Back in the Future...Johnny Be Good (part 1)

The rapture isn’t just about a brilliant and breath-taking event in the future. Yes, Jesus is coming “back in the future” as has been our series title over the past 5 weeks, but the truth about the doctrine of the rapture affects more than just our future. It also affects our today. Because Jesus Christ is returning, we should live differently today. Here’s how:

First, we should live more comforted lives. After Paul writes to the bewildered church at Thessalonica teaching them the truth that their already dead loved ones who had trusted in Jesus would not miss out on this glorious event and assuring them that there would be a coming resurrection, he ends that portion of his letter with the words in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” Or as Paul says earlier in the chapter, we do not need to mourn as those who have no hope. Because Jesus is returning for His church and because there truly is hope beyond the grave, we can live comforted lives in the midst of sorrow…even when standing next to a freshly dug grave.

Second, we should live more committed lives. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul ends this chapter detailing the rapture of the church by saying that as a result of the truth of the certainty of this coming event, we should be steadfast. This is a word that refers to being seated or the idea of being settled and firmly situated. In other words we are to be settled about our belief in a future resurrection. We are also to be immovable. It is the idea of being totally immobile and motionless. We are not to be moved away from God’s will. We are also to be always abounding in the work of the Lord. The word “abounding” is the idea of exceeding the requirements. It is overflowing or overdoing. It is used of God lavishing on us the riches of His grace as seen in Ephesians 1:7-8. And we are to be knowing that our toil is not in vain in the Lord. The word toil means to labor to the point of exhaustion. “In vain” is the idea of being worthless. Because Jesus is coming again we can know for certain that all of our time, energy effort and resources that we put into the work of Christ is not worthless. It means something. It matters.

The fact of Christ’s return should also affect multiple other areas of our conduct as seen in the Scriptural passages below:

It should affect our church attendance (Hebrews 10:25):

“Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

It should affect the way we love believers and all men (1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13):

“And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”