ARE YOU READY FOR THE IMMINENT GATHERING? (PART 7, FINAL PART)
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" - Titus 2:11-13 (KJV).
Today, I bring to you the concluding part of this series on the need for our readiness for the imminent coming of the Lord, otherwise known as the rapture.
Contrary to what others have said, God's grace doesn't encourage us to sin and to live in sin. Jesus Christ the Son of God is the Grace of God that has brought us salvation (Jn 1:17, Titus 2:11). The grace of God teaches us to live a sober, righteous, and holy life. The grace of God does not lead us to practice and to live in sin.
As we await the rapture, it is incumbent upon us to live holy before God and to be expectant of the glorious appearance of the Lord. This will serve to keep us in check, while waiting; knowing that His second coming is imminent. At the time I got born again, the slogan "the trumpet shall sound" was what was in vogue among Christians. With this slogan, people were conscious of the imminent nature of the rapture of the Church. To me, it served not only to bring to our remembrance the event of rapture, It served also to put us in check, to get prepared and not to live in laxity. But today, we hardly know if such slogans exist; with the attendant danger that men hardly know if anything exists that is called rapture!
The knowledge that this world shall pass away, together with the lusts thereof should serve to decide us to live holy and righteous before Him as we wait for His second coming.
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:17 (KJV)
In actual fact, and as God's children, we are to live our lives hasting unto, with the utmost eagerness desiring, praying for, and contemplating, the coming Saviour as at hand.
"Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" - 2 Peter 3:12 (KJV).
Since we hold it on impeccable record that the rapture is soon coming and that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, let us be diligent that we may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
This calls for watchfulness and dedication on our part; that we do not become deceived to abandon our steadfastness in the service of the Lord, so that we may be judged worthy to be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.(2 Peter 3:14).
"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." - 2 Peter 3:17 (KJV)
May we live in expectation of the rapture and above all, remain rapture able, in Jesus name.
PRAYER:
Dearest Heavenly Father, I receive grace to watch dutifully as I wait for the second coming of the Lord. Amen.