Tag: end times

Faithfully Continuing Toward Salvation in the End Times

Faithfully Continuing Toward Salvation in the End Times

Marissa

I’d been trying to decide what topic to write about this week, and then one morning I woke up with this phrase running through my head: “our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.” I think I might have been dreaming about editing a blog post, since I woke up feeling like I needed to add it to an article. I couldn’t think of an existing post that needed editing, so I decided to look up where the quote came from, check out the context, and see where that took me.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.

Romans 13:8-14, NET (bold italics mark quotations from  Ex. 20:13-15, 17; Deut. 5:17-19, 21; Lev. 19:18

I quote the first part of this passage a lot, but I always stop after the part about love fulfilling the law. If you keep reading, Paul adds a sense of urgency to his instruction to fulfill the law by loving each other. We should “do this because we know the time.” What does that mean? And if Paul could say, “the day is near” to readers almost 2,000 years ago, what would he say to us today?

Image of a man studying the Bible overlaid with text from James 5:7-8, NET version: "So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near."
Image by Chris Mainland from Lightstock

Getting Ready For the End

As you read the New Testament, it seems clear that the apostles originally thought Jesus’s second coming would happen in their lifetimes, but that they eventually realized it was farther off in the future. That didn’t soften their sense of urgency, though. Paul probably wrote Romans around 57 A.D. and John wrote his letters around 100 A.D., and yet they both have the same sense of urgency (dates from Britannica.com).

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:10-11, WEB

 Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. 

1 John 2:18, WEB

One of the things that we can learn from this sense or urgency is that even if Jesus doesn’t return in our lifetimes, it’s useful to live as if He will. This is the final hour. The Day of the Lord is near. We do live in the end times. Whether Jesus returns in our lifetimes or not, we have a finite amount of time for our human lives here on this earth. And if God has opened our eyes to the truth, we’ve entered a relationship with Him and committed to following Him in this life, then we’re part of His house and His judgement starts with us.

For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer. Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:7-8, NET (bold italics mark a quotation from Prov. 10:12)

But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker. But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name. For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners? So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good.

1 Peter 4:15-19, NET (bold italics mark a quotation from Prov. 11:31)

As the church of God (the faithful, believing body of Jesus Christ), we’re judged based on how we live our lives here on this earth. What happens to unbelievers is a little more vague, but their resurrection happens at a different time and their judgement is handled a little differently (see “Rethinking Hell: A Clearer View of God’s Judgement“). For us, though, this is our time to learn about God and live His way of life, with the hopeful expectation that in the final judgement after the resurrection we’ll hear “well done, good and faithful servant” (“Rethinking Heaven: Capturing A Vision Of The Resurrection“).

Heading Toward Salvation

Image of a woman walking along railroad tracks, overlaid with the blog post's title text and the words, "Whether Jesus returns in our lifetimes or not, we should live with a sense of urgency and awareness in our walk as believers."
Image by Anggie from Lightstock

One of the interesting things about the verse we started with in Romans 13 is that Paul says, “our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.” Modern Christianity tends to treat salvation as a thing that happens when you commit to Jesus Christ, but the New Testament writers treat salvation as a process that begins with our commitment to follow God for the rest of our lives (Phil 3:8-16, for example). This topic comes up in some of the most sobering warnings that Biblical writers deliver to New Covenant Christians.

Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. This will we do, if God permits. For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame. For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

Hebrews 6:1-8, WEB

It is vital that we press on once the salvation process begins, building on the elementary principles we first learned. We’re supposed to grow as believers and become more and more like God the Father and Jesus Christ. If we’re not growing, then we’re falling away and that’s a dangerous thing. Notice, though, what the author of Hebrews says right after issuing this sobering warning.

But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this. For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.

Hebrews 6:9-12, WEB

Though the author penned these warnings, he’s sure that the people he’s writing to are doing “better things … that accompany salvation.” The warning isn’t because he thinks they’re all about to miss out on eternal life, but because he wants them to be awake, diligent, and press on faithfully “even to the end.”

As we look at the world around us, many Christians feel that things are getting so bad it must be close to Jesus’s return. We’re not the first generation to feel this way, but whether we’re right or not we should live with a sense of urgency in our walk as believers. We’re not supposed to be afraid, but we are supposed to be aware of the dangers in complacency. It’s our duty to keep following God faithfully, holding onto the hope He has given us firmly, and keep learning and growing as part of our living, dynamic relationship with the Father and Jesus.

Featured image by Pearl from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “When the Stars Burn Down (Blessing and Honor)” by Phillips Craig & Dean

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Persevere, Grow, Love: Jesus’s Message To The End-Time Believers

Persevere, Grow, Love: Jesus’s Message To The End-Time Believers

Marissa

A lot of people want to know if we’re living in the end times. Is this it? Have the events of Revelation started? Will Jesus return soon? And there are plenty of people willing to answer them by setting dates, making predictions, or identifying the mark of the beast. There’s much fear, much distraction, and an eagerness — sometimes almost a desperation — to figure things out. We often overlook that the apostle John offered a simple answer to this question nearly 2,000 years ago.

Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. (1 John 2:18, all quotes from WEB translation)

We are living in the end times, and have been for as long as there’s been a new covenant church. Whether Christ returns this year, the next, or 100 years from now the things He had to say about how His people should prepare for the end of this world do apply to us. An end will come for each of us one way or another (whether we die or Christ returns before that), and we are told to be ready.

Near the end of His human ministry, Jesus’s disciples asked, “tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). In Matthew 24:4-41 He answered their question by describing what “the beginning of sorrows” will look like, how things will get worse, and signs that His coming is near. He also clarifies that we do not know “the day or hour” but that we can still be ready and watchful. He then expounds on how to do that through a series of parables. Read more →

A Time For Discernment and Standing For What’s Right

A Time For Discernment and Standing For What’s Right

Marissa

We’re going through a pandemic right now, and it has given us the opportunity to ask ourselves some interesting and challenging questions. Take, for example, the issue of closing churches. Here in Ohio, churches are exempt from the order to limit public gatherings to 10 people or less. This is a right and proper application of the separation between church and state. Most churches here moved online, however, following the recommendation of medical and legal counsel. This was also right and proper, for the Bible tells us to respect governing authority (Rom. 13:1-2; Tit. 3:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:13-17) and quarantine the sick (Lev. 13:46; Num. 5:1-3). Just in the last couple weeks, some churches are starting to reopen with social distancing and other precautions in place.

Things didn’t go so well everywhere. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio threatened to permanently close churches and synagogues if they continued to hold any services. In Mississippi, attendees of a drive-in church services were ticketed $500 for sitting in their cars listening to the pastor on the radio (the DOJ has stepped in on behalf of the church). Some consider churches “essential services,” some do not. Some try to use the crisis to discriminate against religious institutes, others work alongside and defend them.

Jesus warned there will be those who persecute His church. There will be people who try to stop us from meeting, preaching and worshiping rightly. It has already happened throughout history in various places around the world. To be clear, I am not saying encouraging churches to temporarily suspend in-person services during a pandemic is persecution. But this does give us a reminder that we need to be watchful and exercise discernment. This is a good time to ask ourselves questions like, How would we respond if churches were asked to close for a different reason? Or ordered to stay closed, as threatened in New York? What if we were told we could no longer own Bibles, as has happened in other countries?

I don’t bring up these sorts of questions to panic us, but to prepare us. We are told to watch and be ready, and it’s hard to do that if you’re not thinking of things that might happen in the future. We are living in the end times (as humanity has been since the first century per 1 John 2:18). This is a time for discernment and preparedness, and the current crisis can serve as a wake-up call for any of us who may have been growing complacent in the safety and freedom we’ve enjoyed for so long. Read more →