When my children were small, one of them said, “Dad, it seems that the older you get, the more dead people you know.”
My children were witnessing my growing realisation that life is brief and that even our lifespan of three score and ten can be cut short. In our youth we feel bulletproof and generally unaware of life’s finiteness; it is grief and loss that sobers us over time.
Although death will come to us all, life is to be lived to the full in the meantime. Each day is to be full of expectation. As the church we anticipate the fruit of our labour—spiritual and numerical growth. Yes, it is only God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6), but we are His fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:9); His ambassadors, “as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
This calls for urgency. Life is too short and unpredictable for anyone to ignore preparations for the Day of Judgement. Like a midnight thief, Jesus’ return will be sudden and unexpected (2 Peter 3:10). Thus, we call everyone to faith in Jesus, knowing that:
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
As Christians we are the blessed ones. We have entered the Kingdom through the waters of baptism and are vigilant in working out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). We must open our eyes and look at the fields that are ripe unto harvest (John 4:35).
Satan, not wanting anyone to be saved, encourages everyone to leave salvation for another day. We, wanting everyone to be saved, cry out to all:
“I tell you that the “right time” is now. The “day of salvation” is now” (2 Corinthians 6:2ERV).
John Staiger
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