How You Can Be Ready for the Second Coming by BERT FARIAS for Charisma News
“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Pet. 4:7, NKJV).
As time draws nearer to the coming of the Lord, our attitude should be one of soberness and watchfulness. Every righteous generation of saints has eagerly anticipated the Lord’s coming. The biggest reason He has not come is understood is found in the following verse:
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Pet. 3:9, NLT).
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The Lord does not want anyone to be lost. His delay is based on His love and patience for all mankind to allow them time and space to repent. Nevertheless, every true Christian is to anticipate the Lord’s coming with desire and eagerness.
A heartfelt desire for Christ’s immediate return was expressed by the early Christians and every righteous generation since then. Along with this desire, there are exhortations to live a holy life, especially in the light of the Lord’s return drawing nearer.
“Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:7-8, NIV).
That is a great promise that the Lord will keep us firm until the end so that we will be blameless at His coming.
Notice the same pattern in the following scriptural references. At the mention of the Lord’s coming, there is almost always an exhortation to holiness. As the Lord’s return draws near, we are to cast off the works of darkness and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, making no provision for the lusts of the flesh.
“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 (this speaks of our complete salvation which includes our new resurrected bodies). 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. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Rom. 13:11-14, NKJV).
Once again, we see that as the day of the Lord’s return draws near, not only are we to maintain an anticipation for the new heavens and new earth, but we are exhorted to live holy and godly lives, making every effort to be found living peaceful, pure, and blameless lives.
“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight” (2 Pet. 3:10-14, NLT).
