Living in the end times

Christians have been living in the end times or “last days” (Hebrews 1:2) since Jesus’ earthly ministry concluded. Since God’s will does not change, that means that God wants us to use life as he instructed his followers in the past.

Here are some specifics. God wants us to love him first and foremost, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:27-28). God wants us to pray to him (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and faithfully use his Word (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 122:1). God’s will is that we honor his representatives in the home (Ephesians 6:2-3), the church (Hebrews 13:7, 17) and the government (Romans 13:1, 3, 6). God wants us to protect his gracious gift of life, our only time to come to repentance and saving faith in Jesus (Isaiah 55:6). God’s will is that we avoid sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). God wants us to recognize that he is the owner of all things (Psalm 24:1). God’s will is that we be truthful in our conversations with others (Colossians 3:9) and content with how he is blessing our lives (1 Timothy 6:6-7).

This is the content of the Ten Commandments, isn’t it? This is how God wants Christians to live during the end times. This is how God has always wanted people to live.

Most importantly, God wants us to “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) He wants us to cling to Jesus in faith until the end of life (Revelation 2:10). He wants us to proclaim his name and share his Word with all people (Matthew 28:19-20). The Lord tells us to be watchful for his visible return on the last day (Matthew 24:42).

This was not intended to be an exhaustive list. The intent was really to illustrate what the first paragraph stated—that God’s will for Christians now is the same as his will for people in years past. This is no surprise. After God, God says, “I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6).