By Bill Brandstatter
I was talking to a lady once about the second coming of Christ. She stated, “I am not ready yet.” I thought about what that statement revealed and what it can tell us.
First, being ready is not on my terms, but on Christ’s. I must do what He wants me to do. His word will be the basis for judgment (Jn. 12:48). I cannot get ready by my own merit or standard. Jesus warned us to be ready and on the alert. To be ready means I have made the proper preparation. Preparation requires effort. To the persecuted Christians in the first century, Peter encourages them to “add to your faith” (2 Pet. 1:5).
Second, being ready being watchful. The Bible uses the term “watch” to describe the day of the second coming of Christ. He will only come back once. We don’t know when, only the Father knows. If I am watchful in anything, I am on guard. I watch those items which will damage me. I watch to make sure the items I need are the ones I have. Watching for the second coming of Christ works the same way. Jesus used this term. Watch means to be on the lookout or to be aware of what is going on around us.
Third, being ready doesn’t mean we wait till the last minute. Too many people have a lot of “baggage” they want to get rid of before Christ comes back. I am convinced that if the Bible gave us an exact time the Lord would return, there would be some who would wait until a split second before to get things right; but we are not told the time; therefore, any minute we wait could be the last minute.
- Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/
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