5 Things 1 Thessalonians Teaches Us about the Second Coming of Christ

We are taught that when Jesus returns to Earth in the second coming, he will deliver us (those who believe in Jesus and are saved) from the doom and destruction of this earth. In 1 Thessalonians 1:10, we are introduced to one of the first scripture regarding Christ’s second coming: 

“And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.”

Christ saved our souls when he died and rose from the grave. We can expect that our bodies will also be rescued when he comes to enact the coming judgement on Earth.

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In 1 Thessalonians 2:19, Paul is speaking about the Thessalonian church: 

"For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?"

He, Timothy, and Silvanus preached to the people of Thessalonica so that they might be saved. And many people were saved! Paul, Timothy, and Silvanus will be able to celebrate and boast about them before Jesus when he comes again. We too will be able to boast cheerfully in those that we point to Christ when he comes again.

This is a reminder for us to not grow weary in how we treat others and teach them about Christ. We will be able to celebrate before God those whom we helped!

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Our ability to love as God loves is only accomplished through the workings of his Spirit in us. I know so many people speak about love and showing it to others, but this isn't something that we are able to do in our own strength. God working in us allows us to “increase and abound in love for one another and for all” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). It is God working in us in this way now that will allow us to be found before Jesus with blameless and holy hearts (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

Just imagine what that day will look like: An innumerable amount of people, standing before King Jesus, who truly love others and are truly pure in heart. It's a beautiful thing to imagine. And the best part is that it will actually happen! This is encouragement to me: allowing God to exchange our hearts of stone for pure hearts now will have a wonderful reward when Christ returns.

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This promise is one that I hold very close to my heart. When my grandfather passed away, I was deeply saddened. My grandfather had become a very close friend of mine. He was so full of wisdom and held a character that I wanted in my own life. He passed about 2 years before I got married and, oh, how I wish he was present for that precious moment in my life.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is a sweet reminder that I will see my grandpa again! He is with Christ, and I will be too, and I’ll be able to enjoy his company for all eternity.

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For 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, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

I can't really wrap my mind around the permanence if eternity, but the promise still remains. This truth is the same for you too! Knowing that you will see your friends and family again one day should help you to grieve the loss of their physical bodies differently than someone who won't. You have a hope that they do not have. Praise God that we get look forward to being surrounded by the people we love in the presence of the One who is love!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Paul reminds us that the day of the Lord’s return will come upon us suddenly. No one, not even Jesus, knows when he will be returning! Paul goes on to say in 1 Thessalonians 5:5&6 that we, who do believe, will not be caught off guard because we will be ready! He warns us to stay alert, to be clear headed, to protect ourselves son faith and love, and to be confident in our salvation.

I believe that if it weren't for warnings like these, that many Christians would not be ready for Jesus’ second coming. However, because we have the Word to study and hide in our hearts, we can rest in knowing how to be prepared and that there won't be anything for us to fear when he does come back.

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I hope that these key things about Jesus’ second coming really gets embedded in your heart and mind as you walk your personal walk of faith. I am encouraged to keep running my race, regardless of the obstacles I face in this life. There is the promise that our king and savior will be returning and that we will live in glory with him. Take heart and remove any fear that you may have. Jesus returning to earth is a wonderful thing for believers and is something that we should be looking forward to with great anticipation!

Britnee Bradshaw is a free-spirited, Old Navy-wearin', coffee-shop lovin', wife and momma. She serves in the worship ministry with her husband at their home church in Glendale, AZ and writes with the sole purpose of pointing others to Christ. You can catch up with her on her blog, On The Way Up, or via social media @b_brdshw!

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