Living in Light of Jesus' Return

 

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11

 

Many of us, who profess faith in Christ, live a contradiction. While we confess faith in Jesus, and while we confess faith in his promises, we live like those who surround us. We live like those who have no faith in Jesus whatsoever.

 

Our life is not one of repentance, nor is it one of faith. It’s a life of sin and rebellion. It’s a life of depravity and immorality.

 

Earlier in the fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul discussed the return of Christ. He recounted the fact that we do not know the day of Jesus’ return. But he drew a distinction between people of faith and those who are without.

 

This day, he said, should not surprise us. And it should not surprise us because we’re not of the night or of the darkness. In other words, we aren’t living in unrepentance. We are not living in sin. Although we still commit acts of sin, our life is not one of ongoing rebellion against the Lord.

 

For this reason, he calls us to keep awake. He calls us to remain sober. And he calls us to do so because God has not destined us to wrath, but to salvation.

 

In this way, Paul is calling us to live in light of Jesus’ return. After all, his return is our hope. And, believing his promise, we’re to live in this world expecting his coming.

 

What this means for us, as believers, is living a life of constant contrition and faith. It means doing so, knowing that he died on the cross for our salvation. It means doing so, knowing that he gave his life to free us from sin and its consequences and to bestow upon us redemption and life.

 

What does this mean for us, practically? It means a constant acknowledgment and confession of our sin. It means looking always to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. And it means, by his grace, living according to his will.

Ready or Not

 

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 ESV

 

The end will one day come. Jesus will one day return. And this will be a time of blessing for believers in Jesus.  But, at the same time, it will be a time of judgment for those who do not trust in him.

 

However, that being said, we don’t know when this will take place. Jesus stated very clearly that no one knows the day nor the hour of his return. And, for this reason, he taught that we must we watchful. He taught that we must anticipate his coming.

 

What we do know is that it will be sudden. Paul, in the above passage, tells us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. He compares it to labor pains coming upon a pregnant woman. When people feel that all is well, when they believe that they are secure, this day will abruptly come upon them.

 

That being said, there is a distinction between believers and unbelievers in this regard. We are not in darkness for that day to startle us. Even though Christians are equally unaware of when the Lord will return, his coming should not surprise us.

 

It should not surprise us because we are expecting it. It should not surprise us because we are watching for it. It should not surprise us because the return of Jesus is our hope.

 

We long for it as, at that time, our sinful nature will be no more. We long for it as, at that time, the consequences of sin will be a thing of the past. And we long for it as it marks the beginning of an eternity in the presence of the Lord.

 

Unbelievers, however, will be caught completely off guard. When they feel that all is right with the world, sudden destruction will come upon them. When they feel that they have all they need, the wrath of God will fall upon them.

 

Trusting in Jesus, then, we will remain watchful. We’ll anticipate the Lord’s return with a confident expectation. We’ll long for that day because of the blessing it will bring.

 

It will also motivate us to share the gospel with those who are perishing. It will motivate us to share our hope with those who have none. It will motivate us to do so that they also might look to Jesus in faith and receive the grace and mercy available to all who believe in him.