Living in the Knowledge of Christ's Return
One of the hottest topics in the Bible amongst BAC's and non-BAC's alike is the end times and the return of Christ. Everybody has an opinion on it and belongs to some school of thought over how and when it will all happen. Most believe that it is right around the corner - the latest catastrophe in the news being something very significant, some believing that the end times have already began.
One thing that we can be certain of is that Christ's return is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11 "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.").
Revelation 1:1-3
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
It is good to think about Christ's return, and earnestly expect it with great excitement. Revelation 1:3 tells us that those who read the 66th book are blessed. However we must not obsess over it so much that it interferes with how we live today. Christ's return is imminent, but right now we need to live how God has called us.
As a child I struggled to see the point in life if Christ was going to come back any day. I didn't see the point in becoming educated, studying for exams, training for a job, or working five days a week for the rest of my life, making money to be able to buy things that in the grand scheme of things do not matter at all. Surely, if Christ is to come back then we should do something worthwhile in our lives? We should quit our jobs and get out there all day every day, devoting our lives to preaching the gospel. I feared that through spending my life working I would waste my time here on earth and not fulfil my purpose in God.
Whilst some are called to give up their jobs and go into ministry, we cannot all do that. People in ministry are no more important than people who are not. They just have a different calling. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that we are the body of Christ. Each BAC working together as a cog in a bigger machine. We are all in Christ, but our callings are all different. This is necessary to make up the body of Christ. If we were all the same then we'd make up a limb of Christ! How pointless it would be to have an arm without a body.
As Christians we should be able to live effectively in the knowledge of Christ's imminent return without worry or fear of wasting our time here on earth.
The day of the Lord:
In Matthew 24:36 Jesus tells us that nobody knows the day or the hour: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
However, as Christians we will know when the time is near. Matthew 24:32-33 "32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it[d] is near—at the doors!".
When a Christian reads God's word it resounds within Him and makes sense. When a natural man reads the word it makes no sense to Him. This is because God has given us spiritual understanding. We will be able to decipher when the time for Jesus' return is truly near. We will not know the hour or the date, but we will know the season. The Bible tells us what we are to expect in those times preceding Christ's return. Matthew, Daniel, Thessalonians etc. There will be great natural disasters, there will be false prophets, there will be people who come in Jesus' name, there will be many armies surrounding going to war against Israel, Christians will be killed, the world over, for their beliefs.
In Matthew 24 when Jesus talks about His return, He likens it to the days of Noah, when the people who were killed by the flood did not know that the flood was coming until it was upon them and by then it was too late (Matthew 24:36-44).
However, notice that when God's judgment came upon the earth, whilst those who were depraved and against God perished in surprise, Noah knew that the flood was coming and He was ready and safe. He was in no way surprised.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 "2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."
Those who do not believe will be surprised at the return of Christ. It will be completely out of the blue. It will overcome them and they will perish in their sin.
However Christians will not be surprised. For Christians will know that the time is near and will expect His return.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 "4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief."
We will not know the date or the hour. But we will know the season and we will expect His coming with great excitement and will have prepared accordingly. If you are a Christian you do not need to worry about Christ's return. You will not be taken by surprise as those who are against God will be. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 encourages us, "9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."
If you are not a Christian, then you should worry. But become a Christian, and there is no need to worry.
Living in the knowledge of His return:
For Christians, this knowledge should not change how we live. (Or at least not yet, We do not know what our circumstances will be when that time comes). We should live as we have been called.
We should live satisfied in the Lord. The doctrine of 'Christian Hedonism' coined by John Piper, goes 'God is most satisfied in us when we are most satisfied in Him'.
As Christians we will never dissapoint God, because in His eyes we are perfect. Even when we do things wrong. God will not be dissapointed, because we cannot alter God's perception of us through our works. It is not a question of: you've done this or you've done that. It's a question of: You have accepted Christ and to me you are perfect, or; You have not accepted Christ and you are imperfect therefore I cannot be near you.
Hebrews 11:6 "6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
We please God through putting our faith in Christ. Nothing more and nothing less. If you have put your faith in Christ, then God is pleased with you. Do not worry about 'wasting' your life on earth. When you stand before God, God will not say to you: "you did not do this", or "you could have done this", or "I wanted you to do this", or "why did you do this?" and then, after His holy grilling, will say, "anyway, you have accepted Christ, therefore you can come into Heaven... Congratulations!"
No, if you have put your faith in Christ, then God will welcome you with open arms. He will see you as perfect and righteous. He will not look at things you have done wrong, He will just see Christ within you and the faith that you put in His Son. He will be pleased with you.
Our life is not based on works. It is based on faith. However, as we know, if we have put our faith in Christ then through the renewing of our minds we are new creatures in Christ and we will live accordingly.
How should we live?
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,"
1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 "15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil."
Do not worry about 'living for God'. If you are truly a Christian, then you are a new creature in Him and your will and desire will reflect Gods. Live life peaceably and imitate Christ in all that you do, as a witness to God, so that others may see how you live and ask for the reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).
Romans 13:11-14 "11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, tofulfill its lusts."
-BACChristian
One thing that we can be certain of is that Christ's return is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11 "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.").
Revelation 1:1-3
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
It is good to think about Christ's return, and earnestly expect it with great excitement. Revelation 1:3 tells us that those who read the 66th book are blessed. However we must not obsess over it so much that it interferes with how we live today. Christ's return is imminent, but right now we need to live how God has called us.
As a child I struggled to see the point in life if Christ was going to come back any day. I didn't see the point in becoming educated, studying for exams, training for a job, or working five days a week for the rest of my life, making money to be able to buy things that in the grand scheme of things do not matter at all. Surely, if Christ is to come back then we should do something worthwhile in our lives? We should quit our jobs and get out there all day every day, devoting our lives to preaching the gospel. I feared that through spending my life working I would waste my time here on earth and not fulfil my purpose in God.
Whilst some are called to give up their jobs and go into ministry, we cannot all do that. People in ministry are no more important than people who are not. They just have a different calling. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that we are the body of Christ. Each BAC working together as a cog in a bigger machine. We are all in Christ, but our callings are all different. This is necessary to make up the body of Christ. If we were all the same then we'd make up a limb of Christ! How pointless it would be to have an arm without a body.
As Christians we should be able to live effectively in the knowledge of Christ's imminent return without worry or fear of wasting our time here on earth.
The day of the Lord:
In Matthew 24:36 Jesus tells us that nobody knows the day or the hour: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
However, as Christians we will know when the time is near. Matthew 24:32-33 "32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it[d] is near—at the doors!".
When a Christian reads God's word it resounds within Him and makes sense. When a natural man reads the word it makes no sense to Him. This is because God has given us spiritual understanding. We will be able to decipher when the time for Jesus' return is truly near. We will not know the hour or the date, but we will know the season. The Bible tells us what we are to expect in those times preceding Christ's return. Matthew, Daniel, Thessalonians etc. There will be great natural disasters, there will be false prophets, there will be people who come in Jesus' name, there will be many armies surrounding going to war against Israel, Christians will be killed, the world over, for their beliefs.
In Matthew 24 when Jesus talks about His return, He likens it to the days of Noah, when the people who were killed by the flood did not know that the flood was coming until it was upon them and by then it was too late (Matthew 24:36-44).
However, notice that when God's judgment came upon the earth, whilst those who were depraved and against God perished in surprise, Noah knew that the flood was coming and He was ready and safe. He was in no way surprised.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 "2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."
Those who do not believe will be surprised at the return of Christ. It will be completely out of the blue. It will overcome them and they will perish in their sin.
However Christians will not be surprised. For Christians will know that the time is near and will expect His return.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 "4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief."
We will not know the date or the hour. But we will know the season and we will expect His coming with great excitement and will have prepared accordingly. If you are a Christian you do not need to worry about Christ's return. You will not be taken by surprise as those who are against God will be. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 encourages us, "9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."
If you are not a Christian, then you should worry. But become a Christian, and there is no need to worry.
Living in the knowledge of His return:
For Christians, this knowledge should not change how we live. (Or at least not yet, We do not know what our circumstances will be when that time comes). We should live as we have been called.
We should live satisfied in the Lord. The doctrine of 'Christian Hedonism' coined by John Piper, goes 'God is most satisfied in us when we are most satisfied in Him'.
As Christians we will never dissapoint God, because in His eyes we are perfect. Even when we do things wrong. God will not be dissapointed, because we cannot alter God's perception of us through our works. It is not a question of: you've done this or you've done that. It's a question of: You have accepted Christ and to me you are perfect, or; You have not accepted Christ and you are imperfect therefore I cannot be near you.
Hebrews 11:6 "6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
We please God through putting our faith in Christ. Nothing more and nothing less. If you have put your faith in Christ, then God is pleased with you. Do not worry about 'wasting' your life on earth. When you stand before God, God will not say to you: "you did not do this", or "you could have done this", or "I wanted you to do this", or "why did you do this?" and then, after His holy grilling, will say, "anyway, you have accepted Christ, therefore you can come into Heaven... Congratulations!"
No, if you have put your faith in Christ, then God will welcome you with open arms. He will see you as perfect and righteous. He will not look at things you have done wrong, He will just see Christ within you and the faith that you put in His Son. He will be pleased with you.
Our life is not based on works. It is based on faith. However, as we know, if we have put our faith in Christ then through the renewing of our minds we are new creatures in Christ and we will live accordingly.
How should we live?
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,"
1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 "15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil."
Do not worry about 'living for God'. If you are truly a Christian, then you are a new creature in Him and your will and desire will reflect Gods. Live life peaceably and imitate Christ in all that you do, as a witness to God, so that others may see how you live and ask for the reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).
Romans 13:11-14 "11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, tofulfill its lusts."
-BACChristian
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