Maybe you can relate to me when I say that I’ve never understood the whole “second coming” thing.  I mean, I have to admit that I have been motivated to greater faithfulness by God’s love, by the challenge of reflecting Him to this world, and even by His discipline, but the reality of the second coming has never motivated me to do anything.  Now, it is clear from the teaching of Jesus and other New Testament writers that Jesus will one day return to this world, bringing history to its consummation and the kingdom of heaven completely to earth, so that, as the author of Revelation says, “the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them” (Revelation 21:3).  That part I understand.  The part I don’t get is the language of urgency and watchfulness that Jesus uses when discussing how we should live in light of his second coming.  After all, shouldn’t we always be living in the light of God’s truth and judgment?  Why do we need the second coming to convince us that we need to be consistent in our faith?

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