Jesus came the first time to go to the cross. The second time He comes to us it is to facilitate our salvation, as Heb 9:28 shows.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation
The Second Coming of Jesus occurs after a person repents of unbelief and chooses to put their faith in Jesus as is seen in Acts 3:19-20.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
After this Second Coming or “Second Presence” of Jesus is seen in a persons life God begins expressing His “Grace” to the person.
This “Grace of God” teaches a person to deny ungodliness or refuse evil and choose good, as Titus 2:11-12 shows.
Titus 2:11 ¶For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
This teaching of Grace is seen as either a reward or as discipline and becomes apparent in a Christian’s life.
Specifically, and in addition to the Second Coming, Jesus comes through the agency of the Holy Spirit to the person at various points in His life to judge or evaluate His behavior.
1 Cor 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
The way to tell a positive visitation from the Lord from a negative or disciplinary one is illustrated to Christians in the following verse.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV — For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
During the Second Coming Jesus comes into our lives. During the Day of the Lord the thief or devil comes to effect our lives, however the severity of the discipline is controlled by Jesus. This is one reason why Jesus can be called the Lion (devourer) of the tribe of Judah.
Ezekiel 20:37 KJV — And I will cause you to pass under the rod (this is discipline), and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
If the “thief” or Devil is involved the time of judgment or the point of evaluation in a persons life is called the “Day of the Lord”.
This negative point of judgment or evaluation by God is contrasted against a “positive” point of evaluation, seen in the following verse.
Romans 3:4 NASB — May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “that you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged”.
The evident or clearly seen result of either a negative or positive evaluation is understood by people when they see either an increase or decrease in the persons possession of the “Kingdom of God”.
This means that to understand whether a person was approved or not when God evaluated their behavior we must observe either an increase or decrease in the amount of “righteousness joy and peace” in their lives.
Romans 14:17 KJV — For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
This positive facet of evaluation is clearly seen in the following verse.
Matthew 25:21 KJV — His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
When God, as a person who always does the right thing, gives an individual an increased measure of the same ability they can be said to have “grown in righteousness”.