Article 38
By Steven J. Hogan
There’s much said in God’s word about what will be taking place in the end times, in these last years leading up to the return of Christ and the rapture of the church. Many well-schooled Christians understand future prophecy, what God says about the birth pains, the Jews, the Antichrist, etc. But the end times’ Christian must also be able to answer these questions: “How am I to live in the end times? What am I do to? What does God want the church to do?”
The answer is quite simple, for the entire Bible tells us how we are to live, whether that’s today, tomorrow or the day of Christ’s return. Throughout the centuries, the word of God has been what the Christian needs, and will continue to need right up to the end of this age. What was true for Paul, what was true for Martin Luther, what was true for Charles Spurgeon, what is true for you and I, and what will be true for the last saints living on this earth, is the word of God.
But I know some people are fearful and anxious about what it’s going to be like as we get closer to the return of Christ. But it’s not good to worry today about what is going to happen tomorrow, and particularly, as times get tougher and the Antichrist is ruling the earth. No matter what it is like, the answer is always God and His Word. The Christian life isn’t a matter of doing things different when life gets harder, when there are severe trials and great persecution. What God wants you to do today is what He wants you to do tomorrow. And so put on your spiritual armor and do what God tells you in His word, for now is the time to serve, to fight and to live for Christ. Serve today, fight today, and live today, for living for God today is how you are to live for God tomorrow. And living for God today is the single best preparation for living for God tomorrow. Learn to live rightly for God today, and you will be able to live rightly for God tomorrow, in the future, and in the last days before Christ’s return.
The purpose of this article is to remind us of how we are to live, whether that’s today or in the future. And how can we sum up what God tells us to do? I could have written a long list of instructions from all parts of God’s word, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation. I could have used Revelation 2-3 as a text, writing out all the instructions from Christ to the seven churches. But I was led to the book of Colossians, and to glean from this short epistle what God wants us to do. I recognize that this list of instructions from Colossians is not by any means complete, but it does contain a fairly comprehensive set of truths and commands. If you learn and apply these things to your life today, tomorrow and in the days ahead, then you will be ready, you will be equipped for however long you live, and for whatever time period you are alive, even if that means living during the time of the Antichrist and great persecution.
A LIST OF LIFE GIVING TRUTHS AND COMMANDS FROM THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS:
* EXPERIENCE GOD’S GRACE: Humble yourself and you will experience the grace of God, the power, strength and ability you need to live the Christian life. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” Colossians 1:2, 4:18
* BE THANKFUL: Giving thanks to God for who He is and for what He does in our lives and in the lives of others is recognizing and honoring Him for His kind and faithful work. “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:2, 3:17
* HAVE FAITH: Depend and rely on God for His leading, grace, wisdom and strength. Have faith in God. Trust in Him and not in yourself. “… since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:4
* LOVE PEOPLE: Love the people God puts in your life and puts in your path. Love with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and forbearance. “… the love which you have for all the saints.” Colossians 1:4, 3:12-15
* HAVE HOPE: Believe that you have a most wonderful and blessed future, and look forward to when you will be in heaven in a new body with Jesus Christ and all the other believers. “… because of the hope laid up for you in heaven…” Colossians 1:5, 25-27
* BE A LEARNER: God has made you to learn from Him and from other Christians. Learn from the words and examples of others, and particularly those whom God has placed over you. “… just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant.” Colossians 1:7
* THE HOLY SPIRIT: As a Christian, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. God wants you to walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, be comforted by the Spirit, be empowered by the Spirit, and have fellowship with the Spirit. “He informed us of your love in the Spirit.” Colossians 1:8
* KNOW GOD’S WILL: Know the purpose and plans God has for your life, the special work He wants you to do, revealed to you through His word, the Spirit, and the church. “We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9, 4:12, 4:17
* REMEMBER YOUR SAVIOR: Always remember what Jesus Christ has done for you, that He saved you, redeemed you, reconciled you to God, and rescued you from the domain of the devil and transferred you to the kingdom of Christ. “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14, 21-23
* KNOW JESUS CHRIST: You are to know Jesus Christ, that He is God, the Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Head of the church. You are to know who He is, and you are to have a good relationship with Him. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things are created… He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together… He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead…” Colossians 1:15-22, 2:3-4
* PLEASE THE LORD: Make it your purpose and aim not to please yourself, but to please the Lord, to honor Him, serve Him, and bear fruit for Him. “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit…” Colossians 1:10, 3:22-23
* SUFFERING: Part of God’s plan for your life is suffering and trials. When you suffer, God will give you the grace you need so you can be at peace, so you can persevere, and so you can be a witness to others of His work in your life. “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” Colossians 1:24
* BE ENCOURAGED: You will get discouraged and spiritually weary, and therefore you need to be encouraged by the word of God, the Spirit of God, the love of God, and the fellowship of the saints. “…that their hearts may be encouraged, knit together in love…” Colossians 2:2, 4:8
* BE GROWING IN CHRIST: God wants you to have a close relationship with Christ. You need to know Him, love Him, trust Him, follow Him and obey Him. “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted in Him, and established in your faith…” Colossians 2:6, 19
* LOVE THE TRUTH: You need to love the truth of God, and included in that is knowing and refuting error and wrong doctrine. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8, 3:16
* YOU ARE COMPLETE. In Christ you have been spiritually filled, you are complete. You are a child of God, and you need nothing more. You have all you need to be all that God has planned for your life. “In Him you have been made complete.” Colossians 2:10
* YOU ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST: You have been crucified with Christ, and are now alive in Him, a new creature in Christ and forgiven of all your sins. Therefore you are to live for Him. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” Colossians 2:11-13
* DON’T BE LEGALISTIC: Don’t live by man-made rules, self-made religion, traditions, schedules, and severe treatment of the body. Hold fast to the head, to Jesus Christ, and be led by the Spirit. “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.’” Colossians 2:16-23
* DON’T BE WORLDLY: Do not love the world nor the things of the world, but be seeking God, loving Him and living for Him. “Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is… Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-3
* KNOW ABOUT CHRIST’S COMING: You need to know the truth about the end times, the return of Christ, and the great and glorious future God has planned for you. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
* BE HOLY: It is vital to learn to say no to temptation and sin, and yes to what is godly, to what is good, right and true. “Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” Colossians 3:5-10
* KNOW THAT YOU ARE CHOSEN, HOLY AND DEARLY LOVED: Understanding and believing that God has chosen you for salvation, has made you altogether holy, and loves you with all His heart, is critically important if you are to genuinely love God and live all out for Him. “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and dearly loved…” Colossians 3:12
* BE UNITED WITH BELIEVERS: Church and relational unity is essential for your life and the good of others, for the work God wants you to do, and for the glory He deserves. “Beyond all these things put on love which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:14
* DWELL ON GOD’S WORD: God’s Word spiritually and supernaturally living in you is the primary means of spiritual success and blessing. “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you…” Colossians 3:16
* CARRY OUT YOUR ROLE: A wife is to be subject to her husband, a husband is to love his wife, a child is to obey his parents, and a father is not to exasperate his children. “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things.” Colossians 3:18-21
* BE A GOOD WORKER: Work hard for God, knowing that He sees both your heart and your actions all the time, and that He will greatly reward you for your work. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” Colossians 3:22-25
* BE PRAYING: That we can pray, that we can petition the Lord for one another and for our own lives, is one of the greatest Christian privileges. Be faithful to pray, to ask God for His blessings and mercies. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2
* BE A GOSPEL WORKER: Pray for the lost, look for open doors, be gracious in your speech, and then with conviction, share the gospel with the people God puts in your life. “… praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ…” Colossians 4:2-5
* BE WISE IN YOUR SPEECH: Speak the truth, and speak it with love. Let your words be those that meet the needs of the hearers, the people you are with. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:6
* BE A BELOVED BROTHER, A FAITHFUL MINISTER, AND A FELLOW SERVANT. You need to spiritually know who you are, that you are a brother, a minister and a servant. You are to love, serve, and take up your cross. “As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother, and faithful minister and fellow bond-servant will bring you information.” Colossians 4:7
* HAVE GODLY RELATIONSHIPS: Be loving, faithful, committed, praying, and serving other Christians. Be mutually encouraged. Have godly friends. “I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.” Colossians 4:7-15
* BE MATURE: You are to be complete, a grown up and mature Christian, which is seen as you obey God, carry out His will and bear fruit for Him. “… always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect, and fully assured in all the will of God.” Colossians 4:12
* FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY: Use your spiritual gift, for this will help you to carry out and complete the work which God has given you to do. “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” Colossians 4:17-18
I encourage you to hold on to this list, and continue to look over it, so that the Bible truths listed here become part of your life. Ask God to help you be who He wants you to be, and to do all He wants you to do, whether that’s from Colossians or any other portion of God’s word, whether that’s today, this year or in that time right before Christ’s return. Here are some other verses encouraging us to stay true to God’s word in time of great trials and great persecution. “How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors? The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to your law. All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause. They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts. Preserve my life according to Your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.” Psalm 119:84-87
P.S. Here is an encouraging sermon I preached that expands on this subject: God’s Plan for You in 2018.