How Shall We Live?
Christians, are you weary? Do you anxiously await the return of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ? More to the point, are you counting the days, looking at your watch, checking your investments, and crying out, “Come, Lord Jesus! I can’t take much more of this!”? It’s easy to go there. Painful circumstances can make us beg for relief in any form. What better form than the Son of Man taking us away from all this, right?
Here’s the thing. We, as believers, know how this story ends. It ends with a new heaven and a new earth, like a return to the Garden of Eden. Mankind is restored to perfect fellowship and communion with God Almighty. Zero separation, no sin. No pain, no tears, no regrets, no obstacles to holy and pure fellowship with God and with others. That day is coming! While we don’t know when we know this is how the story ends. Seems to me this leaves us with a couple of choices. Let’s approach it like a cheesy game show from the 70’s, shall we?
Tell ‘em what’s behind door number one, Bob!
Behind door number one is complacency. Picture that scene in Wall-E, where the over-indulgent masses are floating around on hover shuttles, consuming food and beverages without a care in the world.. G-rated hedonism at its finest. I’ve got my needs met and that’s the goal. Mission accomplished. More precisely, all my needs may not be met now, but they will be, therefore, I’m good. Nothing to see (or do) here.
2 Peter 3:10 tells us, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed”. While this may sound scary and daunting to some, we who know Christ can actually take great comfort in knowing that, “It’s all gonna burn” and that there is something much better in store for us. Perfection.
The temptation, then, is to become complacent or worse- smug- in knowing that one day, possibly soon, God will right all the wrongs and wipe out all the sin and depravity from the earth once and for all. But here’s the thing:
Christianity is not an exclusive club for self-righteous and self-serving people.
Behind door number two is this: 2 Peter 3:14-18 tells us that since we know these things are coming (the destruction of the heavens and the earth and the coming of a new heaven and a new earth) we should:
Be grateful for God’s patience (vs 15). God does not wish that anyone should perish.
Watch out for false teachers who condone lawlessness. (vs 17)
Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Know God’s Word for ourselves. Take personal responsibility for knowing God through His Word and give God glory now and forever (vs 18)
So if we know that this earth will pass away and that, though things will get worse first, the story ends well (to put it mildly), how then shall we live? Door number one? Or door number two? It’s a no-brainer, really.
But wait, there’s more (the game show just morphed into an infomercial)...
If we knew the cure for cancer, wouldn’t we share it? Yet what we know is far more valuable because though this life may be ended by cancer, someone who knows Jesus will live forever cancer-free, in perfect fellowship with God! The gospel is infinitely greater than a cure for any disease; it’s a cure for the biggest disease of all: self! Independence from and rebellion against God. Our most deadly, grossly undiagnosed, terminal ailment! The gospel beckons us to come and offer up what’s killing us and to trade death for life. Not just in the here and now but forever!
Yet how often do we share the gospel with others who are perishing? What are we afraid of? Mockers? Scoffers? Haters? Or the latest craze: being labeled with something ending in “ist”? Peter addresses that too, in Peter 3: 3, where he says, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” Peter is referring to those who would mock or scoff in those days, saying “You said Jesus is coming back, so where is He?” The same holds true today, a couple thousand years later. Let’s face it, the gospel is offensive to many. But we still need to present it. What happens after that is between that person and God.
Fear of man could be a year-long devotional in itself, but when it comes to the avoidance of sharing our faith, I think much of it can be summed up with this simple yet profound Proverb:
Proverbs 29:25: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be kept safe.”
That’s the kicker: trusting in the Lord. I’ve learned that just about every single conflict, every hardship, and every struggle comes down to this one foundational question, “Do I trust God?”
Knowing that our eternity is secure in Christ, that the battle for our soul has been won, and knowing that there are many lost sheep in our neighborhoods, communities, and the world, how then shall we live? Let’s choose to live with hearts aligned with His. Loving the lost, caring for the sick, blessing those who curse us, and praying for those who mistreat us. Shaking off the hindrance of offense, keeping our eyes on the prize- Jesus Christ! Less of us, more of Him! He is the solution! Let’s fix our eyes on Him!
Jesus, we thank you. You give freely to all who ask. Lord, you welcome, with open arms, any person who recognizes their sin and their need for a Savior. I pray for any precious-in-your-sight person you have brought here to read this devotional, Father, I pray that they would surrender their life to you now, in Jesus’ mighty name. Break chains, Lord. Change generations to come, God. Make old things new. Bring beauty from ashes. Let the body of Christ celebrate another lost sheep coming to the Shepherd and give You all glory and honor! For we who know and love You, Father, I pray for boldness to proclaim Your truth to a hurting world. Equip us, Lord. Humble us. Flow through us, Spirit, that we could be Your witnesses. You are so awesome! Change our hearts to want to share the hope we have with others. Give us boldness tempered with grace, compassion, and humility. Jesus, you said the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. May we step up and conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.