Believing the Truth: The Future

Hi, I’m David Feddes, and this talk is about believing the truth about the future.

The Christian Leaders College and Institute Statement of Faith says: Christ will return visibly to rule the world and to make all things new. God’s people will be raised bodily from death to eternal life in the new creation. God’s enemies will be punished with eternal hell.

The Visible Return of Christ

We believe in the visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Paul writes: “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.”

When Jesus comes again, you won’t have to wonder whether He came. It will be loud. It will be visible. He will return in power and great glory.

Christians have differed on the details of the timing of end-time events. Our Statement of Faith does not take a position on a specific scenario. But we all agree: Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. For believers, His coming will be wonderful. For those who reject Him, it will be terrifying.

The Renewal of All Things

When Christ comes, He will make all things new. Scripture says He must remain in heaven until “the time of the restoration of all things.” Jesus also called it “the renewal of all things.”

He didn’t come just to save souls and snatch them away. He came to renew His creation. The new heaven and the new earth will be a renewed heaven and earth.

Romans 8 says “the creation itself will be freed from its bondage to decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Revelation 21 says: “Behold, I make all things new.”

Isaiah pictures a world of peace: the wolf with the lamb, the cow with the bear, the child playing safely near a cobra’s hole. “They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Heaven will come to earth. Heaven and earth will be reunited. Creation will be what God always intended.

The Resurrection of the Body

The renewal of creation comes with the redemption of our bodies. Philippians 3 says: “The Lord Jesus Christ, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

We will have bodies like His resurrected body.

• Jesus ate, drank, and could be touched—He was not a ghost.

• He could also pass through doors, appear and disappear, and ascend into heaven.

• He walked on water, and even Peter did for a moment.

Our resurrected bodies will be glorified, physical, and powerful beyond what we can now imagine. “When we see Him, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.”

We will reign with Christ forever. Jesus said: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” What a staggering promise.

Eternal Life or Eternal Judgment

But not everyone will rise to life. Daniel 12 says: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Paul writes: “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord.”

Jesus Himself said: “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”Revelation says: “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Eternal glory awaits those who trust Christ. Eternal punishment awaits those who reject Him. As leaders, we must proclaim both. It is not faithful to speak only “happy talk” and ignore sin, judgment, and wrath. We must warn of the terrible destiny of the lost while offering the glorious hope of life in Christ.

Conclusion

Christ will return visibly to rule the world and to make all things new. God’s people will be raised bodily to eternal life in the new creation. God’s enemies will be punished with eternal hell.

Let’s not get distracted by speculative details. The main realities are clear:

• He is coming again.

• He will raise us.

• He will renew creation.

• He will punish His enemies.

This is our hope. This is our warning. This is what we believe.