[Guest Article] The Christian in the End-time (Part 1 of 5)

INTRODUCTION

David Oludairo

The world we live in is already under God’s judgment of condemnation. The judgement is awaiting execution at this moment. (2 Peter 3:7, Acts 17:31)

Before this final judgment is executed, God, in His mercy has provided a ‘safety net’ for all those that will cross from this condemned world to the new heavens and new earth that He is creating (2 Peter 3:13, Isaiah 65:17). Everything that will cross over to this new creation must be in this ‘safety net’ - and that is Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:10). Anybody/anything outside Christ will perish with the old world.

Thus, to escape God’s awesome wrath, every believer must take heed to be SURE that he/she is actually IN CHRIST. This is one of the reasons Jesus admonished His followers “Abide in me....” (John 15:4). The greatest danger relating to ‘abiding in Christ’ is that it is quite possible not to be in Christ, and to think you are in Christ. A lot of us do not abide, we visit....

Therefore, it becomes the prime duty of every Christian to be engaged in constant evaluation and re-evaluation to be sure that his/her life is actually, truly and incontestably in Christ. Apostle Peter puts it this way, “... give DILIGENCE to make your calling and election SURE (2 Peter 1:10). The key is to be SURE.

Before releasing the pent-up judgement, God will take His own people out of the way of His wrath (1 Thess 5:9). This is similar to what He did with Noah during the judgement by flood (Genesis 7:1), and with Lot’s family during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:12-16). In these last days, it is through The Rapture that the Lord will take His people out of harm’s way in the coming judgment (1 Thess 4:16-17).

However, those that will be raptured, along with the saints that slept in Christ, have to be top notch, premium quality. Jesus is coming for a church without spots or wrinkles. 1 Thess 3:13 tells us our hearts should be “... unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints”. The standard is very high – attainable if we live in the spirit, pipe-dream if  we live in the flesh, and dangerously risky if we live in the Spirit today, and in the flesh tomorrow.

Also, please consider this: "... but we know that, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him PURIFIETH HIMSELF, EVEN AS HE IS PURE." (1 John 3:2-3). Furthermore, 2 Peter 3:14 is very instructive.

Preparation is everything for The Rapture. However serious you are as a Christian, if you mis-use this period of preparation, forget about The Rapture completely. This is what the Parable of 10 virgins teaches us clearly (Matthew 25:1-13). There will be no mercy at that gate. Now is the time to use the available grace and mercy of the Lord to get ready for that day.

How ready are you? Are you truly in Christ