The Rapture
You may ask, “Will that day overtake us as thief?” We have just read in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 that we are not in darkness that this day should overtake us! God has given to us the warnings that would precede the second coming of Jesus Christ; but as far as the rapture is concerned, Jesus left it as something that could happen at any time. He wants the church to live in the expectancy of His imminent return, and He wants us to do so for four reasons:
First, His imminent return gives urgency to the task that we have of bringing the Gospel to our world. Remembering that His return could be today, and that the fields are ripe for harvest (John 4:35), we set ourselves to the task of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world.
Secondly, it is an incentive for pure living. John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
John then adds, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (3:3). The realization that Jesus could come at any moment is a real incentive for pure living. In light of the fact that the Lord might come even today, there are certain things we should do. But first, let me tell you what you shouldn’t do. Don’t quit your job, sell your house, or see how much money you can borrow, figuring you won’t have to pay it back. Jesus said, “Do business till I come” (Luke 19:13).
Thirdly, His imminent return causes us to look up, Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). Two verses later, He said, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
In Hebrews it is written, “To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time” (Hebrews 9:28). Amos cried out, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). These verses tell us to ready ourselves and watch for His return. They warn us that the time is now to give our hearts to Jesus Christ, who is both ready and willing to forgive us our sins and blot out our transgressions.
And the fourth reason God wants us to live in expectation of His imminent return is that it helps us maintain a right attitude towards the material things of this world. In writing to the Corinthians concerning the coming of the Lord, Paul warns them that the time is short, and reasons that as believers, they should let their every contact with the world be as light as possible. In other words, hang loose. We don’t want to get so attached to this world that when the Lord comes for His church, we say, “Wait a minute, Lord.” There won’t be time for that. And this world can’t compare to what He’s planned for us.
Taken from “The Final Act” by Chuck Smith pages 106-110. Used with permission.
