In the last three devotionals on advent, we looked at (1) what was leading up to Christ’s first advent, (2) what happened at His first advent and what that means for us, (3) and what will happen at Christ’s second advent and what that means for us. Today, we will be looking at what the Bible teaches we should do concerning Jesus’ second advent (His return in glory).
The Bible actually has a lot to say about how we are to prepare for Jesus’ second coming. For instance, the Bible often teaches that the Christ will return as a thief to those not ready for Him (Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 12:35-40). Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Rev. 16:15; see also Rev. 3:3). 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 describes Jesus’ coming this way:
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 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. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (italics added).
What we can gather from this passage is that those who do not remain sober-minded are those who Jesus will come to like a thief in the night. The opposite of sobriety is living a life with the perception of all things being “peace and security” apart form Christ. In other words, such a person would feel peace and security in his sinful lifestyle, and in his worldly possessions and things. Being self-secure apart from Christ is the very opposite of being sober-minded. Those lacking soberness are “of the night,” but genuine believers are “children of light.” Remaining sober characterizes genuine believers. Peter describes this sobriety in a slightly different way, making it clear that to lack sobriety is to not be on guard against the devil:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 5:8-11).
To be sober minded, then, is for us to be alert to the devil and the evils of the world. Another passage says that we should be on guard against the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:2-3a). The proper preparation, then, for Jesus’ return is that we “resist” evil, stay “firm in [our] faith,” and be willing to “[suffer] a little while” for the Name of Christ. And so, in the mean time, while we wait, Jesus commands us to be sober-minded and ready for His return—paying careful mind to our walk, that we may walk as Christ; that we may be good and faithful servants, diligently going about the Father’s business. That is how we are to long for Christ’s return. If we truly long for His return, then we will make the most of the short time that we have on earth to do God’s will, as He has revealed to us in Scripture. To truly long for the return of Christ is to be diligently, and with great sobriety, carrying out the desires of God both within our hearts and in the world. To pursue “sobriety” means that we are diligently seeking to distinguish truth from error (according to God’s Word), being carefully and always on guard against evil, both from within our hearts and in the world. It is as the wakefulness of a dutiful guard on the night watch, longing for the sun to rise. He does all that he can to protect what is precious to him by keeping his eyes trained and ready to detect any and all that could harm the kingdom. So are we to train ourselves in biblical wisdom—that we may know the difference between real and fool’s gold. This is all so that Christ may not return to us like a thief, finding us not ready for Him—finding us about the business and evils of the world rather than His business and good. So, with sobriety, seeking to live as faithful sons and daughters of the Most High, we ought to strive until the day when we receive our full inheritance in Christ—at Christ’s second advent. Christ Himself is our prize. Come soon Lord Jesus!
What are some practical ways that we can seek to be sober for Jesus’ return? Well, we can begin by looking seriously at our lives, and ridding our lives of everything that does not honour Him. Many who are drowsy or asleep say, “I just don’t have time for this religious stuff.” That is a lie and deception of the devil, who has taken them by his guile. We may also just be lazy towards the things of God. Rather, our lives are not for those other things that we prioritize over Christ. So, we need to reconfigure our lives to reflect God’s priorities, and the pursuit of sobriety. We can so easily get boggled down with things like our jobs, entertainments, recreations, and added obligations, which crowd out our pursuit of sobriety. In other words, we can become so clouded with the things of the world that we become lethargic to the things of Christ, and so we backslide, and do not subject everything to Christ. That is being asleep. So, we must cut those things out that are apt to replace our time and focus on Christ, and therefore reflect Christ’s own priorities, that we may be wakeful servants, not caught off guard by being buried in the things of this world.
Things that we need to prioritize include (1) time alone in God’s Word and (2) in prayer. These are to be done without distraction, so that we may give our full attention to serving God, desire His teaching (wisdom), and pursue what He desires from His Word. (3) We need regular fellowship time with mature and faithful believers who will teach, challenge, and exhort us unto godliness. Simply finding buddies at church to discuss one’s work or hobbies will not do. Your fellowship needs to be grounded in the common pursuit of faith and sobriety. Those without this will quickly fall asleep. (4) We need to be actively living out our faith, using what God has given us to serve others from a heart that desires to please God as its own end. This means looking for opportunities to serve and to help fill true needs. This also means being attentive to our fellow believers, watching for opportunities to encourage, build up their faith, and to help them in their struggles—granted that we do not get caught in sin ourselves. This also means knowing those that are in our spheres of influence, including unbelievers, and witnessing to them in love and being an example of godly endurance. (5) This also means leading our families in worship daily—even if it is only with our spouse. Family worship can be customized to fit the needs of the family. This is important, since it helps to frame our days collectively together before God, helps to foster and teach true fellowship, and keeps our minds and hearts on God daily. It also obeys the mandate for family in Deuteronomy 6:4-6, which is essential for every family—helping to keep our whole family sober, which is the responsibility of the leader of the home (the husband), and when he cannot, then the wife. All of these things must be jealously guarded. We cannot allow anything to replace these pursuits of sobriety, which actually entails maintaining a relationship of true love to God and others. Study God’s Word daily so that you can ascertain and approve of what God desires of you—your holiness in love. This pursuit is one that only grows over time, and we can only ever increase in learning and applying the principles behind sobriety from God’s Word. Don’t ever think that you know enough of God’s Word. You do not. As we continue on being sober, God orchestrates our lives and circumstances to coincide with what we are learning about Him and what He desires from His Word. We need to be renewed daily. As we continue, so we grow, and become more sober-minded. This is a lifelong pursuit that will never end until we die. As Paul said, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:6), and “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1b).
That is the thought that I would like to end with on your mind. That is our proper response to Jesus’ impending advent. He will come soon, and may we be found ready, going about the Father’s business. Again, I say, come soon Lord Jesus! Amen.