“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).As citizens of heaven, Paul tells us that we ought to be eagerly looking forward to the Lord’s return. But there is more to this than just the mental desire for Christ to return. Notice the words of God revealed through the prophet Amos:
“Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, for what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light; as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him, or goes home, leans his hand against the wall and a snake bites him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, even gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20).There were people in Amos’ day – just as there are in our day – who were looking forward to the day of the Lord, thinking that it would be a time for their deliverance, rather than judgment and punishment. We do not want to delude ourselves like those of whom Amos prophesied. If we want to genuinely and properly look forward to Christ’s return, there are certain things we must do and things we must understand.
What Must Be True for Us to “Eagerly Wait”
We must be saved – When the Lord returns, those who are “in Christ” – both living and dead – “will be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). However, those who are not saved will not enjoy the same reward at His return. Instead, Paul writes, “When the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). The way to be saved is by obeying the gospel, which is done by believing in Christ (John 8:24; Mark 16:16), repenting of sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38), confessing faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3; 1 Peter 3:21).We must desire the reward – This should probably go without saying, but it is an important point to mention. As citizens of heaven, we must “set [our minds] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Jesus said, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). This is why Paul said, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We must have that same earnest desire for heaven.
We must recognize that life here cannot compare with life in heaven – Many people become distracted from the goal of heaven by focusing on the “worries and riches and pleasures of this life” (Luke 8:14). Jesus asked, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). It may sometimes be easier to focus on the reward of heaven when life is hard. But even when life is good, we must remember that it will never be better, even temporarily, than heaven. The rich man in Jesus’ parable did not appreciate this (Luke 12:16-21). He had no interest in the things of God while life was good. He thought he could focus on spiritual things later. But because he did not make spiritual things his priority even when life was good, Jesus labeled him as a “fool” (Luke 12:20).
What Must We Do While We Are Waiting
Faithfully obey the Lord – While we “eagerly wait” for the Lord’s return, we must do certain things. The most fundamental is that we continue to faithfully obey the Lord. Many believe in the concept of “once saved, always saved,” but this concept is false – a Christian can fall from grace and be lost (Galatians 5:4; 1 Corinthians 9:27). Jesus told the Christians in Smyrna, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Because Paul had “fought the good fight…finished the course, [and] kept the faith,” he was able to look forward to receiving “the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). This hope exists for all those who remain faithful to the Lord.Fulfill our normal responsibilities – Even though we “eagerly wait” for the Lord’s return, knowing that “the world is passing away” (1 John 2:17), we cannot ignore the responsibilities we have in life. We must still work to provide for ourselves (2 Thessalonians 3:10), provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), and help those in need (Ephesians 4:28). We have obligations as parents, spouses, friends, and brethren that still need to be done, even with the understanding that the Lord could return at any moment (2 Peter 3:10).
Help others get to heaven – We are to be “as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16). As Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), we must desire to do the same. We should strive to spread the word – both as individuals (1 Peter 3:15) and collectively through the church (1 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Timothy 3:15) – to those who are outside of the body of Christ. We must also help our fellow Christians by encouraging them to remain faithful to the Lord (Hebrews 3:12-13; 10:24-25).
Conclusion
It is good that we eagerly await the Lord’s return. But we must be sure we are ready for it, so that we may “be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14).
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