Readiness

Christ declares, “And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” (Mark 13:37). Given the certainty of His return, and the uncertainty as to the timing of His return, we must stay awake. That is to say, we must be ready. What does readiness look like?

 

Readiness gives great hope for enduring affliciton. A day is coming when affliction will end. That hope shapes our present perspective. John Newton illustrates: “Suppose a man is traveling to a city to take possession of a large inheritance, but his carriage breaks down a mile short of the city. As a result, he must walk the rest of the way. We would think him a fool, if he were to walk that one remaining mile – all the while lamenting his broken carriage.” Do we see his point? The man is focused on his broken carriage, when he should be focused on his inheritance. Far too often, that’s us. We act as if the problems of this life are eternal. We fret over life’s struggles and pressures. We lose sight of the fact that Christ is coming back.

Readiness gives great urgency for avoiding deception. The devil is very active. He’s a snake, seeking to deceive God’s people (2 Cor. 11:3). He’s a wolf, seeking to destroy God’s sheep (Matt. 10:16). He’s a lion, seeking to devour God’s children (1 Pet. 5:8). We dare not underestimate him. He seeks to deceive people into thinking that that God wills their prosperity, not their adversity . . . that God loves them unconditionally, not that He unconditionally commands them to repent . . . that God is concerned about their happiness, not their holiness . . . that God is satisfied a half-baked faith, not that He demands their absolute allegiance . . . that God is accepting, not that He has ordained a narrow gate that leads to a narrow way.

 

Readiness gives great strength for combating sin. We live in the eschatological tension between “now” and “not yet.” That means our salvation is inaugurated, but not yet consummated. At glorification, the tension between “now” and “not yet” will be resolved. Because we’re inseparably joined to Christ, the future realities are secure. That motivates us in our present struggle with sin. Our position in Christ motivates us to consider ourselves dead to sin.

Readiness gives great resolve for overcoming worldliness. We struggle with inordinate affection for this world. If I were to offer a three-year old child the choice between a chocolate bar and a $10,000 cheque, which would he choose? The chocolate bar. Why? He doesn’t see the big picture. He doesn’t perceive the value of the cheque in comparison to the chocolate bar. Similarly, many of us fail to perceive the difference between the temporal and eternal. What impact does the prospect of Christ’s return have on our lives? Do the choices we make reflect our belief that Christ is coming back?

 

Readiness gives great zeal for serving Christ. At present, Christ reigns by His Spirit and His Word in the face of great opposition (even tribulation). That’s how the kingdom advances. And He has called us to serve Him where He has placed us – in our home, church, and community.

Quotable: “Christ hath told us He will come, but not when, that we might never put off our clothes, or put out the candle” (William Gurnall).