In Defense of the Faith

Question: Many are teaching that the church must be united and purified before Christ can return. Is that biblical?

Response: It is neither biblical nor logical that the small fraction of the church that is alive on earth at the time of the rapture must have attained to a status unknown by Christians who have already died in order to join them at that heavenly marriage to our Lord. Yes, the bride is made ready and robed in white linen (Revelation:19:7-8 [7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
See All...), but the bride is the entire church. If this purification is a prerequisite for being taken to heaven, then what about those who died before the rapture? Clearly, they must be “made ready” after they get to heaven. Then why wouldn’t this also apply to those Christians who are raptured? Why wouldn’t they be “made ready” in the same manner?

Surely this final cleansing can only take place at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians:5:19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
See All...), when we give account to our Lord and our works are tried in fire (1 Corinthians:3:11-15 [11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. [14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
See All...). It is then that we are rewarded or suffer loss of reward, though not of salvation. There is no biblical basis for a “last-days revival” that will make Christians worthy to be raptured to heaven. We are worthy of heaven through Christ’s finished work and on that basis alone.

Moreover, the Bible speaks of the last-days church as apostate (2 Thessalonians:2:3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
See All...). Christ even questions whether He will find the faith on the earth when He returns (Luke:18:8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
See All...). Even the wise fall asleep while the bridegroom tarries (Matthew:25:5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
See All...). This is hardly the “last-days revived church” we are being told about! Let us therefore watch and be ready for our Lord’s return at any moment.