54 The Fundamentals. Beyond death there is another appointment, that of judg ment. Who shall appeal against the absolute justice of that appointment ? He “shall appear a second time, apart from sin . . . unto salvation.” To those who have heard the message of the first advent and have believed it, and trusted in His great work, and have found shelter in the mystery of His manifestation and bearing of sin—to such, salvation takes the place of judg ment. But to the man who will not shelter beneath that first advent and its atoning value—judgment abides. All the things begun by His first advent will be consummated by the second. At His second advent there will be complete salvation for the individual—righteousness, sanctification, redemption. We believed, and were saved. We believe, and are being saved. We believe, and we shall be saved. The last movement will come when He comes. Those who have fallen on sleep are safe with God, and He will bring them with Him when He comes. They are not yet perfected, “God having provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” They are at rest, and consciously at rest. They are “absent from the body . . . at home with the Lord,” but they are not yet perfected; they are waiting. We are waiting in the midst of earth’s struggle—they in heaven’s light and joy, for the second advent. Heaven is waiting for it. Earth is waiting for it. Hell is waiting for it. The universe is waiting for it. That coming will be to those who wait for Him. Who are those who wait for Him? “Ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.” The first thing is the turning from idols. Have we done that ? The second thing is serving the living God. Are we doing that? Then because we have turned from idols, and are serving Him, we are waiting. That is the waiting the New Testament enjoins, and to those who wait, His second advent will mean salvation. “Christ shall appear.” Glorious Gospel 1
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