Well, actually, the end is always near… 

The end is coming, are you prepared for it? In all five of Paul’s “T” epistles: 1 &2  Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus, Paul made note of the coming end. He wanted both churches and individuals to be prepared for it. Are you? 

He gave special attention to this in the Thessalonian correspondences: 

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (I Thess. 4:16)

⁸ But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. (I Thess. 5:8-10)

⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels ⁸ in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed. (II Thess. 1:7-10)

He did this in I and II Timothy and Titus also (cf. II Ti. 4:6-8; Titus 2:13-14). Paul worked throughout all of his writing, to stress the importance of being prepared for judgment day. I find it troubling that in today’s climate, such a notion is dispelled so quickly. We’ve made hell into a novelty, and even in pop culture, it is conveyed as one big party. No sir! 

Judgment will be issued forth at the glorious appearance of Jesus Christ. He will ride through in vindication for the righteous and faithful, and in swift and terrible judgment against the ungodly and wayward. There will be no in-between, no middle ground, and no neutrality. By the time you see Him, it will be too late.

Application: Paul wants his readers to live every single day like it is the day we are meeting the Lord. Martin Luther once said, “We ought to live as though Christ were crucified yesterday, risen today, and coming tomorrow.”