27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
There are two hard truths in these two verses. The first is that we are all going to die and face judgment. It would be nice if we didn’t have to give an accounting of our actions. For so many, that is the only reason they keep any kind of moral standard. They don’t want to get caught and have to face the punishment. A better stance is to do the right thing because the right thing is an outgrowth of our internal character. We do the right because that is who we are, not what we do. The second truth is that Jesus is returning to bring a conclusion to this world. This universe is not permanent. One day all that is will disappear and a new universe will appear. Just as God created the first one by the word of His mouth, so the second one will be created in an instant. Its materials and substance will be exactly what God wants and designs. Nothing will be present in the new heaven and earth that God does not have in His mind. Everything will be perfect, exactly that way it is supposed to be. We get glimpses of that glory when we read the last several chapters of the book of Revelation, but those are only glimpses using limited earthly words and pictures. Heaven will be so much better than any earthly words can describe. Our words run out of meaning long before the glories of heaven can be explained. Are you waiting for His return? It will happen one of these days. Our job is to be actively waiting and watching. We are to be on the job of being like Him, reflecting His character to the world.
The Arnold Journey 