Redeemed and Ready - January 10

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:3

While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Reflect

When you think about Judgment Day, what thoughts or images come to mind? What has formed your views on end time events the most?

You don’t have to be a Christian to be preoccupied with the idea of the “end of the world.” Just consider how obsessed Hollywood is with the concept that one day this world will be destroyed. Errant comets, massive tsunamis (or other natural disasters), nuclear wars, alien attacks, artificial intelligence revolts, biological weapons, etc.—all of these have been the subject of apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic films.

Because the media has speculated about these events and sparked our imaginations about the end of time, many of our views on this subject are shaped more by the media than by the Bible. But when we go back to the Bible, we can read for ourselves what Jesus and His apostles taught about these things.

In today’s verse, Paul said that sudden destruction will come upon the people of the world and they will not be able to escape it. He used the imagery of a woman suddenly going into labor. Pregnant women know they will soon have a baby, but the exact day or time is unknown. Due dates are just estimations, after all and in Paul’s day, even more so. But once the painful labor begins, it is obvious that a baby is coming and there is no stopping the process.

In previous verses, Paul talked about the coming of the Lord and the rapture of believers both dead and alive (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The idea of Jesus coming to take us home and resurrecting the dead in Christ is comforting and gives us so much hope. “We will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Amen.

But today’s verse isn’t about Jesus returning to deliver His church and take us Home. Paul isn’t talking about the Rapture here, he’s talking about Judgment Day. He said that people will have a false sense of security when suddenly, disaster strikes. They will be carrying on doing their own thing, ignoring God, flat out rejecting God, and seemingly foot-loose and fancy-free when they abruptly find themselves face to face with their Creator. And He will judge them according to their deeds. “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works…” (Romans 2:5-6).

The prophet Malachi warned: “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire” (Malachi 4:1). In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul told us that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

The good news is that justice will be served. Evil will be punished once and for all. The bad news is everyone will get what they deserve and we all deserve death because we all have sinned (Romans 3:23).

Thankfully, there is a way that we can be ready for the imminent return of the Lord. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Whoever believes in Jesus Christ and trusts in Him for salvation is not condemned to punishment (John 3:18) but has their name written in the Lamb’s book of life. In Revelation 3:5, John wrote: “the one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” If we confess our faith in His Great Name, we will be saved because He will confess us as His redeemed people to the Father. But Revelation 21:27 specifies that “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

We have been warned. We know the day is coming. The Lord’s judgment cannot be stopped. But we can be ready. We can be redeemed! We can belong to Christ, our Lord and Savior. If you haven’t placed your faith in Christ, I urge you to do so today. The day draws nearer and nearer everyday. Why wait?

Respond

Lord, I confess that I have sinned against You. But I also know that if I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I also confess that You are my Lord, the Son of God. Because of this, I know that I abide in You and You in me and I have confidence on the day of judgment only because of You and what you’ve done on my behalf (1 John 4:15-17). Amen.

Reveal

Do you love someone who is an unbeliever? How can you share both the bad news and the good news of Judgment Day with them?