The end of all things is near. 1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)
God has given us a limited amount of time to complete what He has called us to do. There are three ticking clocks God gives us to increase our urgency in living a decisive life for Jesus.
Your Time
For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do (4:3). God has much for us to do, but each of us has a limited amount of time to make our lives count for Him. We can do what comes naturally, or we can live with an intentional commitment to pursue His will.
One day, we will stand before the Lord. When that day comes, there isn’t one of us who will want to say, “I had a great life and fulfilled all of my fleshly desires.” You will want to say, “Lord, as best I knew how, I gave myself to doing your will.” So don’t make the mistake of letting another day go by messing around with sin. You haven’t got the time for it.
Their Time
They heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead (4:4-5). Highly resistant people have a limited amount of time to come to Christ. Even they are going to die. When they die, they’re going to have to give an account to God. That’s why it is so important that the gospel is preached: so that when they die, they may live because they’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Our Time
The end of all things is near (4:7). Nobody knows the day, week, month, or year of the return of Jesus Christ, but the Scriptures make it clear that this is an event that could happen at any time. God has given us, the Christian church, a limited amount of time to bring the good news to all people. Knowing that the end is near should give the church urgency in our task.
If you knew that you had one year until Jesus came again, how might you live differently?
