In taking our place on the cross, Jesus exhausted God’s just wrath against human sin, leaving God free to extend his grace and mercy to all who will come in simple, childlike faith to trust and receive Jesus. Speaking of Jesus, Scripture says, “To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). We become God’s children by receiving his Son, Jesus.
In Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, there’s a great story about the mighty Niagara Falls, where the Niagara River plummets some 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls. “Before the falls, there are violent, turbulent rapids. Farther upstream, however, where the river’s current flows more gently, boats are able to navigate. Just before the Welland River empties into the Niagara, a pedestrian walkway spans the river. Posted on this bridge’s pylons is a warning sign for all boaters: ‘Do you have an anchor?’ followed by, ‘Do you know how to use it?’” The author concludes, “Faith, like an anchor, is something we need to have and use to avoid spiritual cataclysm.”[5]
That’s true for every person—including you and me. Without Christ, we’re all in a boat helplessly headed for the falls. Our only hope is an anchor. Jesus is our anchor, and faith is how we access that anchor. The questions for every reader are simple: Do you have an anchor? Do you know how to use it?
Make sure you have faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin. Let the truths of what lies ahead move you to accept Christ. If you have never accepted the grace of the Lord Jesus, you can do so right now by calling upon the Lord to save you. There are no magic words that bring salvation. It’s the attitude of the heart and mind that really matters. But a simple prayer like this one can serve as an expression of faith in Christ. Why not pray these words if you’ve never done so before?
Father, I know I’m a sinner. I know I cannot save myself. I need a Savior, and I believe Jesus is the Savior I need. I believe he died for me and rose from the dead. I trust in him alone to wash away my sins and give me eternal life. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer and it expresses the desire of your heart, the Bible says you’ve become a child of God. You have an anchor that will never fail you. Find a loving church that teaches the Bible, get baptized, read your Bible every day, and begin to serve the Lord in whatever way you can.
For those who already know the Lord, there are other effects the study of Bible prophecy and Christ’s coming should have on our daily lives.
An Arab proverb says, “Death is a black camel that kneels at every door.” Sorrow is no respecter of persons. It comes to every person on earth at one time or another. Our only hope when the grim reaper strikes is the hope of Christ’s resurrection and second coming. Jesus is our supreme comfort and encouragement when death hits close to home. The apostle Paul reminds us that while we may weep at the grave, we don’t have to fear the grave. Death doesn’t have the last word:
Now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
The Lord’s coming comforts and consoles us with the assurance of ultimate resurrection and reunion with our loved ones. When a believer dies, we don’t say “good-bye,” just “good night.”
I had the privilege of knowing Tim LaHaye, coauthor of the bestselling Left Behind series. Several times I’ve heard him tell the story of his father’s death, when Tim was only nine years old. As you can imagine, the sudden loss of his father had a lasting impact on his life. Tim was in despair, but the pastor officiating the funeral delivered a message that gave young Tim hope: “This is not the end of Frank LaHaye; because he accepted Jesus Christ, the day will come when the Lord will shout from heaven and descend, and the dead in Christ will rise first and then we’ll be caught up together to meet him in the air.” Tim often recounted how, once he heard these words, “all of a sudden, there was hope in my heart I’d see my father again.”
That’s the comforting hope Christ brings.
On many fronts, our world today seems to be spinning out of control. Fear and anxiety about the future is mounting. People are searching for ways to cope. The night before he died on the cross, Jesus spoke these words to his closest followers, but they apply to our lives today just as much:
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
What a challenge in our world today. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus is telling us that we can remain calm and stable in the midst of troubled times, knowing where everything is headed and knowing that he can come at any moment to take us home.
After an extended section describing the any-moment rapture of believers to meet Jesus, the apostle Paul concludes with this challenge: “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Knowing that Jesus can come at any time serves as a powerful, pressing motivation and incentive to sacrificially serve him. We know that what we do for him won’t be in vain because his coming for us is sure.
Allow the hope of Christ’s coming to control your life. Get involved in a local church that preaches the gospel and teaches the Bible. Find a place to serve there. The Bible tells us that every believer has at least one spiritual gift, that is, a divine enablement to carry out some function with ease and effectiveness to serve others (see Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-29; Ephesians 4:11-12). Read these passages in your Bible, and ask the Lord to guide you into a place of effective, empowered service. Listen to others who will affirm and confirm what you’re gifted to do.
Jesus is coming. Your sacrifice and service won’t be in vain. “Work enthusiastically for the Lord.” It will be worth it.
To borrow a phrase from Judge Robert Bork, our culture today is “slouching towards Gomorrah.” We see it on every front. Morality is sliding, and decadence—even outright depravity—seems more and more to be accepted and even applauded. Everywhere we turn, it seems our culture is coarsening and corroding. Sadly, even in the lives of many professing Christians, there seems to be a major disconnect between what is professed and what is practiced. Moral malaise surrounds us.
5
Edward K. Rowell, ed.,