by Richie Thetford
Synopsis: The phrase, "the day of the Lord," may refer to temporal judgments (as was common in the OT), or the last great day that harkens in the final judgment and eternity (as is reflected in the NT).
Peter, the apostle, writes some words which each one of us should take to heart. In 2 Peter 3:9-11, he writes,
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.
In these verses, Peter encourages each and every one of us to repent and live our lives here on this earth in holy conduct and godliness. Why? Because there will come a time when the Lord will return. When the Lord does return, we better be ready, or we'll burn in eternity. Let's look at some key points concerning "the day of the Lord."
Every Bible student knows that "the day of the Lord" will come simply because God said so. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, the apostle Paul wrote,
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them.
Peter said that the day of the Lord would certainly come (2 Peter 3:10). Jesus Himself said,
But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matt. 24:43-44).
We learn from these Scriptures that the day of the Lord will come, but no man knows when it will come.
It should be plain by Peter's explanation of the event that this means that the end of the world is taking place. When the earth is melted with fervent heat, all will be destroyed. Yet, what will happen to those that are righteous in the sight of God? The inspired apostle Paul said, "Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor. 5:5). Those who are in sin should be made aware of their sin, that it is lawlessness to God (1 John 3:4). Being aware of sin (Rom. 3:23), man must make himself right before God, so that, when the day of the Lord occurs, he can be saved.
Some will rejoice when the Lord returns! In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he said: "holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain" (Phil. 2:16). If we will strive to be obedient to the Word of the Lord while we live, then we can rejoice when Christ returns because we know that we have obeyed His Will.
Jesus emphasizes the importance of listening to and obeying Him.
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matt. 7:21-23).
If we are living as we should be living in holy conduct and godliness, then we will be looking forward to Christ's second coming (2 Pet. 3:12-13).
If we are walking in the light, we have nothing to fear. However, if we should be walking in darkness, which has no fellowship with the light, then we better be concerned. If we are in sin, then the day of the Lord will come upon us as a thief. Paul said: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thess. 5:4).
True disciples, lovers of Christ, will be ready for Jesus! Each Christian should possess a genuine desire to be found in favor with God when His Son returns. In Jesus' parable to the ten virgins, He emphasizes the importance of being ready and to watch because "You know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matt. 25:1-13). When we are walking in the light, favorably toward God, then we will glory when the day of the Lord comes.
For us to be ready to meet the Lord on His return we must prepare right now! We must get rid of sin in our life and follow the ways of the Lord. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul says,
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We must understand that heaven is the most important goal to strive for in our lives.
Understanding this, then how should we act? What must we do? We must transform ourselves, having our mind set on things above, not on things of the earth (Col. 3:2). We must constantly live in such a way that we approve of only those things that are good and acceptable to God. Paul said, "Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thess. 5:21-22). Christians must live their lives in such a way as to show others that they are determined to live for Christ and not for man. The alien sinner, those not in Christ, must get in Christ to be saved. The way to get in Christ is through baptism (Gal. 3:27). If you are not in Christ, why not obey His gospel today? "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins" so you can be ready and be saved when "the day of the Lord" comes!
Author Bio: Richie helped begin and has worked with the Poudre Valley Church of Christ in Fort Collins, CO for over seven years. He and his wife, Malinda, have three children (Kristin, Caleb, Kaleena). His website is thetfordcountry.com where he also manages the churches looking for preachers and preachers looking for churches for truthmagazine.com. He can be reached at richiethetford@gmail.com.
