“A Little While…”? John 16:16-22

Text:  “For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night…so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Psalm 90:4;12.

          “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promises…but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any (of the elect!) should perish (in ignorance of the Gospel), but that all (the ’elect whosoevers’) should come to repentance.” 

2 Peter 3:8-9.   

Good morning, truly repentant Christian!  One of the first gifts God gave you and I was the gift of true repentance which - when coupled with saving faith - brings us not only to our senses, but grants us a whole new Spiritual sense of our total sinfulness, and the Holiness and love of Almighty God.  This was the first gift God gave the man in Scripture whom we recognize as ’the prodigal son’

“And when he (the prodigal son) came to himself (was awakened out of his sinful stupor), he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger.”                  (Luke 15:17)

This was the Lord making the prodigal aware of his social state; convincing him that he had taken the wrong path; reasoning with him of the complete error of his prodigal ways.  This was the awakening of his natural senses.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red (seriously gross!) like crimson, they shall be as wool.  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land…”  (Isaiah 1:18-19) (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Many today are quite aware - at this human and social level - that their lives are not right; and their lifestyles are far from moral and civilized standards.  But this is not Spiritual repentance, this is merely human remorse and shame.

Human remorse will not lead a sinner to subject his/her will to the Lord!  Human remorse only wants what is best for the natural self.

When the Lord God granted the prodigal son true repentance, he began to yearn with all his heart for complete reconciliation with, first, a Holy Heaven and, secondly, with his earthly father.

“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee.”  (Luke 15:18)

True God-given repentance first seeks to be right with Heaven, and then to be right with close family and friends on earth.  We can only really sin against the Holiness of God.  We merely trespass against family and friends in social relationships.  God ALONE is Holy!  (Psalm 51:4)

True repentance caused the prodigal to take decisive action: he humbled himself; he admitted his sin and transgression; he subjected himself to Heaven and his father’s will; he ‘…arose and came to his father…’  This is a perfect picture of the process of true Spiritual repentance.  (Luke 15:17-24)

True repentance, granted to them by the Lord God, caused Christ’s disciples’ hearts to ’…be filled with sorrow…’ at the very thought of losing close fellowship with Christ Jesus.  Our Christian hearts should feel a similar sorrow.  Sin separates us from close fellowship with God - even for ’…a little while…’!  (John 16:6) (Isaiah 59:1-2)        (1 John 1:6-9)

This phrase ’…a little while…’ is mentioned seven times in our short passage!  The Eternal Spirit, the Divine Author of Holy Scripture, is making a Divinely important point by mentioning this ‘…little while…’ seven times!

God is Eternal.  Christ is, was, and shall always be, God of very God.  The disciples shared close fellowship with the Incarnate Lord of Heaven, ‘…a little while…’ - and their hearts were filled full of Heavenly joy.

Christ was taken from them at Calvary, after ‘…a little while…’, and their hearts were broken in pieces with the sorrow of the physical separation.  After ‘…a little while…‘, Christ Jesus arose from the grave and appeared ‘…in the midst…’ of His followers again in that upper room - and again their hearts were filled with joy.  Christ stayed with His apostles for just ‘…a little while…’ before being received again up into Heaven where, for ‘…a little while…’, Eternally speaking, He intercedes for us, His redeemed people.

In ‘…a little while…’ Christ comes again to receive us unto Himself.  What an indescribably joyful day that will be for those who are saved.

Thought: Get ready, repentant Christian, in ‘…a little while…’ Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah surely Comes!  Rejoice!  Rejoice!