While growing up, children often look forward to events planned by their
parents. This could be a trip to an amusement park or some other adventure they
long for. As time passes, the children mature, and the things they look forward
to become more important. Marriage comes to mind and having children who will
begin to pine for the very things the parent themselves once did. Likewise, God
has provided the most important things for mankind to desire. Chief among these
things is the gathering of the faithful at the moment of the rapture. Ask
around; anyone who has the Spirit of the living God residing in them will tell
you the departure of the church is at hand. That is to say, the rapture could
happen any second.
The doctrine of imminence teaches that this attitude has been prevalent amongst
the faithful since the beginning of the church age. Therefore, perhaps the best
way to look forward is to look back in an attempt to ascertain the greatest
possible way to behave while we wait.
Since the very beginning of the church, the best way to exist has been to look
to the author and finisher of faith and allow Him to lead and guide (Heb 12:2;
Prov 3:5-6).[1] Actually, this statement has been applicable since the time of
the very first man. Had Adam kept his eyes on God and followed His leadership
without question, the world would be a very different place today. The good news
is, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, through perfect obedience, made a way for all
to overcome the sin and death introduced by the first. Though all are born of
the nature of the first Adam, those who are saved by believing in Jesus the Son
of God, the last Adam, will be at the rapture, changed into the mysterious
incorruptible ‘spirit-being’ foretold by the apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:35-57).
The question at hand, however, is how does one behave while waiting on the
aforementioned rapture, the moment of great transformation? Paul concludes his
instructions to the Corinthians in regard to the ‘change’ the church is to long
for, with the statement:
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in
the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58).
Paul’s words imply that faithfully working for the Lord is the reasonable
service of any believer. He also says whatsoever is done for the Lord is counted
as worthy. With this in mind, believers should strive to do all things in a
manner worthy of God. Could it be this simple? Could the task at hand simply be
to do all things as unto the Lord? (Col 3:23). A brief examination of those who
were deemed worthy to receive mention in the most holy book ever written, the
Bible, will provide adequate proof that this is all one needs in order to
overcome while we wait.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; Genesis chapter six explains why. The
world had become so wicked that God had decided to destroy mankind along with
the beasts, creeping things, and the fowls of the air. It was at this time that
God found one just man, a man referred to as perfect in his generation. The same
faithfulness which caused Noah to receive grace caused him to heed God’s word
and build the ark. In fact, Genesis 22 states that “Noah did everything that God
commanded him to do.” This is the beginning of a pattern of success we are to
follow while we wait.
Moses, targeted for destruction by Pharaoh because of fear the Israelites were
becoming too strong, was miraculously saved. Ironically, he was saved by the
very people who sought his demise, the Egyptians. As incredible as his birth
was, this is not what makes him so important to the topic at hand. The story of
Moses stretches from the fateful moment in the bulrushes all the way to the
Mount of Transfiguration. Many instances could be expounded upon with equal
effectiveness; however, one particular moment stands out. Moses had led the
people out of Egypt and, on more than one occasion, had to place himself between
God and the rebellious children of Israel. One such instance, the rebellion of
Korah, provides the key to understanding why Moses was so greatly beloved by the
Lord.
In the midst of the rebellion, Moses does not reflect on his leadership.
Instead, he tells the people they will know the Lord had sent him to do all the
works he did by the judgment which would come upon Korah and those with him.
Then he provided the secret to his success in his next statement, “For I have
not done them of mine own mind” (Num 16:28b). Indeed, Moses did whatsoever the
Lord commanded him to do. By the way, things did not go well for Korah and those
faithful to him; they ended up swallowed whole by the earth (Num 16). Obviously,
these were not doing all things as unto the Lord.
David, the shepherd boy who became king, lived a life full of ups and downs. As
a youth, he was anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel. Next, he, as a ruddy
boy, killed Goliath for blaspheming the God of Israel with a sling and stone, no
less. He became great while serving Saul, who attempted to kill him repeatedly;
he then fled for his life and lived as a throneless king for a time. After his
exaltation to the throne, he fell into sin with Bathsheba and lost a son in the
process.
King David’s story goes on; however, this last point will suffice. In the midst
of his sin, David received forgiveness, not because he was king, but because he
was quick to repent (2 Sam 12:13). Yes, David failed to live a perfect life;
however, any time he came short of God’s desire, he quickly repented. These
instances proved that David lived according to God’s testimony of him; he was a
man after God’s own heart who would fulfil all of the Lord’s will (Acts 13:22).
Again, the way to ‘live ready’ is to do all the Lord desires.
The prophets, named in the Bible, were no different than the patriarchs already
discussed. Each one followed the will of the Lord closely, even if it meant
maltreatment by their own peoples. Micaiah comes to mind. He was the only
prophet in the entire kingdom who would speak the unpopular truth to King Ahab,
who desired to war against Syria. After being encouraged by a messenger from the
king to speak good things like the four hundred prophets that had already
declared victory, Micaiah said, “As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith,
that will I speak” (2 Chr 18:13).
Of course, the story goes that the king has Micaiah imprisoned and fed only
bread and water until the king should return safely. Ironically, even though the
king disguises himself, he is felled by a stray arrow, and his passing fulfils
the words of the prophet Micaiah with perfect precision. Incredibly, the death
of King Ahab also fulfilled a prophecy by another prophet, Elijah (1 Kings
21:19). Micaiah’s desire to speak only what the Lord tells him to speak
validates the presented proposal that the best way to wait on the rapture is to
be busy doing all things as though doing them to the Lord, even if it brings
difficulty.
Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. Therefore, He is the best example possible.
In fact, His entire existence on earth was in direct fulfilment of God’s will.
The apostle John, the beloved, recorded these words from Jesus, “For I came down
from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John
6:38). Jesus demonstrated the truth of this statement with every action and
word. Perhaps, the most poignant example of this is when He prayed in the Garden
of Gethsemane. Without a doubt, He knew of the impending turbulent ending of His
earthly life when uttering the words, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this
cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt 26:39).
Jesus, in the most difficult season of His life, relied solely on the Father’s
will, as demonstrated by the remainder of His time on earth. Like Jesus, our
reasonable service, even in the midst of great difficulty, is to do all that we
do to and for the Lord.
The Apostles, the first to live as Christians without Christ on earth, validated
the principle before us. They lived and died gracefully, knowing that Jesus was
genuine. They had seen and touched Him. They walked with Him for over three
years as He taught in word and deed.
Incredibly, in the midst of being with Christ, they sometimes struggled to
maintain focus on the most important thing, Jesus Christ. For instance, Peter
began to sink when he took his eyes off of the one who had called him out onto
the waters; later, he denied the Lord three times. Thomas, could not believe in
the resurrection without seeing evidence of the risen Saviour.
Ironically, the
disciples slept through the aforementioned prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane,
even though Jesus admonished them to pray with Him. These are but a few of the
examples of how the apostles struggled to do all things as unto the Lord.
The good news is Jesus provided a way for the disciples and all those who
believe after them to overcome while waiting. He sent the Holy Spirit, and from
the Day of Pentecost onward, the Apostles never looked back. In fact, each one
faithfully ministered for the remainder of their lives, which were often cut
short by martyrdom. Indeed, the ‘Spirit-filled’ Apostles exemplified how those
who followed them, the church, should wait.
Since its inception on the aforementioned Day of Pentecost, the church has
certainly seen its ups and downs. Throughout its existence, spanning nearly two
thousand years, the body of Christ, another name for the church, has been
comprised of many individuals. Some have remained faithful to the will of the
Lord, while others have fallen astray because of a wandering gaze. For some, the
church became a religious function; for others, a means to escape coming
judgment. Still others have used the church for gain and thereby have been led
astray while also leading others off of the simple ‘narrow path’ of true
obedience onto a crooked ‘broad path’ that leads to destruction (Matt 7:13).
The journey each believer undertakes while waiting is often affected by this
struggle to stay on the right path. Another way to see this fierce combat is to
understand it is a war between the flesh and spirit. The flesh wants to do
things that make the individual happy; think David and Bathsheba. The spirit, on
the other hand, wants to please the Father in the same manner that Jesus did.
Therefore, waiting is not a task for the faint of heart. Instead, the one who
waits must not shy away from the battle at hand.
The good news is, the very fact that one wants to don the armour of God as
depicted in Ephesians chapter six and engage in the warfare necessary to
maintain a spiritual stance, proves the believer, like any good soldier of Jesus
Christ (2 Tim 2:3), has a desire to do all things as unto the Lord. The armour
and battle would otherwise be unnecessary.
Throughout its existence, the church has demonstrated varying degrees of
faithfulness, as demonstrated by the letters to the seven churches in the book
of Revelation. Some see these churches as seven sequential church periods marked
by the conditions noted in the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the last book of the
Bible. However, perhaps it is best to recognize these as physical churches in
John’s day, which further represent the possible conditions or combination of
conditions of all churches throughout the existence of the church up until the
rapture.
One sure way to grasp this truth is to examine the words to each church and the
admonition, to any that have an ear, to hear what the Spirit says unto the
“churches.” The plurality of the message indicates the message for one is for
all. Remarkably, this same statement validates the very argument at hand.
Notice, regardless of the circumstance of each church, any that ‘have an ear to
hear’ are admonished to hear what the Spirit says. One could argue this is the
very crux of the Christian life. All Christians are to live daily as children of
the Most High who ‘desire to hear from Him’ in order to faithfully live while
waiting for our gathering unto Him (1 Thess 4:13-17). This desire to hear
indicates one has the necessary faith to ‘do all things as unto the Lord’, which
is the best way to emulate Jesus and the other faithful examples provided in
Holy Writ.
Conclusion
Time after time, these examples have shown exactly how to behave while waiting.
Each has lived a life wholly dedicated to doing the Lord’s will and speaking
what He commands, even though the individual was not always perfect and the way
was not always pleasant. Only Jesus lived a sinless, perfect life while doing
all things as unto His Father. His life is the one we are to strive to emulate.
However, if we, in our struggle, stumble, let us be like King David and quickly
repent and continue on our journey of faith while we wait.