What Should Christians Do as We Wait for the Lord’s Return?
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Christians’ thoughts and conversations about the end times (also called “eschatology”) vary in scope and intensity. Some people are given to anxiety, while others remain calm as they wait for the Lord Jesus’ return. All Christians ought to be watchful and eagerly await His return.
What we do as we wait for Jesus to return matters because everything we do as Christ-followers reflects our love and thankfulness to Him for what He’s done — sacrificing Himself on the cross to atone for our sins. And we have the sure promise of what He is doing (Hebrews 7:23-25) and will do (John 14:3).
We remember the Apostle Paul’s words from Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ,” and from Galatians 1:24, “And they glorified God because of me.”
How can we do both while watching and waiting for Jesus to return?
Below, we’ll take a general look at what the Bible says within a few subtopics. We won't go into the different views of end times theology so much as we will point toward what our focus should be: growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ and sharing the gospel.
What Is Eschatology and Why Does It Matter?
Writer Heather Caliri tells us, “Eschatology is the branch of theology concerned with the study of the end times or the final events in the history of the world and humanity. It involves the examination of beliefs about the afterlife, the destiny of souls, and the ultimate fate of the world.”
The interest in and study of the end times matters because it involves the final end of man, a hot topic since almost the beginning of time. Despite the advances in modern medicine and wellness practices, humanity is guaranteed one thing: death. This life is all we’ve known, and people naturally desire to know what’s next — what happens after we die?
It’s hard for unbelievers to imagine what comes next, and we need to remember death for unbelievers differs from believers’ deaths. For reference, believers are those who have accepted God’s kind invitation to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (John 6:44; 14:6; Titus 3:4-5). Unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) are those who have no faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They are in rebellion against God and His Word (the Word being Scripture and Christ).
The Bible tells us death brings a final end to the flesh. Even though each person’s soul is eternal, the end times refers to created beings’ final end. Satan, his demons, and all unbelievers are consigned to hell and eternal torment apart from the grace of God (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will enjoy eternal life in His presence (John 10:28; Revelation 21:6).
Therefore, how we view the end of times is primarily based on our understanding of where we will go after we die.
What Happens When We Obsess about “What’s Next?”
An old adage declares, “He’s so heavenly minded he’s no earthly good.” This saying comes into play when we consider those who obsess about what happens next on God’s eternal clock. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 tells us, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” This “catching up” is commonly referred to as the “rapture.”
The imminence of Christ’s return is exciting for sure. But many who see the rapture as the next big event in history may spend an inordinate amount of time looking for signs that indicate it’s ready to happen. An obsession with apparent signs tends to steer our attention to the fantastical and steal attention away from what the Lord told us to be busy doing.
Bible teacher Clarence L. Haynes Jr. states, “This topic can lead people to become very passionate about looking at signs and trying to figure out where we are on the prophetic calendar. While this can be great for discussion, it can also become a great distraction.”
Regarding the timing of His return, Jesus and His apostles tell us:
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).
“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
See also Matthew 24:36-44, Luke 21:34-36, and Revelation 16:15.
What Should We Do While We Wait?
It’s important that we look at what Jesus said to His disciples when He ascended to heaven after His resurrection (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 1:1-11). He told His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Jesus said:
1. Go. Christians are not to be idle. Our “business” is as Scripture-inspired, Spirit-led, and kingdom-focused ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).
2. Make disciples. The only way to make disciples is by the power of the gospel. Romans 1:16 tells us the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” When we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s the gospel that “does the work” of salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can’t save anyone. Only God can.
3. Once people are saved, their usual first act of love, identification with, and thankfulness toward their Savior is to be baptized. Baptism is symbolic of a believer’s union with Christ and is also symbolic of the washing away of sins (effected by Christ). Baptism is a visible sign of the new covenant of grace in Christ. Baptism does not save anyone. Scripture passages that verify these truths include Romans 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:27.
4. Teaching others to observe all Jesus has commanded us. This statement sums up the first three. We share the gospel and we see that believers are baptized. We teach the disciples all about Christ.
What is the why for these commands? Because all power and authority rest in Christ. As His, we serve as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), and we obey Him not for a works-based righteousness but instead because we love Him and are thankful for what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do. And so, we watch and wait for His return.
His return will be marked as Scripture says:
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and appears even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen” (Revelation 1:7).
Therefore, Christians are to:
“Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33).
“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).
We must look forward to physically being with Christ. One day we will, “rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).
Be Heavenly Minded as You Wait
The Bible is full of the gospel, and it all points to Christ – He is the Gospel. Scripture is our source for all we need to live as Christians as we await Christ’s return (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3). We’re not to obsess or be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6-7). Worrying about the evil events in the world or using them to validate our end times beliefs does not lead toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), nor does it equate to being filled with and displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26).
Being heavenly minded, according to Christ, means being led by the Spirit as we rest in Christ and His sufficiency. Heavenly minded Christians remember and share the Gospel, fellowship with one another, and enjoy Christ’s sufficiency through the ordinary means of grace (baptism, prayer, and the Lord’s supper).
In the end (pun intended), what matters for every person is what they “do” with Jesus Christ.
1. Question One of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer? “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Scriptural references for this answer are found in Psalm 73:25-26, John 17:22, and 1 Corinthians 10:31.
2. King Solomon proclaims, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
3. Revelation 14:6-7 states, “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
The key to understanding all three of these truths is to realize God’s redemptive plan for humanity is a thread running throughout the Bible, beginning in Genesis 3:15 (the protoevangelium — first mention of the gospel). God’s plan will not be thwarted by any man or event.
Jesus Christ is the only One who could and did obey every one of God’s commandments. He atoned for every sin of humanity on the cross. He did something we can never do. We are indeed in the final age before Christ returns (Matthew 28:20; Titus 2:11-15), and while people still have breath, hope remains. The hope lies in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that’s our call, to “keep” (observe, hold fast to) His commandments by resting in Christ, His grace, and His sufficiency.
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