we briefly discussed “Walking in God’s Light” to include the following:


  1. Belief in our Personal Creator God (Yahweh/Jehovah), and our accountability to Him.

  2. Belief in our Personal Redeemer and Savior from the guilt and penalty of sin, the Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ.

  3. Seeking to Live unto God, while turning from the world, dying to the flesh and resisting Satan.

  4. Reliance on the Bible, the Word of God, through which God gives us His instructions on how to live.

  5. Living a life sensitive to the Leading of the Holy Spirit.


Today we will be looking more closely at another dimension of God’s Light, which is sneered at and berated by the artificially dark-lighted world:


  1. Living in Hope:  Understanding more clearly, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ


Is Jesus Christ Going to Return, or is it the figment of someone’s wild imagination?

When considering the return of Jesus Christ and a person’s final outcome, it depends on faith in the source of an individual’s “light”, the results are polar opposites….


Belief in Christ’s Return

or

Incredulous that idiots would believe such fairy tales


Believers in Christ are caught up to be forever with the Lord

or

Unbelievers are destroyed and condemned


The Righteous will be Eternally Rewarded

or

The wicked will be eternally punished


The Outcomes for each belief are not only polar opposites, but also profoundly important for the eternal life of the person committing their destiny to their belief.


Living in the Light:  The Truth about God’s Judgment and Reward can be revealed from a Historical Perspective and a Future Perspective

There are two events of Judgment, Calamity, and Redemption spoken of in the Scripture.  To know and properly understand these events is a revelation of the light which gives freedom to more clearly understand the past and give certainty and clarity to the future.


  1. The Biblical Flood

  2. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ



  1. 1. The Biblical Flood during Noah’s Day


a.     This event is discounted as fiction by those who themselves would fall all over themselves if the historical evidence for their own cause was a mere shadow of what is available regarding the Biblical Flood.


o   Almost every ancient culture has a tradition affirming a world-wide flood…do a “google search”.  Few if any ancient events are more confirmable from so many diverse resources.


o   The world treats the Biblical Flood as they do the evidence for a Personal Creator God (through the diversity and profoundness of creation all around them).  Naysayers avoid belief because it points specifically to probability, accountability and judgment.


b.    Noah and his family were saved.


c.     All the wicked were condemned and destroyed.



Carnal Scoffers and Naysayers abound, rejecting the Catastrophic Judgement of God, regarding both the Biblical Flood when the wicked were consumed by water; and, Jesus Christ’s Return when the earth will be cleansed by fire.


2 Peter 3:3–10

3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.



2.   The Future Day of the Lord – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ


a.     The Dead in Christ and living Believers in Christ will be caught up to be with Christ forever. (1 Thess. 4:13-18)


b.    The wicked will be judged, destroyed and condemned. (2 Peter 3:7)


c.     The Earth will be purified by fire. (2 Peter 3:7, 10)



The Apostle Paul’s Teaching to the Thessalonians of Jesus Christ’s Return


  1. Jesus’ Death and Resurrection is the premise on which we believe in life after death, and on which Jesus’ Second Coming is certain:  Jesus Died and Rose Again, “so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him”.


  1. At God’s Trumpet Call the Dead in Christ rise first:  At the Lord’s coming and the trumpet call of God, the dead in Christ will rise first.


  1. Living believers in Christ will then be caught up:  After this, those believers in Christ who are alive will be caught up together to meet with Christ in the air and be with Him forever.


  1. Surprise for the wicked:  The Day of the Lord will be like a thief in the night for those not looking for Him.


  1. “Peace and Safety?”…but instead sudden destruction:  The wicked will be espousing “peace and safety”, followed by destruction.


  1. Great Encouragement:  Christ’s Appearing should be of great encouragement to all believers.


1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Hope in the Coming of the Lord

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.


1 Thessalonians 5:1–6

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.



2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

Just Pay Back from God

5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.

This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.



Jude 14–15 – The Early Prophecy of Enoch

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”



2 Thessalonians 2:1-12   

False Teaching, Rebellion against God and the Revelation of the Man of Lawlessness

1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion (see definition following) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.



Rebellion” (2 Thess. 2:3)

646 ἀποστασία [apostasia /ap·os·tas·ee·ah/] n f. Feminine of the same as 647; TDNT 1:513; TDNTA 88; GK 686; Two occurrences; AV translates as “to forsake + 575” once, and “falling away” once. 1 a falling away, defection, apostasy.[1]


Conclusion


  1. Jesus Christ’s return will come at a time known only to the God the Father (Matt. 24:36)…an ultimate “twinkling of an eye” revelation (1 Cor. 15:52), like a thief in the night, while everyone else obliviously is declaring “Peace and Safety”…just like during the time before the Flood in the days of Noah. (1 Thess. 5:2-3; Matt. 24:37-39)



  1. Believers in Christ should be alert and self-controlled and not be surprised at His Coming.  (2 Thess. 5:4-6)


  1. During this time there will be an exponential deception through false teaching and supernatural signs (Matt. 24:24; Rev. 13:13), rebellion against God and the revelation of the man of lawlessness. (2 Thess. 2:3-4)


  1. The One who holds back the secret power of lawlessness will be taken out of the way.

“The secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed.” (2 Thess. 2:7-8)


Matthew 24:32–42

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.



1 John 2:28

28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.


If we are those who are “walking in the freedom of God’s Light” and not in the artificial and deceptive dark-light of the world, we will recognize the truth and relevance of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and will seek to live and follow Jesus Christ as an honorable Child of God, looking forward to His Return and eternity with Him!



ENDNOTES additional Scripture regarding Christ’s Second Coming


Luke 12

You Must Be Ready

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. [See the O.T. Law re: “beating” in Deut.  25:1-3 - Jesus was well aware of it as well as those to whom He was speaking.] 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.


Stay Awake, Watch and Be Ready


The Parable of the Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.


Other Verses Pertinent to Christ’s Second Coming


1 Corinthians 1

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.


1 Corinthians 4

5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.


1 Corinthians 15

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.


1 Corinthians 16

21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! [Maranatha]


Philippians 3

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.


Philippians 4  

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand….


1 Thessalonians 5:9

  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain

salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ


Titus 2:13

13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ….


James 5:7-9

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.


1 John 2:28

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.


Revelation 3:11; 22:7,12,20

I am coming soon!”

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!


Matthew 24

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.


Zechariah 14:1-5

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst.  For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.  On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.  And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.


John 16

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.


John 14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.


Hebrews 9

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.


1 Peter 1

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.


1 Peter 4

13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.


1 John 3

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we will be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.






[1] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.