Verse of the day: 1 Thessalonians
5:1-2 But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For
yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the
night.
This morning, as my wife and I were sitting on the
deck having coffee, we were aware of the fact that the forecast called for
rain. The skies were partly sunny, and there was no indication that it would
rain while we were out there. However, within a fairly short period of time,
the dark clouds began to loom overhead, and the winds began to slowly pick up.
The smell of rain was in the air, and we knew that it would only be a matter of
time, even though we did not know exactly when. When the rain finally came,
even though it was at a time that we did not exactly know, we were not
surprised by the fact that it began to fall. For us, as born again believers,
this is what the return of the Lord should be like. It will come at a time
least expected, but not an event that surprises us as if we did not know it was
imminent. The Apostle describes it here as a thief in the night, who comes
suddenly, at night, while those in the household are asleep, and completely not
expecting it; 2 Peter 3:10 describe His return in the same manner. Although the
Apostle felt no need to write to them any further about the times and seasons
of Jesus’ return (because they needed to know nothing else relative to His
return), he did write to them of the consequences of not being ready. The sad
fact is that not everyone will be saved before the Lord’s return. The unsaved,
at that time, will have a false sense of security, as many of them do today, in
the things of this world, and their false beliefs (v. 3). Because of their
false sense of security, they see no need to change their vile and wicked ways.
However, the return of the Lord will be to their destruction and to their
dismay; and by then, it will be too late to be saved from the eternal
consequences that even now they both ignorantly and willingly face, by their
conscious choice to reject the Gospel (Jn 3:18). In verses 4-7, we are reminded
that as born again believers we are children of light. We are no longer of the
darkness (Col 1:13). To be a child of light is to be as one who does not
slumber because there is no night. In the light the acts of wickedness, that
are committed in darkness, are exposed; therefore, we should be doing whatever
we can, as God’s children, in anticipation of His return, to live righteously,
putting away those things that we practiced before we were saved, and putting
on the new self (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). We know that in these last days there
will be scoffers, mockers, and persecutions (2 Peter 3:3-4); for this reason we
must be sure that our Spiritual Armor is securely in place each day (v. 8; Eph
6:11-18). The closer we get to His return, the worse that people will get in
their attitude toward God, His Word, the Gospel, and anything that has to do
with the Lord. The bottom line is that not one of us who knows Jesus as Savior
and Lord can claim ignorance in respect to His return. If we ignore the warnings,
like the unsaved, although we have been rescued, in Christ, from condemnation
(v. 9; Rom 8:1), we will be found not doing what we should be doing, and it
will be to our great shame. The closer we get to His return, the more careful
we must be to live holy, righteous, lives that honor God now; and the more
vigilant we should be, so that even though He will come at a time least
expected, it will not be an event that is a complete surprise, just as the rain
falling was not a surprise this morning after the rain clouds appeared and the
winds began to blow.
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