How Should the Possibility of a Rapture Today Affect Us?

So since the Bible says that no-one knows, I very much doubt that he knows!

My personal reaction though, is that I hope it is today! I can’t think of anything better than to be with Jesus tonight! Some people have said to me, ‘But don’t you want to see your kids grow up?’. Well no, not really – I would much rather see them go to heaven and be there with them, in a place where I don’t have to worry if they’re going to come home alive, or if they are going to get sick.

So how should this affect us practically? Should we be selling everything, saying goodbye to people, or scoffing at it and making fun? Here is what I think based on what I just happened to be reading today in 2 Peter 3.

Even though I don’t really think it is going to happen today, we don’t know when it will – it could be tomorrow! Or we might be run over by a bus today and still go to meet Jesus. So you need to make sure you are at peace with God. Even if you think you are a Christian you may not be. Have you really repented of your sin – i.e. recognised you have done wrong things before God and told Him that you are truly sorry and want to change and follow Him?

Have you really trusted Jesus to save you? Since God is just and holy and we have done wrong we are destined for hell unless we take hold of what He has put there to rescue us because He loves us – we need to believe in Jesus to save us. So you need to believe that Jesus is the son of God and died in your place, for your sin, and if you trust in Him and ask Him to save you He will.

We need to realise that everything is going to burn! All these things we are living for, money, education, career, identity – will all go. Once Jesus comes back, or we are taken from this earth, there will be only eternal things. So we should be living like that. We should keep our mind on the things that will last – like being loving to each other, and honouring God. We should concentrate on glorifying God with our lives not living for ourselves, and we will also build up treasures in heaven. We should be wise stewards of what God has given us and do the best we can in a way that when we stand before Him He will say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’

I love how Peter doesn’t hold anything back here! Even in our Christian culture nowadays we often tend towards chilling out, relaxing, telling ourselves not to strive too hard. Of course we do need to work at what we do in God’s strength, depending on Him – but we also need to be diligent. And look at the goal – it’s not just to be better, but be diligent to be found without spot. We should set before us the highest goal and work hard towards it. But still knowing that God has grace when we fail and is abounding in mercy to forgive us when we sin.

That passage today set me on fire – I hope it can do the same with you too! How do you think we should be living in light of the fact that Jesus might come back any day? Has the news of the rapture prediction affected your thoughts at all?