O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
By: Robert Robinson, 1735-90
Normally “getting carried away” is when you are so excited about something that you can not control what you say or do. While that should be true of us when we think about the end of this age and the dawn of the one to come, I wonder how often that can be said of us, that is, “Every time she starts talking about heaven she gets carried away.”
In our text we have a very different kind of carrying occurring. We are praying and asking God, as a matter of the will, to send His angels to transport us from this existence to the one for which we are longing. In particular, it is actually the great and final carrying away that Robinson is referring to here. That “carrying away” which ensures the ransom of my soul from the judgement. Regardless of your view on the millennial reign of Christ, the real question is, “Are you ready?”
Ready or Not, Here I Come
“Prepare like Christ will not come for some time, but hope it is today.” That is a phrase I remember hearing early in my journey with Jesus. It acknowledged a tension that is felt by most who realize they are living between the two Advents of Christ, the one we celebrate at Christmas, and the one we are waiting to happen, His Second Coming.
I really think that tension is felt by anyone who has read and prayed the words of John in Revelation 22:20, “Come, Lord Jesus.” It exists because even though we want Him to come today, we realize there are many who are not ready for His return. We long for the endless days, but we struggle with the fact that many will only know endless nights.
We see the turmoil of the world around us and long for another time and another place. We are waiting for our inheritance to be realized, for the reward of our ransom to finally be ours. The Father is counting down to that Day when either He takes me to be with Him, or He sends His Son to get me. I need to make certain I am ready.
Getting Ready
Even as we long for that Day, we can have a peace that we are ready. It all hinges on two words, “sovereign grace”. Grace simply means getting what I do not deserve. Grace that is sovereign would be grace that has supreme of ultimate power. That is where my trust is, in God’s supreme and ultimate power to give me what I do not deserve. Through His work on the cross, Jesus made that available to everyone living under these dark skies. Simply confess your sin, your need of a Savior, and your desire to trust Jesus only to make you right with the Father. Then you will be ready to get carried away.
Lord Jesus, help me to be ready for Your return. Until that day, help me to trust and walk in Your sovereign grace. I long to be carried away to endless days.
What part of being free from sinning is most appealing to you? Please comment below.
Podcast, Come Thou Fount – Episode 1.5
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