Nothing looms larger in the future of believers than Jesus’ coming.
It also looms large for many unbelievers, although for different reasons. In the contentious arena of social media, many opponents of Christianity point to Christ’s return, or the lack of one so far, to suggest that the Bible can’t be trusted. They conclude that if He hasn’t come back in over two thousand years, He’s not going to.
In doing so, they completely miss the mercy and patience that lie at the heart of His delay. The apostle Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
But you don’t have to deny or even question the truth of Christ’s return to miss the point of it. Many believers acknowledge that Christ will come back someday but refuse to allow His impending return to influence their daily actions and decisions.
So, instead of preparing for His return and making sure their lives align with His will, they choose to do things that are wrong. They know what the Bible says but choose to ignore it. They play around with sin. They try to have their cake and eat it, too, by living as they please in the present, reasoning that they can repent in the future.
But that’s a dangerous game. Not only are they missing the immediate blessings of obedience and discipleship, but they also have no way of knowing when Christ will return.
What we do know is this: The Lord’s coming draws closer every day. Paul wrote, “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” (Romans 13:12). It’s time for us to wake up.
One thing that always amazes me when I get up really early in the morning is that it’s pitch-dark outside. Sometimes I have to double-check the clock. I think to myself, “It can’t be 5:30; it’s got to be 1:30. It’s so dark.” But sure enough, every morning the sun slowly begins to rise. What was only darkness a few moments earlier begins to lighten up. And the next thing you know, the sun is out, and everything’s lit up.
This is how our world is right now. It’s dark. And it’s been dark for a long time. We start to think that it will always be this way. But it won’t. The darkness will not last forever. Christ is going to come back again. Be ready for His return.
