![]() ![]() While we cannot know if we will live to see the Lord’s return, there is no doubt that the world is full of people who need Christ’s gift of salvation. It could happen without warning at any time. The Rapture-the next event on God’s prophetic timeline-is a signless event. Peter approached each day believing that Jesus Christ could return at any moment, and he calls us to do the same. In Colossians 3, Paul tells us to keep our heart and mind focused on the things above. While we can’t fully imagine how wonderful it will be, the Bible’s descriptions allow our mind’s eye to visualize heaven’s city, walls, streets, golden glow, crystal river, God’s throne, and the worshiping throngs. The closer we get to heaven, the more we should reflect its character. Heaven is sinless, pure, perfect, beautiful, and radiant. When we keep the destination in mind, the trip is worth it. Nothing in the world anchors our sense of belonging more deeply than claiming our identity in Christ and following His clear instructions for our life. ![]() ![]() Regardless of race, gender, background, citizenship, political party, or social or financial status, we are His special people. When we come to Jesus Christ, our sense of identity is bound up in Him. In a fractured world, the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers the ultimate assurance that we belong. Respond: 3 Ways to Live Purposefully in the Last Days 1. With this view of our Christian identity, how do we live it out? Our possessions won’t last only what we send ahead of us will endure as we invest in God’s Kingdom. When we realize this world is not our home, it changes our approach to everything. “Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Like many first-century believers, Peter expected that Christ would return during his lifetime. “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). He addressed his readers as “sojourners and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) and warned believers to conduct themselves carefully among those who do not yet believe or oppose the spread of Christianity. Writing to a Church racked by persecution, Peter sought to encourage God’s people and remind them of God’s promises. ![]()
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