Years ago I heard preaching on being ready in the twinkling of an eye. The preaching was of course about a rapture coming on a church people who’s heart was not ready for the return of Christ because of being caught up with this world and in love with it instead of Jesus. The position of the speaker was from the perspective that many or even most people who attend churches are not really born again and ready to face the Lord and also that people are not saved and automatically stay saved if there choice is to live for this world. Predestination would be considered as a person staying in Christ and not leaving the boat {Christ} which has a predestination or staying in a city of refuge and not going outside of the border of that city and being safe in Christ as long as one is abiding in Christ and the vine.
Whether a person believes in the pre trib Rapture or not, or whether a person believes in being saved and never being able to fall away isn’t what I’m trying to bring out right now, it is the idea of whether a person is ready to face the Lord in the minute that we are in that I’m thinking of right now. Many people on this forum who do not believe in a pre trib or mid trib rapture would agree that there are many people in the organized church who are not saved and therefore not ready to meet God in this minute.
In one of Johnathan Edward’s sermons, I heard an audio sermon trying to bring this out in a similar way the rapture preaching I had heard was brought out. He said at that time that there was a season that they were in {The Great Awakening} that people were being called to get right with God and repent. That no one knows how long this season will last and that many and often young people who had the chance to choose the Lord had already passed on. There was an urgency to repent and choose at that moment to serve and turn to God and not miss the door of opportunity that was then wide open and would soon shut.
In first Corinthians chapter eleven the apostle Paul warned the Corinthian church to examine their hearts before God before taking communion. They were to judge themselves. I’ve seen very few people refuse communion and yet many people who profess Jesus seem to go on with their love for this world that take communion regularly. When this is happening has a person really examined their heart and confessed it to the Lord or are they just presumptuous and not really ready to take the communion or ready to meet God in the minute that they are in? How many people that are told they are saved by praying the sinners prayer haven’t repented of their sins before praying the prayer and thus not really been born again? How many people who feel so secure in their sins are not really ready in this minute to meet God and his sure judgement?
It is very heartbreaking to see the lack of revival in the organized churches but it is much worse to know that it has been in my own life. There have been victories in my life but when I look real close I see a lot of puffed up pride and chaff that has taken place. Much dross that wasn’t taken away and repented of through much of my Christian life has kept a lot of good things from happening . Most of the time I didn’t even know it was going on feeling very safe in going part way with God instead of the whole way. Instead of being a living sacrifice {Romans 12:1+2} and a burnt offering totally consumed by the fire of God; offering only part of my life and still holding on to something. It’s very easy for us to feel safe in a partial offering when we compare ourselves to others who don’t offer anything to God but are we really safe at all in this partial offering that is really a stink to God’s nostrils. Isaiah had been a prophet for quite a while before he realized his lips were unclean. Who will go?
A lot has been said in these few paragraphs. Some about salvation an some about service. So, how is it with you in this minute you are in? Have you fooled yourself into thinking you are saved and yet are still in your sins? Have you fooled yourself and in pride walked a partial walk that is in some way conformed to this world and thus in a place to be spewed out and not fit for his service? Are you a half baked cake; baked on one side and yet not baked on the other? Are you a vessel of honor fit for his use?
The only way to change these situations is to admit it. The only way to be ready in this minute is to confess our sins to God.
