Mark 13: 32-33 « But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come»
Matthew
24: 14 « And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole
world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. »
1
Corinthians 15: 24 « Then the end will come, when he hands over the
kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and
power. »
"Live each
day as if it were your last..." We have all heard this phrase at least
once. For those who do not believe in an
afterlife, this phrase is an invitation to enjoy life and satisfy their desires
without worrying about tomorrow. However, for Christians, this phrase is an
invitation to "prepare for eternity." For us, living as if each day
could be our last on earth means living in a way that pleases God because we
know there is life beyond the end of all things. This life depends on how we have
lived on earth. The best way to live in hope of eternal salvation is to believe
in Jesus.
Matthew 16: 27 « For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with
his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have
done.»
However, many
consider having faith in Jesus to be a ‘carte blanche’ to live in sin.
According to this view, as soon as someone believes that Jesus is the Son of
God who wiped away all condemnation arising from sin with His blood, sin no
longer exists, and one is exempt from all its consequences. This conception is
very mistaken. Although we do not have to earn salvation because Jesus has
already paid the price for us, this does not give us permission to live a life
of depravity. Believing in the salvation that Jesus offers means accepting to
die to ourselves so that Jesus can live in us and truly take our place. We tend
to forget that Jesus' blood effectively washes away sin because of His purity.
Therefore, to keep this salvation, we must also be pure, which is impossible. Hence the importance of
accepting that Jesus lives in us. In this sense,
when Jesus lives in us, we can no longer have a heart full of hatred,
resentment, envy, or pride. We can no longer be inclined toward all kinds of
depravity. We can no longer love evil.
For none of these things are of Jesus. He embodies love, compassion,
holiness, righteousness, purity, perfection, excellence, and power. Therefore,
believing in Jesus is not just a word, but a way of life. Anyone who claims to
believe in Jesus yet does not live this way is a liar. And so it is that many
believers will be surprised at the end of time when they do not enter the
Kingdom of God because the One through whom they would have deserved salvation
never truly lived in them.
Verses 3 through
6 of chapter 2 of the First Epistle of John perfectly summarize what has been
said:
« We
know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I
know him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in
that person. But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete
in them. This is how we know we are in Him: 6 Whoever claims to live in Him
must live as Jesus did. »
Therefore, I
invite all Christians to live each day as if it were their last, not knowing
when they will die or when the end will come, manifesting the life of Christ in
them so that they may be true in their faith in God. We should read Matthew 7:7
every day so that we remember that salvation is obtained through Jesus and is sustained
as long as He lives in us. Let us not distance ourselves from or sadden His
Spirit within us.
