At the end of first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul gives a five-pointed charge to the church. This series examines those charges and seeks their application to us today.
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13–14, ESV)
The world is burning. Distance can make us think that things are well, as though trouble will skip by. The Middle East is ever in the throes of war, but now the Islamic State (ISIS) is raping, burning, and murdering its way across much of the Levant. The culture and social structure of America is swinging like the weights of a pendulum, with no signs of coming back. Mexico is in a bloody and protracted near civil war against the drug cartels that have totaled more than 60,000 lives lost. Religious zealots roam Africa stealing children and wiping out whole villages in the name of their false gods. Persecution, suffering, death.
In the midst of this, as the world seemingly burns around us, we must be watchful. Watchful for what? Are we to sit on the sidelines and merely watch the chaos? Am I saying we must not get involved, but pull back into our perfect Christian ghettos from which we can heckle the sinners and congratulate ourselves on our piety like the Pharisees of old?
No.
We are watchful for our Lord Jesus Christ. “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42, ESV) I am not saying the signs of Christ’s return are on display. I am not saying the rapture or tribulation are imminent. I am echoing the Apostle Paul in calling us to eagerly await the return of Jesus Christ.
Roughly 1950 years ago Paul charged the Corinthian church to be watchful for the return of Christ. In the intervening years we are to be no less watchful for his return today as they were then. His return is imminent. It could be now, next week, or in the next millennium. When it will occur is not our concern, our concern is to be ready for it.
What does it mean to be watchful/ready?
Christ has given us an undisclosed amount of time on Earth despite that many would like to know. In that time, we are charged with obeying him. It is on our heads what we do with our time here. Certainly we are sinners and need the salvation offered in Jesus Christ to sanctify that obedience. It is only through Him and his atonement that we have peace with God. The Christian then obeys and waits for Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God the Father.
We can be lulled into thinking our time is long. We can be comforted into considering what we shall do tomorrow, the next day, or the next year. Remember the parable of the rich fool? He thought to store up much for himself and neglect God. “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”” (Luke 12:20–21, ESV)
We watch because He told us to watch. (Matthew 24:42) We listen because He is the Creator of all things, including us. He breathed into us the breath of life. Before the foundation of the world, our days were numbered and our steps were ordered. Why should we think we can ignore God like the rich fool, and live according to our will?
No. We watch. The world burns and souls are hurtling into hell all over the world. We stand watch for the return of our King and herald His gospel to a lost and dying world. As the world falls apart, we have the only good news. The problem with the world is that it lives at enmity with God. We, believers in Jesus Christ and Ambassadors of His Kingdom, stand watch and bear witness that He is Lord and He is coming again. He is coming soon.
Stand watch with me. Time is always short. Eternity is always long.
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon
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