The Bible makes two things abundantly clear...Jesus is coming back to judge the world and make all things new again, and no one knows (or will know) when he is coming. In our final lesson this week from Matthew 24 (verses 29-51), Jesus himself drove that point home to his followers. So, what does this mystery surrounding Christ's second coming mean for us as believers today?
I believe there are several important practical implications that should effect how we live our lives on a daily basis:
1. It should fuel our evangelistic efforts.
As Christians, we have been given the greatest gift the world has ever known...the forgiveness of our sins. As such, we should (and in fact are commanded to) be actively sharing the good news of the Gospel with as many people as we can. Let's be brutally honest, we live in a society that thrives on social media. We will share about even the most mundane aspects of our lives, and yet we regularly fail to take advantage of opportunities to share about our faith with friends, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, etc.
We give ourselves plenty of "free passes" when it comes to sharing our faith. Maybe we think someone else will do it...or perhaps we think we will have plenty of other opportunities. The truth is, as we have learned, we can't take tomorrow for granted. This doesn't mean we should live in fear of the future, but we should live with the future in view. To put it most succinctly, why put off until tomorrow, what you can do today?
2. It should fuel our pursuit of holiness.
Scripture is replete with teaching that directs us, as believers, to live lives of obedience to Christ and his commands. We are called to pursue Christ-likeness (that is, our lives should look like Jesus'). This is a lofty goal for sure. Jesus is, after all, the manifestation of perfection. So what are we to do?
We may simply choose complacency (the why bother trying what I can never accomplish attitude). We've all probably been there more than we care to admit. When complacency creeps in, we begin to allow sin to lull us to sleep, instead of actively doing the hard work of battling to put it to death. Before you know it, we begin to form a love affair with a future version of ourselves. "Next year...in five years...in ten years...I'm going to finally overcome that sin struggle and look a lot more like Christ." However, complacency is the enemy of action, and if we are looking to our future self to figure out the issues we are dealing with today, we will inevitably never make any progress.
3. It should quench our longing for justice.
Can we all admit that there are times when we feel we have been in some way wronged, and in those moments, we crave immediate satisfaction of our thirst for justice? It would be great (perhaps) if the world worked according to the simple principles of cause and effect. In other words, if you do "good" things, good things happen to you...if you do "bad" things, bad things befall you. Unfortunately, our world doesn't work that way.
Because sin has disfigured the world in so many ways, God's perfect design and ordering of all things has been replaced with chaos in many ways. Of course we know that God still remains sovereign over all things and has a plan and a purpose in everything that happens, but we must admit that sometimes it is hard to make sense of what he is doing in the world around us. Everyday, we hear stories of calamity befalling people that, at least by worldly standards, would be considered morally good. Christians are not exempt from this reality either. All over the world, believers suffer and die, either from the effects of sin (disease, natural disaster, evil actions of others, etc.) or from direct persecution. Heaven is full of martyrs who are waiting upon the patience of the Lord to run out with mankind to receive their justice.
We all, as creatures formed in the image of our creator, inherently long for justice because God is wholly just. It is part of who we are as humans. We desire justice, balance, and peace. We must recognize and accept though, that in this broken world, justice isn't always done. Sometimes the person with the most money, power, clout, etc. wins the day. No, sometimes being in the right just isn't enough. In these moments, we can be comforted in knowing that inevitably, justice will one day be done. Scripture teaches us that God is storing up wrath for the sons of disobedience and, on that day, all of the wrong that has ever been done will be fully punished.
For those who are in Christ, we know that our transgressions have been atoned for through the work of Christ upon the cross, so that our debt has been paid in full. However, there is still plenty of wrath being accumulated in the ledger of mankind. We cannot forget or ignore the terror of that fact. There is a day coming when justice will be served. This reality should create in us simultaneously fear of, and gratitude towards, God (also, as was mentioned above, a sense of urgency in sharing the Gospel with others).
In all of these ways and many more, the mystery of the timing of Christ's return should keep us "on our toes" and focused as we face the prospects of each new day we have been given. Life is short and we want to make the most of it and steward well the time we have been given. Not simply for our own enjoyment (although we do honor God by enjoying all that he has blessed us with), but also for his glory and the furthering of his kingdom.
In Grace,
Chris Morris
If you missed this week's sermon (or just want to listen again), follow the link below to listen. Or subscribe to our podcast in iTunes.
Part 84 - The Son of Man is Coming
Questions discussed in this sermon:
1. Will the sun, moon, and stars literally lose their light?
2. Who is "this generation" that Jesus is addressing?
3. Why should believers live in anticipation of Christ's 2nd advent?
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