Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wake Up, Sober Up, Suit Up
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. —1 Thessalonians 5:4
The teaching of the imminent return of Christ is a real litmus test of where a person is spiritually.
How should we be living, knowing that Jesus could return at any time? The apostle Paul gives us the answer: “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:6–8).
We are to wake up. “Let us not sleep, as others do. . . .” When we are in a church where we are taught the Word of God, we can become a little fat and sassy and lazy. But we want to be alert. We want to be awake. Instead of being sermon connoisseurs, we need be fishers of men. We need to wake up to the fact that time is short.
Also, we are to sober up. “Let us who are of the day be sober. . . .” Having spent the early years of my life around drunk people, I can tell you that I don’t want to be under the influence of anyone or anything but Jesus Christ. I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Lastly, we are to suit up. “[Put] on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” We are in a spiritual battle that started on the day of our conversion, and it will rage on until we get to heaven.
So here is my question to you: Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ? Will you be ready to step into eternity?
Summary sentence: Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ?
Tags: Last Days, Second Return of Christ
Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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