The Soon Return of Jesus
Feature by Ron Thomas
The Soon Return of Jesus Formed Us
If there is a common thread that has tied our formative years as a denomination to who we are today, it must be the belief and hope in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Article VII of our Declaration of Principles captures this sense of “nearness” to the return of our Lord: “even at the doors.” There is an urgency in getting the message out. “The great duty of the hour is the proclamation of this soon-coming redemption …”
“The signs of our times” brings to mind the very words of Jesus who spoke of our redemption drawing near.
And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:25-28, ESV).
The Soon Return of Jesus Identifies Us
We, as a denomination, have claimed an identity with this message. We do what we do because of our belief in the second coming of our Lord. Our Mission Statement claims it: “Convinced of the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ, Advent Christian General Conference exists to Encourage, Equip and Empower Advent Christian churches worldwide to be obedient to His Great Commandment and Great Commission.” Our Executive Director Rev. Steve Lawson states it: “There is no greater privilege; there is no greater responsibility than to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through our network of churches, hope is proclaimed to a hopeless world. Still, more than 105,000 people die each day without Jesus. The need is real. The need is urgent. Join us and make a difference in eternity.” Our denominational website states it: “We are Advent Christian – A network of churches propelled by a sure hope that Christ will soon return. Maybe today.”
The Soon Return of Jesus Drives Us
Dr. David Dean, in his book “Resurrection: His and Ours” also reminds us of “the great duty of the hour.” “Convinced of the certainty and the imminence of Christ’s return, Advent Christians feel the compulsion of keeping busy. There is a divine obligation still resting upon us to proclaim the nearness of the Lord’s coming. And by every means possible.”
Think about it! “More than 105,000 people die each day without Jesus!” And think about this: such a loss of souls is not confined to unreached people groups in distant lands and people, nameless to us. The loss includes people we know, friends, neighbors, members of our families, people we see every day, who have died without the hope found only in Jesus.
In a Christian publication, this story was told by Brian Archer.
“Some time ago an 18-year-old girl from Washington State attended a worship service. For the first time in her life she heard the gospel message. The following Tuesday the members of the church received a letter from her. It read:
Dear Church members:
Last Sunday I attended your church, and I heard the preacher. In the sermon the preacher said that all men have sinned and rebelled against God. Because of their rebellion and disobedience they all face eternal damnation and separation from God.
But then he also said God loved men and sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to redeem men from their sins and that all those who believe in him would go to heaven and live with God eternally.
My parents recently died in rapid succession. I know they did not believe in Jesus Christ, whom you call the Savior of the world. If what you believe is true, they are damned.
You compel me to believe that either the message is true, that you yourself don’t believe this message, or that you don’t care. You see, we live only three blocks from your church, and no one ever told us.”
If we truly care about the souls of our friends, neighbors, members of our families, people we see every day, unreached people groups around the world, then we must claim again the responsibility, the obligation, the privilege, the message of “the soon coming redemption” as this is “the great duty of the hour.”
The Soon Return of Jesus Inspires Us
From the pages of “Resurrection Hope” by Dr. David Dean: “The promise of His return to this world is practical, challenging, and comforting … Few truths of the Bible can grip the Christian more than the message of the advent! It demonstrates that this evil world and its possessions are not worth our worship. It demands a wholehearted response. It calls for dedication to Christ and to the task of taking His gospel to all the world. It fills us with a hope and expectation that enlivens and strengthens.”
“The Advent Christian Church has a distinguished heritage and a remarkable history. The fervency and dedication of the founding fathers are outstanding dramatic examples of God-inspired men at work in a pagan society. Their endeavors can give encouragement and inspiration to Advent Christians in every generation and can be the means of thrusting them out into the vital work of the kingdom of God.” Rev. Joe Tom Tate, Advent Christian General Conference President (1966-1982)
The Soon Return of Jesus Demands a Response From Us
It is a rich and hope-filled heritage that demands of us a response. “The great duty of the hour” is to share the good news of the gospel by every means possible as often as we are given the opportunity to do so. In the second letter of the Apostle Peter, we are encouraged to be “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God …” (2 Peter 3:12). In conversation with a dear brother in Christ, he expressed his lack of eagerness in seeing the return of our Lord. His heart was heavy for people he knew that had not yet come to a faith in Christ Jesus. What he had found in Jesus, he prayed would be discovered by those he loved, but were lost. In his way, he revealed the very heart of God as we read in 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
May we be a people propelled by the sure hope that Christ will soon return. Maybe today, for “the great duty of the hour is the proclamation of this soon-coming redemption, the defense of Bible authority, inspiration and truth, and the salvation of lost men.”
Ron was born in Charleston, West Virginia and is married to Janice Akers Thomas. They reside in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a graduate of Aurora College – majors in theology and sociology and minor in psychology, with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology (1970) and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2005). His ministries include: pastor of Ashland AC Church, Ashland Maine 1970-1973; director of Camp Suwannee and Florida Conference youth director 1973-1981; director of child care of the AC Village 1981-1984; asst. to the president and vice president of resource development for the AC Village 1984-1989; senior pastor of Bixler Memorial AC Church 1989-2004; executive director of Advent Christian General Conference 2004-2015; now retired. Other areas of service: president of ACGC 2002-2004; member-at-large of the Executive Council of ACGC 1994-2002.
Rev. Ron Thomas, “The Soon Return of Jesus,” The Advent Christian Witness, Winter 2022