Introduction
1 Thessalonians 5:2 - "For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night."
The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. But the question is: will you be ready when He comes?
When I was young, I experienced a robbery in our house. The thief entered in the middle of the night, took the movable valuables, and left hurriedly when my mum woke up and suspected unusual movement in the house. The thief escaped because we raised the alarm late. We all have different robbery experiences—whether while sleeping, or face-to-face on the street with weapons demanding our phone, jewelry, or money. Sometimes, they are even bold enough to snatch your bag from you. Despite the different types of robberies, the common factor is that they are "unexpected". The Bible says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
How prepared are you for the second coming of the Lord? We've grown used to hearing preachers and evangelists urge us to give our lives to Christ. For some, it has become a cliché. We've become familiar with hearing the word but not being doers of the word. There's a song we used to sing in my secondary school: "Going to church every day, pretending will not come. Bible in your hands, evil in your mind; the Bible is warning that you should repent, for it may be too late to say 'had I known.'" It may be too late to wish you could turn back the hands of time.
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From my little research, I've realized that people don't like hearing preachers talk about the second coming of Christ because it scares them. Some feel they are not ready to become born again because they still want to "enjoy life," believing that becoming born again early means they have subscribed to suffering. Ironically, not being born again is literally living a hard life.
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Becoming born again before the coming of Christ is the only ticket to heaven, and we don't know when Christ will come. It might be now as I'm typing this, it could be next week, or later—nobody knows. But how do we keep being saints until He comes? How do we remain born again after many years?
Firstly, being conscious of our new life in Christ is very important and necessary. The consciousness of your new life in Christ helps you remain focused and prepared for the second coming of Christ. This consciousness helps you abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). It helps you always be at the center of God's will for your life, not found in the path of sinners nor in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). It also helps you discover God's purpose for your life; you get busy fulfilling that purpose instead of waiting idly for the second coming of Christ.
Another way to be ready for the second coming of Christ is to engage in spiritual activities, such as studying and meditating on the word of God, which reminds us of His return. Additionally, through prayer—communion and communication with God—we energize and strengthen our spirit. The power of fellowshipping with other believers also strengthens us to remain in the household of faith (Ephesians 4:3).
Lastly, and most importantly, is the decision to give your life to Christ. Both sinners and saints will die one day, but what comes next after death? Reigning with Christ after death is the goal. Thriving or striving on earth only to end up struggling in the pit of fire is not worth it when you can simply say this confession to secure a place in heaven:
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"Lord Jesus, thank you for giving up your life for me to live. I acknowledge and believe in my heart that you died for me. Have mercy on me for my iniquities. I accept you into my life today and acknowledge you as my Father and Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. Amen."
Hurray! You are now born again and qualified to reign with Christ. Congratulations! If you made that confession, ensure you join a Bible-believing church for mentorship and to help you grow.
So refreshing 🙏
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