You also must be ready …

Journeys Through the Word

“You also must be ready …” 

Verse(s) considered:

Luke 12:40 ESV

You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Thoughts along the road: (Observations) 

• You. Who is “you”? In this discourse, Jesus is speaking, and he is speaking to his disciples. 
• This verse is an admonition to true believers to stay ready for his return.
• This is one of several warnings that when Jesus returns in judgment that those alive at the time will not be expecting it.

Where to go from here: (Application)

This verse, while it is addressed to disciples, is a warning to everyone. God’s judgment will apply to all. Those of us that are believers will be judged on the merits of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. His righteousness will cover us. Non-believers will be judged on their actions, and primary among them will be their rejection of Christ. 

We must always remember that not all of his disciples were true believers. The same is true of the church today. Not everyone in our churches is a true believer, and they will be left behind when he comes for the church.

Where do you stand today? Are you among the faithful servants that are watching and waiting eagerly for his return? Then you need to remain ever vigilant and watchful, carefully tending to those responsibilities he has given you. Or are you among those who do not take him seriously because of your unbelief? The warnings for you are many and dire, and I would pray that you would reconsider your position. Seek the Lord today while he may be found. Once he returns, there will be no more chances for you. Today is the day of salvation.

“Christ died for our sins (just as the scriptures said) and rose from the dead.” 

I Corinthians 15:3-5

May I share the gospel with you?

The bad news begins with two statements, two verses and two illustrations that help others to visualize the context.

• Bad news statement #1: We are all sinners
  • Verse: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
  • Illustration: “Sinned” means we have missed the mark. When we lie, lust, or gossip, we have missed the standard God has set.
    Suppose we both threw a rock at a target 5 miles away. You might throw it further than me, but both of us would miss. It is the same with our relationship to God. While you may do more “good works” than me, we will both still miss the target of perfection. We are guilty of sin.
• Bad news statement #2: The penalty for sin is death
  • Verse: “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23
  • Illustration: A wage is something that we earn in return for our deeds.
    Suppose I agreed to pay you $50 for some work you did for me. That $50 is a wage – it’s what you earned.
    The Bible tells us that the wage we have earned for sins is death. Not just physical death – spiritual death, which is separation from God.

Since we are unable to come to God because of our sins, the Bible says that God came to us. This is the good news! It also has two statements, two verses, and two illustrations.

• Good news statement #1: Christ died for you
  • Verse: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
  • Illustration: The Bible says that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, took the punishment for our sin and died in our place.
    Suppose you are in the hospital and dying of lung cancer after smoking your entire life. Suddenly, the doctor comes in tells you someone is willing to have their perfectly healthy lungs exchanged for yours, removing all cancer cells. What would happen? They would die and you would live. They would die in your place. That’s what Jesus has done for us.
• Good news statement #2: You can be saved through faith in Christ.
  • Verse: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
  • Illustration: Faith means trust. We must trust in Christ alone for salvation.
    Just as you would trust a chair to hold you up while providing no effort of your own, so you must trust Christ alone to get to heaven through no effort of your own. Any good thing you might do cannot get you to heaven. It is through Christ alone.

There is nothing more important than your need to place your trust in Christ for salvation. If you would like to do this, you can tell God you are trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior through a simple prayer. It is not a prayer that saves you; it is trusting Christ that saves. Prayer is simply how you tell God what you are doing.

Dear God, I know I’m a sinner. I know my sin deserves to be punished. I believe Christ died for me and rose from the grave. I trust Jesus Christ alone as my Savior. Thank you for the forgiveness and everlasting life I now have. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Assurance of Salvation

John 5:24  “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.