Week Forty-One - When He Cometh

When he cometh,

When he cometh,

To make up his jewels.

All his jewels,

Precious jewels,

His love and his own.

Like the stars of the morning,

His bright crown adorning,

They shall shine in their beauty,

Bright gems for his crown.

(William Cushing)

When He cometh! O, how we long to be joined with our Saviour, bright jewels for His crown.

My heart began singing this old hymn after reading Psalm 96, which ends with verse 13 saying, "For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth."

I'd imagine this verse inspired the hymn, but the last phrase, "with his truth, " caught my eye. Not our truth, not any other truth, but His truth. In a world seeking to create their own, we are often tempted to believe their truth is right, but we need not be naive. Man's truth fluctuates. It moves along with patterns of unrighteousness and the demands of those seeking to live without God as a governing factor. Sinful humanity rebels against God's truth. But as much as they want to stomp their feet and breath out threatening, God's truth remains as the determining factor for eternal judgment. 

In John 12:48, Jesus says, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." His Word judges us.

The Bible says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and His words were written that we might find Christ as Saviour and be assured of our eternal home (1 John 5:10-13). As comforting as that promise may be, His words are also there for condemnation to those who reject them. Those words divide. They demand a decision. They are the standard by which God will judge when all men stand before Him.

Jesus blends truth and His Word in John 17:17, saying, "Thy word is truth." That is a powerful statement and one we cannot ignore. In humanity's eternal search for truth, God's Word stands solidly as the ultimate measure.

We could continue with this vein of thought reading in Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Shall not - a definite determination. Though everything we know fails and passes away, God's Word will not. It stands consistent, faithful, and true.

Friend, there are two truths for us to grasp here. First, for those who know the Lord, we can rest assured that God's Word is truth. We can stand confidently because it is established for eternity. It is the ground of our salvation, our soul's hope, and our life's strength. It will not pass away. Everything recorded in His Word will come to pass. He is coming! And we rejoice in anticipation.

But for those who do not know Christ, this truth must be understood: judgment will be based solely upon the truth of God's Word. God is "not willing that any perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). And there lies your hope, invitation, and opportunity. Come to Christ today. Repent and turn to the One who gave Himself for you now before He comes to judge. Open the Bible and read to understand His mercy and longsuffering that offers you yet another chance to bring yourself in line with the Word of God and know the beauty of His truth that will save your soul. When He cometh, it will be too late.