Q1. Christ's coming

[dcalbreath]

Yes, we should look forward daily to Jesus' return. That should be our focus and our goal. But we get caught up in too much other stuff. I read an interesting observation from a devotional e-mail I get. The writer said "Sometimes I wonder about the state of Christianity in wealthy countries. I wonder what percentage of Christians would say that they would want to immediately go to heaven. Let

[Betty]

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

The anticipation of seeing our beloved Saviour who died for our sins and knowing that He has come back for his own to live with Him forever; and not knowing when He is coming, we must be vigilant and ready at all times.

The coming of Christ should inspire hope because that is the fulfillment of what we have been looking forward to ever since becoming a Christian.

His coming should inspire self-control and soberness because if we claim to be a Christian, then our actions and life-style should be Christ-like, so that we should not have anything to be ashamed of when He returns.

When we don't really expect Christ to come soon, we tend to lose our focus and become involved in less important things, even worldly things of temporary value.

We must take Christ at His word when He said He is preparing a better place for us and will return again to receive us unto Himself, that where He is, we may be also.

It may be many, many years until this happens, but it WILL happen, so we must be in a state of readiness. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!!!

[Kim E.]

I must be prepared to meet Jesus. I believe He has a lot for me to learn before I meet Him. Jesus is going to want to see what He has specifically accomplished in me. I pray that I get to read the whole Bible and understand the instructions I'm to get from the Holy Word before I leave this world. Have you ever heard that the BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth? Everyone needs Basic Instruction before attempting anything. The hope and expectation of Christs' return inspires me to know Him better and to strive to have His life lived through me. No one can function on the level Jesus wants us to strive for if they can't keep their head in the game. You never reach any goal or even strive to reach a goal when you let distractions come between you and what you strive for. This is the most important thing you will ever do. When I get lazy I do things that I don't want to do. I think about not studying one day or that I might miss church to watch TV. That's just small potatoes. Try to imagine if Jesus decided to take the day off? He could have just stayed in Heaven instead of coming here to take our place on the cross. Wouldn't that have been the worst procrastination in all of Heaven and earth. I'm telling you right now, I don't want to think about how hopeless life would be if Jesus had been a procrastinator like me or if He had started this most important thing in our lives and didn't finish it.

[Patsy4Him]

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

He should get our undivided attention because we know that we will be judged for our actions as Christians. We are called to be holy, as He is holy. His coming also inspires hope because we know because of Jesus, and His perfect sacrifice, we have salvation to look forward to. So we must live our lives as chosen ones, worthy of our calling, live in self-control and soberness, live a life of thankfulness for what He has done for us. When we don

[Rosemarie Olson]

Christ's return should get our undivided attention because He said it would come to pass. It inspires hope because we know He does what He says, and He will never go back on His Word. It inspires self-control and soberness because Jesus' return could come at any time, and we remember the story about keeping our lamps trimmed and ready at all times. When we get to the place that we don't think Christ will come soon, we get spiritually lazy and this world becomes our focus.

[shawn746]

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

We will live with hin for ever. His coming gives us hope and reason to live the holy life he wants for us. We know that this life is but a training ground for what is to come. We should try our best to live the way he showed us to live, through him we have come to know how to live, how to have self-control and how to love one another. He set the example for us to follow and we should try and bring other into his love.

When we don't expect him to come we live life in the world , just as some member of my family who believes you live and you die, that's it. They try and get all they can here , anyway they can, hurting whoever they need to so they win. They live for the desires of the world, not knowing or understand what really is ahead.

[Helen Williams]

All we do or say we all have to go to judgement. Jesus coming should get our undivided attention to be all we can be in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We should focus on the Word daily, tell other about the good news of the kingdom and love the way Jesus loves us. We should have a desire to live holy lives because God commands us to be holy and He is Holy. This is nothing that is impossible becasue God does not tell us to do the impossible.

It inspires hope because the suffering and struggles of this life will soon be no more. We should have a clear and sober mind, we know not the time He is to return. But I do know is not as long as it has been.

When we don't expect Christ we become complacency, don't focus on the word of God, sloppy, out of control, living like we don't have to die and a life lived like this, there is no hope.

I have to stay in the word becasue if I am not careful my thinking can be that of the world. I know there is no hope in the way the world thinks. Jesus is the way, the truth and the light for me.

[djmclaren]

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

Our hope should be set fully on the grace given when Jesus is revealed. I realize that the interpretation of revealed is thought here to be in reference to the second coming of Jesus. I would like to present another view that I do not think will do injustice to our matter at hand. We are being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ. 1 John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." It is true that we now only see Him dimly but as He is being revealed in us we become like Him unto that day when we will behold Him face to face at which time we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. It therefore seems that there is a direct relationship between the revelation of Jesus in us and the degree we resemble Him.

The grace of God can be defined as His favour, forgiveness and divine assistance for our regeneration. It means that we are put in a state of being pleasing to Him. We have access into this grace by faith, that is we lay hold upon the promises that He has given to us. Here we see in this passage that this grace is given to us as Jesus is revealed. Jesus is the door! He is the only way into this grace through His blood. The joy of knowing Him and having Him revealed to our heart! To know that I am pleasing to God.

It inspires hope in that we see it ahead. We have tasted that the Lord is good and I want more and more. Hope is desire with expectation of obtaining what is desired or the belief that it is obtainable. We know that what He has promised He will also perform and we will obtain that grace because He has said so. It's worth waiting for! Hebrews 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath:18 That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: :19 Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; :20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Having this hope set before us causes us to set our affections on the things above and not on the things of earth. 1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. We will therefore purge ourselves of anything that will hinder us in pursuing Christ. We see this in Paul's exclaimation Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,

If we do not have this urgency for the revelation of Christ in us, if we as in Luke 12:45 say in our heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; we risk the displeasure of our Father and we miss out on the grace that could be ours. The reverse of 1 John 3:3 begins to happen to us where we do not take care to purify ourselves, we become lax and idle.

[HsSrvt]

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

Since he is Author of our salvation, He is also the Finisher. Do we go through this life as if we wrote the book of our salvation? By no means; we ought to be living as if this wonderful story ends tomorrow, for He can finish this tale by two means: Taking us home before His arrival or by His Glorious return. Do we all not wnat to hear those words, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

We were re-born into a family of those whom love our Heavenly Father and have full confidence that He has a new life for us." We were therefore buried with Him through baptism......just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

Because of the grace that has been given us, that enableing power that allows us to live that holy life, that unmerited favor that has been bestowed upon us while yet still here in this world, yet we will see the culminantion of that grace when we are known as He is known. The grace that is enabled by His Holy Spirit for us to live with humility and soundness of mind and judgement that brings Him and His Name glory and honor. On which side will we be separated into? I chose to be a sheep and to be on the right side.

For without this confidence and the knowledge of this, we shall live as they who have no hope. Those who ask themselves, " What now, who shall I turn to?". Those who live by the truth the world has to offer. Those who worry about death and what they shall wear today. Jordache or Tommy? What shall we watch, Survivor or The Bachorlette? What shall we eat, steak and shrimp or lobster? Do we read People Magazine or God's Word? Do fall asleep watching TV or praying to a Loving Heavenly Father? Do we spend that extra money on something for us that we really don't need or take an undesirable out to lunch? Do we see only the bad in people or look for the good in them? We can sit here and think of much more; "...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD"

With the love of Christ, because my own can be tainted....Your Friend James

[gatetrek]

The coming of Jesus gives us hope becuase it gives our life meaning and something

that is real to put our faith. The faith that we have isn't based on some person who

die over 2000 years ago but on the Son of God who is alive today. Jesus overcame

the death of the body and also spiritual death. He defeated sin(our sins) when he die on the cross and give us hope when he came out of the grave which gave us eternal

life. This should inspire us to live a holy, self-control life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

If when don't live a life excepting Jesus to return soon then many times our spiritual

lives become lifeless, no passion for the lost, no desire to serve God with all our heart

and when we do serve it is just out of a sense of duty.

[juwulz]

What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention?

Everything, as this is what I as a Christian am longing for.

Why should it inspire hope?

It is God's promise that His SON Jesus Christ will return and our salvation will be completed through his glorification.

Why should it inspire self-control and soberness?

It is an awesome event that brings me to my knees in reverence and praise and glory to the Lord, and though it brings excitement and joy to mind, it is also such a final closure for the world.

What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

We live with abandon and put all thoughts of Revelation to the back of our minds, instead of thinking "have I lived the life I want to live if the Lord were to return today?"

[holiness]

Yes, Christ's coming should definitely capture our undivided attention, I wouldn't want to hear "depart from me I don't know you" His coming inspires hope for me because of all the promises and He does warn us not to be conformed to this world and the things that are in it. We shouldn't take time for granted and live a life apart of the Savior for we may become unfocused and not be serious about being obedient in His word, and to not give up that hope, and inspiration, and encouragement that Peter is telling us about. We should not let ourselves be deceived by the enemies tactful manuevers. And yes, I must admit with one of the answers, that "living with an eternal perspective is one of the most difficult things for me to accomplish." I can relate to that a 100%. I always find myself apologizing to the Lord, daily. Especially being a care-giver, having to have to watch my grandmother suffer, knowing she doesn't want to be here anymore, she wants to go home and be with the Lord. And, yes, I can say well, there is a reason why she's still here with us. This is where I get off track sometimes! I just keep on reminding myslef that the Lord knows how much we can endure. In keeping this in mind, I don't want to become insensitive too. Meanwhile I still need to make the right and appropriate descisions necessary.

[Helen]

We have privileges that the angels would love to have! We hope for the grace of becoming sons/daughters of God, receiving an inheritance with Him. This is an established fact, not a hope with remnants of doubt running through it. Our future is sealed in Christ! One day, one way or another we will meet Him (whether here or there). We will be rewarded for what we have done well for Him. It's like working towards graduation day. We are excited about that day and work hard for it. Like Jesus going forward to crucifixion, we see the reward and the joy beyond and press toward that. It will be wonderful to meet our Jesus. We prepare for Him as for a most honoured guest. We want things right for Him! He asks, "Will I find faith on the earth when I come?" We answer, "Yes, Oh Yes Lord Jesus!' He is our Bridegroom. Brides prepare all their young lives for their wedding with incredible concentration, anticipation, excitement, absorption and singlemindedness. So let it be with us!

Biblical hope has no element of doubt or maybe. It is a certainty. We CAN put all our eggs in one basket because Jesus is total reality all the way. If He says He will come, then absolutely nothing can stand in His way. "Whoopee! Yeehaaaa! etc."

Self control because we want Him to be delighted with us when He comes. Hopefulness because this event was written before the foundation of the earth!

I don't want to fritter any more of my life in blasee dullness. The joy is in the cerainty of His coming, of our inheritance of His rule. That's where I want to live.

[lightbuilder]

The need to be prepared at all times, due to an inability to know the day and hour of His coming, requires continual attention on our part to remain steadfast in the hope to which we are called (1Th 5:8)

Christ's glory WILL be manifest, and when He appears, we shall be like Him (1Jo 3:2), for we will be transformed (1Cr 15:52): This is the ultimate hope!

Christ calls us to live disciplined lives, in accordance with His Word, and to teach others also (Matt.28:19,20) - obedience leads to life as rebellion leads to death, so we best "sober" up and get down to business

When we lose sight of Christs glorious return, we lose sight of our goal, and take to wandering in the spiritual wilderness of this present world

Look Up! - Our redemption draws near

[Linda Stanley]

Christ coming is my hope.We are to look forward to his coming,and live acording to his teachings.Knowing Christ will return,should keep us moving and doing the works of Christ.Helping the hurting people of this world.His coming inspires us with hope,gives us confidence,being self-controlled and disciplined,focused on Jesus Christ.

If we do not really expect Christ to come,then where is our hope.We tend to go our own way showing a lack of interest or being negligent to all the wonderful gifts and blessings that He has prepared for us in his coming.We must be determind to live our lives for Jesus Christ,and live holy,through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.Amen.

[aguilar-j]

MAY THIS WIRITING COME FROM MY HEART

AND FINDS YOU IN LOVE WITH OUR LORD

JESUS CHRIST.

FIRST PART OF THE FIRST QUESTION.

DO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORLD SERIES?

DO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORLD CUP?

DO WE LOOK FORWARD TO MUSICAL EVENTS?

HOW DOES THESE EVENTS COMPARE WITH THE

COMING OF CHRIST JESUS?

NO COMPARATION AT ALL. WE MUST LIFT OUR

EYES AND LOOK AT THE HEAVENS AWATING FOR

HIS COMING, NOTHING COULD EVER BE MORE

WONDERFUL AND FULFILLING.

THIS GETS MY UNDEVIDED ATTENTION

AND I PRAY AND HOPE THAT ALSO GETS

THE ATTENTION OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

TODAY I LIVE BY GOD'S GRACE AND MY GREATEST

AND STROGEST HOPE IS THAT ONE DAY I WILL BE

REUNITED WITH HIM IN HEAVEN.

CAN ANYTHING TOP THIS? NOP.

WITHOUT SELF-CONTROL AND SOBERNESS WE ARE

NOT OPEN FOR THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH CAN ONLY

COME WHEN NOTHING IS BETWEEN OUR HUMANESS

AND GOD.

I DO NOT KNOW IN OTHER LIVES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU

WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO MY LIFE.

MY LIFE WILL HAVE NO PURPOSE AND NO MEANNING

[sbuthpstr]

What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention? Why should it inspire hope? Why should it inspire self-control and soberness? What happens in our lives when we don't really expect Christ to come soon?

1:1 - First it is soon...Second it is sure...Third, we will stand before the High King of Heaven and give an account for the actions we lived out on this earth. The one who gave His life for me and paid my debt wil ask me to give an acocunt for my life. If that don't get your attention...you must alrady be dead.....or lost!

1:2 - Mainly because it is sure. If He came the first time, and left, He will come again. HE IS COMING...HALLELUJAH! If He is coming, what have I to fear? If He is coming, and it is soon? Why should I be afraid? If He is coming to take me to home for all eternity, what should cause me to tremble? Nothing. That is why we can "...set our hope fully on the grace to be given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed."

1:3 - Matthew 12:36-37: "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." or Matthew 25:40 "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." There are others. These speak of things that we make lite of today, or think are only jokes. But the Father takes them seriously. We have become lax in our faith, lax in our living, lax in our holiness before a holy God.

1:4 - What happens??? We take for granted the awesome and measurless price that was paid for us to redeem us. We take for granted the life that Chirst dies to save. Wew get "lazy" in gaurding our hearts and minds. We give the enemy a perfect landing place from which to spread chaos and destruction...or simply defeat in some area of sin in our lives...we give him a "foot in the door". Once he has that, he is relentless to defeat and destroy us.

[Janice]

Hi, I'm Janice and this is my first time posting, also my first set of bible studies done on line. In answer to question 1. What about Christ's coming should get our attention?

JESUS' RETURN TO THIS EARTH IS A FACT, AND KNOWING THE TRUTH OF THAT IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE ME TO TO WANT TO BE READY. I KNOW THAT IN THIS FUTURE SALVATION WE WILL BE COMPLETELY TAKEN OUT OF THIS WORLD'S EXISTANCE AND BE FULLY IN HIS PRESENCE. ALL SICKNESS AND DISEASE GONE, AND WE WILL RECEIVE A CROWN OF GLORY.. WHAT A GLORIOUS THOUGHT.

IT SHOULD INSPIRE HOPE BECAUSE OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILL BE JUDGED BY A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE AND VINDICATED BECAUSE OF OUR RIGHTEOUS BEHAVIOR.

IT SHOULD INSPIRE SELF-CONTROL AND SOBERNESS BECAUSE THERE IS A TIME FOR JUDGEMENT FOR OUR DEEDS.

WHEN WE DO NOT REALLY EXPECT CHRIST TO COME SOON IT TENDS TO MAKE US LETHARGIC, LEADING LIVES THAT DO NOT GLORIFY GOD, WE TEND TO OVERLOOK OUR SHORTCOMINGS THINKING THAT WE HAVE TIME TO GET IT TOGETHER.

[Julie]

That we need to be ready, we need to overcome the trials that we have to endure, before Christ comes, we need to be longsuffering, and place our faith in the Lord, we need to pray that His will be done, even if it is different then ours, in order that our minds our set on Our Heavenly Father.

For Christ is our only hope.

For self-control and soberness are virtues of Christ. If we want to follow the Lord then things like Jealousy, envy, pride..., and not being of a clear mind, are some of the things we need to overcome.

We could filter back to old lifestyles.

[AngelOnLine]

Q1. (1:13) What about Christ's coming should get our undivided attention?

Looking forward to standing in His presence and hearing Him say,

[dantanc]

1) When Christ comes in all glory, I should be ready to present myself holy and pure to him to be acceptable to him.

I should also be able to present before The KIng of Kings, the good works I have performed with the help of Holy Ghost .

2) And then we will receive the full reward for our faith , the eternal salvation. This the basis of our HOPE.

3) We should live a controlled , desciplined and pure christian life so that we can receive a crown of glory.

4) WE must always live expecting the return of Jesus Christ any moment. That way we are ready in all respects and do not become sloppy in our christian living. Only then HE will be able to restore, strenghten, confirm and steady us in him.

[Dick Ross]

When Christ returns, "time" will be over for us, and all decisions we had made become final. I believe we should be inspired because our faith leads us to believe that we will not have Him say to us "I Never Knew You" when the judgements are handed down. The eternal salvation promised to us will finally come to pass!

Because only God knows when the end will come, we should always live like there the time of the end is at hand, and be on guard always.

[Dick Ross]

The fact that the judgements are at hand, and the opportunity to finally make up our minds has passed. As Christians, we should be inspired that Gods promise is being fulfilled, and our eternal salvation will be the reward. We must be ever vigilent for the return of our Lord and Savior, that we be instantly ready when the time of the end becomes more than prophesy. Otherwise we will tend to put off many of the decisions we know that we must make and noy try our best to lead a holy life, and risk hearing "I Never Knew You".

[MoZes Marius]

Say that we recieve a letter from the President or Queen for that matter saying that they will be coming for a visit to our home. I believe most of us would start making preparation-plan soon after. And for the rest of the time until the day of the visit, we would be pre-occupied with matters concerning it. If the visit is meritted as such, why not for the coming of the King of kings and Lord of Lords!?

And say that the President or Queen came unsuspectedly way earlier than expected. Most likely we would be surprised and caught up unprepared. Therefore, we should always be ready ... ever-ready and focused. Be always in the "stand-by" mode because Christ's coming is a fact that is imminent.

The promise of eternal salvation that will soon come to pass is a strong basis for the hope in Christ. We look forward to this being fulfilled. For those who are ignorant to this fact will surely be trapped into the lifestyle of their carnal homeland! ie. being lazy and complacent, taking things for granted, etc..

[tteal]

We know when Christ returns the saints will be caught up with him. I want to be one of those saints. Also, we know that we will be judged of our deeds done in this body. Just knowing that we are going to live with Christ should give us hope in his returning.We have to have an open mind to accept the things Christ has to offer us. He said "let the same mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus." When we don't really accept Christ return, we become caught up and conformed to this world.