For the past weeks I’ve been reading the book of Revelation. I currently finished chapter 17 moments before typing this post. It’s crazy, there is just so much that I don’t understand about this book. Tragic events, glorious moments, and incomprehensible instances are recorded for us to read. Honestly, I can get caught up in my confusion and miss the importance of the one thing I actually understand from this book.
What is the one thing I get? Like, the one thing that I know that I know that I get? Well, that would be that Jesus will return, the earth will be judged, and we better be ready.
Lately, people have gotten too caught up in the words “grace” and “mercy” that they’ve missed the boat. Yes, I’ve been given a lot of both of those things, and I still am receiving both, but neither is important without what comes before and after. Before I was able to receive grace and mercy, I had to realize that by the way I was living I was rebelling against God and treating Him like dirt. Once I realized that, I was then able to repent – which is an action that involves recognizing a way of living was wrong and taking the steps necessary to do a 180 and start honoring God. When I repented, that’s when I received God’s grace and mercy… because it was God’s grace and mercy!
It used to be that the Israelites had to make an animal sacrifice to atone for their sins (Exodus 29:36). Basically, rather than a person dying for their sins as they deserved, the animal would be killed in their place. This was not a one-and-done deal either. They had to do this each day to be made right with God. That’s why God sent Jesus to die on the cross (Romans 3:25). He became the substitutionary sacrifice for all of time. Instead of having to sacrifice an animal every day, we can turn to God, trust in Jesus, and repent. With this avenue of salvation and purification so easy and offered to all, that is the true grace and mercy of God. Grace and mercy never had to do with being “ok” with sinning, or dancing around the subject to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. All along it had to do with letting go of sin and taking on a life with Jesus.
We may understand the concept of God’s grace and mercy, but that’s not it. Why do we need to be ready for Christ’s return and what does that mean?
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
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Here’s the gist, like Paul said, we don’t know when Jesus is coming back. We can’t know, and we don’t need to know when He’s coming back. If we knew, then how would anyone truly be faithful to Him? If the very time He would return and people would be judged was known, then we’d have a bunch of people living life for their own hoorah up until the moment right before Jesus returned where they literally repent at the last minute. However, making it impossible for us to know when He is returning weeds out the fakers from the faithful.
To be honest, you can spot a faker from a mile away… sometimes. Yet, sometimes, they seem like genuinely good people, but the faithfulness to God is missing. That leaves us with the question: How do we move from faker to faithful? How do we become prepared for God’s coming return?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1-3
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Faith is a journey. An action. A step. It’s not blindly wishing everything will turn out alright. It’s having hope in knowing that God cares about you even when everything goes to pot. Rather than believing God loves you and that you should live for Him, it’s knowing both are true and living life based on those.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
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Having faith and not acting upon it is the same as having no faith at all. If you truly know that God loves you and that He expects you to do certain things but don’t do it, then do you both believe and know those to be true? They work hand in hand.
Again we ask, how do we stay prepared for His return? By having faith, which is knowing who God is and what He expects of you, and acting upon that faith, which is allowing that knowledge and belief to affect every area of life.
I’ll be the first to admit that I can stink at living my faith at times. But we all do. Perfection was never the goal. At least not here on earth. We are living our lives for Jesus the best that we can in an imperfect world. However, that is not an excuse to continue living contrary to how God wants you to. That’s just recognition that there will be times that life stinks and you fail. It’s also the recognition that when those moments happen there will always be the opportunity to get back up from them and ask God for help getting back on track.
Never get caught in the misconception that you have to fix yourself before you can come to God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world, humanity fell and broke into a million pieces. To make things more of a challenge, Satan hid some of the pieces from us. Thankfully, God knows where to find them and is willing to help us put things back together if we let Him. We can’t fix ourselves because not only do we not have the pieces, but we don’t have the tools to do it. God has both and is always ready to work on you.
Have you been trying to fix yourself? Now’s the perfect time to ask God to step in and do the fixing that you will never be able to do. He wants to help you and He wants you to be with Him. That’s the whole reason that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, so that you could be made right with Him. I encourage you to stop right here and now and ask God to begin working in your life.
