The Coming of the Lord for the Church is a Joyful Event Not to be Feared
Orientation
Many believers fear the Lord's coming because they've been taught it's a time of judgment and discipline for the Church.
- This false teaching recasts our blessed hope as a threat, robbing believers of joy and assurance.
- It conditions our acceptance on our performance, turning the Christian life into fearful calculation.
- The result is that believers shrink from drawing near to the Lord, thinking He is angry or disappointed with them.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)
— Titus 2:13
Clarification
Scripture distinguishes the fearful 'Day of the Lord' from the joyful 'Day of Christ' for the Church.
- The 'Day of the Lord' is cataclysmic judgment for the nations, a day of darkness and woe (Isaiah 13:6; Amos 5:18).
- The 'Day of Christ' is a New Testament term revealed through Paul, describing the glorious manifestation of the redeemed Church.
- Collapsing these two distinct days into one exchanges our blessed hope for a fearful expectation.
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)
— Romans 8:19
Structure
The coming of the Lord is the instantaneous glorification of all believers as one body in Christ.
- At the rapture, every believer—dead or alive—will be transformed to be like Christ in nature and appearance (1 John 3:2).
- This is not a process but an act of grace, completing the project of salvation and presenting the Church as God's inheritance.
- All believers are glorified simultaneously; there is no further separation or 'outer darkness' punishment for those in Christ.
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. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Weight-Bearing Prose
The foundation for this joyful hope is justification by faith alone, which has already fully qualified us for the inheritance. Abraham was justified to inherit the world by promise, not by law or effort (Romans 4:13-16). The inheritance is secured and guaranteed for all who believe in Christ (Galatians 3:29). This qualification is not the beginning of a works-based project but the finished result of grace.
Paul’s revelation unveils the mystery hidden in ages past: the Church as a distinct, heavenly entity, the glorified sons of God. The synoptic Gospels did not reveal this secret of our catching away or transfiguration. This was reserved for the Pauline epistles (Colossians 1:26-27). The Bema seat of Christ assesses works for reward, not for salvation. Rewards like crowns exist for faithful endurance, but God’s love and joy over His redeemed children remain unaltered regardless. The Bema is a celebration, not a cause for fear (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Integration
The coming of the Lord is your blessed hope. It is the culmination of God’s grace, the moment you will be fully conformed to the image of Christ. There is no anger to meet, only joy. There is no tribunal of shame, only the welcoming embrace of your Savior.
Your place is secured not by your progress but by His promise. You are already qualified. The entire universe is waiting for the unveiling of what God has already accomplished in you. Rest in this. Anticipate this day not with dread, but with bold confidence and longing. It is the joyful end of grace’s story, where God inherits His delight—you, glorified together with all His saints.