The Rapture: who's going up with Christ at his coming?
Many of us Christians think that being caught up with our Saviour Jesus
Christ when He returns for His saints (the Rapture) depends on our
ability to keep the Ten Commandments, "how good we are" here on earth or
even what we are doing at the time of His coming. Not so!
Just a quick intro before we see why not and what the word of the Lord
says is the condition for being caught up with Christ at His coming.
The bible says in Ephesians 2:8- "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not
of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
"Saved" in verse 8 above encompasses salvation from hell to heaven, salvation from the power, pleasure and penalty of sin
; deliverance from oppression and molestations of the enemy;
deliverance from all earthly ills and being caught up with Christ when
He returns for His saints. The Rapture, which is the believer’s bodily
redemption in Christ, is the final delivery in the “Saved” package that
Christ bought for us with His blood at the cross. It is a gift.
As it is with all of God’s blessings which are FREELY given to us with
Christ according to Romans 8:32, being caught up with Christ at His
coming (Rapture) cannot be earned by our efforts at keeping the Law
which Romans 3:20 says cannot make any righteous in God’s sight. It is
by Grace. It is freely given. We can’t “work towards it” by our own
efforts at law-keeping in order to earn or deserve it. We look forward
to it because “It is finished!” It is certain for all who are believing
Christ; all whose righteousness is found in Christ and not their own
righteousnesses from keeping the Ten Commandments. The only brand of
righteousness that counts with our Heavenly Father is that which He
freely gives to all who believe as a gift through Christ. We are made
righteous by the blood of our Saviour Jesus and not our works, as it is
written in 2 Corinthians 5:21:
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Remember Romans 3:20 – "For no one can ever be made right with God by
doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."
All the law-keeping and good works done in order to get right with God
can never make one righteous in His sight. Only the righteousness that
was paid for with the blood of Jesus suffices for the Most High God. All
who receive this gift of righteousness are 100% righteous in His eyes,
no matter what they do or do not do. This way, we don’t TRY to do His
will; we GET to do His will “for it is God who works in you both to will
and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
Only by grace through faith are we saved, including our bodily
redemption in Christ (Rapture). If it is by one's own effort, then it is
no longer grace. Romans 11:6 says –
"And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no
longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise
work is no longer work."
But many of us, even with good intentions, still try to attain right
standing with and earn God's favour with our filthy rags righteousnesses
and law-keeping. This is the height of self-righteousness and
hypocrisy: to believe that we can earn points of righteousness with God
or curry His favour by doing what the Law commands when Romans 3:20
tells us that no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the
law commands. Our own righteousnesses are like filthy rags (menstrual
rags in original Hebrew) according to Isaiah 64:6; not our sins but the
good things we do with the aim of getting right with God. Whatever we do
to make ourselves deserve God's goodness or be eligible for our bodily
redemption (Rapture) in Christ are like menstrual rags in His sight.
Believing that being caught up with Christ at His coming depends on our
own filthy rags righteousnesses from our performance of the Ten
Commandments or has anything at all to do with our own efforts at
getting right with God has quite the opposite effect as we see in
Galatians 5:4-
"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the
law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s
grace."
Those who think it is what they do or do not do that make them right
with God have been cut off from Christ. No Rapture for such. It takes
grace to be caught up with our Saviour.
So who is qualified for the Rapture?
The criteria for being caught up with Christ is to be a believer in
Christ and to be "alive and remain" at His coming, according to the word
of the Lord. We see this in 1 Thessalonians 4 where the believers there
were concerned about what would happen to those that had fallen asleep
in Christ. This text isn't Paul's opinion. Paul said it "by the word of
the Lord":
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who
have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring
with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive
and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those
who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort
one another with these words."
We (Paul was speaking to believers) who will be caught up with Christ
(after those that are asleep in Christ are first caught up) are "we who
are alive and remain" at His coming, not we who are doing our best to
keep the Ten Commandments; not we who are fasting; not we who are
obeying the Law to be eligible and thus are cut off from Christ; not we
who make sure that we do good all the time so that we can make the cut.
Wonderful as these things are, it is "we who are alive and remain" that
will be caught up with Christ at His coming.
Did you also notice that Paul said in verse 18: "Therefore comfort one another with these words."
Our Saviour's words concerning the Rapture are to bring COMFORT to all
believers but today, it brings FEAR to many, thanks to the preaching of
“another gospel” by many leaders who make the flock believe that it is
their ability to ‘be right with God” that makes them Rapture-worthy and
not the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. These poor, beloved of God see
that there is no way that they can make it if it depends on them and so
are scared when they hear the song “Will you be ready when the Lord
shall come!” Please where is grace in this kind of teaching? Where is
God’s undeserved, unmerited favour?
Many leaders condemn the flock, threaten them into being “cheerful
givers,” point out their inadequacies and tell them to “stop sinning, or
else,” all without pointing them to Christ as the one who saves from
sin; just like the Accuser the devil. They might as well tell a cancer
patient with zero healing powers to heal himself! Their own preaching of
the blessed hope in Christ (Rapture) produces fear and not comfort as
it should. They place a burden on the shoulders and a yoke on the necks
of God’s beloved. Believers, this is not of Christ. In other places, the
preaching of the blessed hope (Rapture) is left out altogether. This
hope should be our primary expectation as believers. 1 John 3:3 says –
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as
He is pure.”
Pastors and leaders, unveil God's Grace expressed in His love for us (Christ died for us) and the people will live right.
But does the “we who are alive and remain” truth for believers mean that
we should just go and be sinning anyhow? Certainly not! Many people who
do not yet understand our salvation in Christ think that we "Grace
people" are looking for an excuse to continue to wallow in sin but
nothing could be further from the truth. Trying to be good or doing
anything at all in order to get right with God via obedience to the Law
has quite the opposite effect on you and on your standing with God.
Galatians 5:4 tells us that this is how to get cut off from Christ –
"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the
law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s
grace."
Christ is of no effect in the lives of those who think that it is what
they do or do not do (law-keeping) that makes them right with God. These
ones have rejected the gift of right standing with God that Christ died
that they might have as recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:21.
As for the effect on yourself, Romans 7:5 says: "When we were controlled
by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law
aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds,
resulting in death."
The "old nature" here is simply the sin nature that every human
inherited from Adam by default, as it is written in Romans 5:19 "For as
by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s
obedience many will be made righteous."
Having the old nature means living outside the umbrella of God's gift of
righteousness which is available to all believers through Christ's
obedience. Those who reject this gift of righteousness and depend on
their “good works” and obedience to the Law to get right with God and be
caught up with Christ at His coming (Rapture) have the old nature.
These ones are not a new creation. They still have the Law as their
standard of righteousness and thus are under the curse. According to
Romans 7:5, the same Law that such people try to obey in order to be
righteous arouses evil desires in them and the result is more acts of
sin that lead to death:
"When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work
within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a
harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."
As the righteousness of God in Christ, we are a New Creation. Not under
Law but under Grace. And this is the result: we get to produce a harvest
of good deeds for God, yet not us but Christ in us! Romans 7:4-
"So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the
power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with
the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a
harvest of good deeds for God."
Only when we forsake our own righteousnesses that come from our
obedience to the Law and accept that which is from “one Man’s obedience”
(Christ’s) can we produce a harvest of good deeds for God; only this
way can we live right. Doing anything by our own effort to get right
with God is not Grace. It is works. In Christ, we are not saved
(including being caught up with Him at His coming) because we are
obedient by our own effort. We become obedient because we are saved.
Titus 2:14 says: "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people,
zealous for good works."
Believers, don't let anyone deceive you into thinking that your right
living and being zealous for good works as well as your salvation from
your addictions, sins and bad habits can be accomplished by your sheer
determination and self-will. That church “Daddy” who tells you so can
never cast the first stone! The arm of flesh will fail. This is why
Christ came, to "redeem us from every lawless deed…" To redeem means to
"regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment." This means
that sin holds such that are under it in captivity and a price has to be
paid in order for such to be set free; a price that Christ paid with
His blood! He is our Redeemer. Without Him, we can do nothing. Ask and
trust in Him to save you. He is ever-willing to make you clean. This is
God's undeserved, unmerited favour - Grace. And our being caught up with
our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming to be with Him forever fits right
in there with every blessing that He has freely blessed us with in
Christ.
For lack of understanding many think that this is "too cheap a gospel"
but it did not come cheap to God at all! It cost our heavenly Father
heaven’s Best: our Saviour Jesus Christ. He loves us so much! The Holy
Spirit will teach you all things.
Believers, with the Lord as your Strength and Righteousness, understand
that your being "raptured" has been paid for with Christ's blood,
alongside every single one of His blessings (His righteousness, healing,
peace, deliverance, etc) that you are enjoying today. All are freely
given with Christ (Romans 8:32.) Christ paid for our bodily redemption
(Rapture) alongside all of His benefits that we are receiving and
enjoying today when He shed His blood for us on the cross. If it was up
to us, be assured that no one will be caught up with Him when He comes!
Only by Grace (undeserved, unmerited favour) through faith are we saved.
You believing one (you who are the righteousness of God in Christ; you
who have no righteousness of your own from doing works of the Law but
have Christ as your righteousness; you whose boast is not in your own
ability to fast and pray for 40 days straight and keep the Law but boast
only in Christ as your Saviour and Redeemer;) you “who are alive and
remain” will be caught up together with the saints in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air to be with Him forever. Look forward to it! We
purify ourselves by having this hope fixed on Him (1 John 3:3)
Comfort yourselves with “the word of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 4,
"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work
in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" (Philippians 1:6