Matthew 24:36-51
By means of divine inspiration God has shared some of his secrets with man. Many things which were once inconceivable and hidden mysteries to man have now been made known to us. And all that we need to know about our redemption has been made known through Jesus, God's only Son, our Lord and Savior.
However, Jesus tells us that there is one great secret which God has never disclosed to anyone, not even the angels in heaven; not even to His own Son while he was on this earth.
What I'm talking about is the secret of Christ's return to the earth - his second coming. God has revealed that there will be certain signs preceding the event, but this is history's best kept secret.
The unpredictability of Christ's return should be a powerful incentive for us to live holy and honorable, righteous lives and faithful service. John writes in his epistle, "Everyone who has this hope of Christ's return purifies himself (that is "keeps himself/herself clean)." Jesus reminds us to be about the work of God "for", as he says, "the night is coming when no one can work." And in his second epistle Peter admonishes us to be about God's work with such words as "be mindful," "do not be ignorant," "be diligent," and "beware." Not knowing when Christ will return, we are to be especially careful to live holy and useful lives. We must live and work as though Christ were coming today. Amen.
By means of divine inspiration God has shared some of his secrets with man. Many things which were once inconceivable and hidden mysteries to man have now been made known to us. And all that we need to know about our redemption has been made known through Jesus, God's only Son, our Lord and Savior.
However, Jesus tells us that there is one great secret which God has never disclosed to anyone, not even the angels in heaven; not even to His own Son while he was on this earth.
What I'm talking about is the secret of Christ's return to the earth - his second coming. God has revealed that there will be certain signs preceding the event, but this is history's best kept secret.
The unpredictability of Christ's return should be a powerful incentive for us to live holy and honorable, righteous lives and faithful service. John writes in his epistle, "Everyone who has this hope of Christ's return purifies himself (that is "keeps himself/herself clean)." Jesus reminds us to be about the work of God "for", as he says, "the night is coming when no one can work." And in his second epistle Peter admonishes us to be about God's work with such words as "be mindful," "do not be ignorant," "be diligent," and "beware." Not knowing when Christ will return, we are to be especially careful to live holy and useful lives. We must live and work as though Christ were coming today. Amen.