Here is my meditation from this evening's service, titled: Live As If There Is No Tomorrow
I Corinthians 7.29-31
As we read of Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians to live as if Christ was returning the very next day, if not that very evening. He writes that people should remain in singleness to better serve God in these last remaining days. If people are married, they should devote their time to serving God rather than worry about what is happening in the pettiness of family life. For Paul, Jesus’ return was to happen at any moment. After two thousand years, we still wait, we marry, we live our lives, and go on with the day to day busyness that fills us with our time. Do we live with the expectance and urgency that Paul lived with? Should we? Or should we just write this off as one of the things Paul got wrong.
But let us look at this in a different light, what if Paul got it right; not with the expectation that he was looking for, but rather with fulfilling the word of God. For shortly after Paul’s own death, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed again; Rome itself was starting to fall apart; and life of the typical person who lived in these areas and times would be forever changed.
As we continue to live our lives out in faith, we need to hold in tension the reality of Jesus’ imminent return and the fact that two thousand years has passed since Paul wrote these words. Following the death of particular people of faith, it is said that the “end of time” is near; and it is. The day of Christ’s return and the day of our judgment are only a few hours away. Just as we do not know the day or time of Christ’s return, we do not know the day or time that our lives here on earth will end and we will be called to account for our lives.
There are groups that will gather waiting for the return of Jesus and then are laughed at when Jesus does not return at the time or place that they expected. Then there are the many other people who live out their lives in faith, but do not give a second thought that Christ may return at any moment; after all, it has been two thousand years since Christ ascended, why should things change now.
We can take Paul’s urgency and hold it out to others, as well as to ourselves, remembering that Christ’s return will happen, but we do not know the day or time. We continue to live our lives in faith we will be able to see where God has already entered the world and bringing about God’s realm and making it a reality.
We do not know the day or time, but Christ will return. Are we ready?
I Corinthians 7.29-31
As we read of Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians to live as if Christ was returning the very next day, if not that very evening. He writes that people should remain in singleness to better serve God in these last remaining days. If people are married, they should devote their time to serving God rather than worry about what is happening in the pettiness of family life. For Paul, Jesus’ return was to happen at any moment. After two thousand years, we still wait, we marry, we live our lives, and go on with the day to day busyness that fills us with our time. Do we live with the expectance and urgency that Paul lived with? Should we? Or should we just write this off as one of the things Paul got wrong.
But let us look at this in a different light, what if Paul got it right; not with the expectation that he was looking for, but rather with fulfilling the word of God. For shortly after Paul’s own death, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed again; Rome itself was starting to fall apart; and life of the typical person who lived in these areas and times would be forever changed.
As we continue to live our lives out in faith, we need to hold in tension the reality of Jesus’ imminent return and the fact that two thousand years has passed since Paul wrote these words. Following the death of particular people of faith, it is said that the “end of time” is near; and it is. The day of Christ’s return and the day of our judgment are only a few hours away. Just as we do not know the day or time of Christ’s return, we do not know the day or time that our lives here on earth will end and we will be called to account for our lives.
There are groups that will gather waiting for the return of Jesus and then are laughed at when Jesus does not return at the time or place that they expected. Then there are the many other people who live out their lives in faith, but do not give a second thought that Christ may return at any moment; after all, it has been two thousand years since Christ ascended, why should things change now.
We can take Paul’s urgency and hold it out to others, as well as to ourselves, remembering that Christ’s return will happen, but we do not know the day or time. We continue to live our lives in faith we will be able to see where God has already entered the world and bringing about God’s realm and making it a reality.
We do not know the day or time, but Christ will return. Are we ready?
Peace and blessings.
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