S75P8 – A tour through Matthew 24: today is the day
Matt. 24:42-44
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore. you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Mom and dad’s bus trip to the casino was supposed to last all day. While they were gone, the young man with his learner’s permit would plan to get in some road practice on his own. He would be sure to park the car exactly where they had left it. He would not move the seat or the mirrors or change any of the controls. He had not planned on being out all day anyway, so he should have been home in plenty of time. What he failed to consider was that perhaps that bus trip would not work out after all. He could not have predicted a bus that breaks down minutes after leaving its starting point. He could not have predicted another bus not being available for three hours. He could not have predicted his parents deciding not to wait for the second bus and instead returning home to enjoy the day. Unprepared for their return, he was caught in deceit and disobedience.
There is a very dangerous way in which I used to view my sin. There was so much for me to change when I got saved, and I stumbled so many times every day. Guilt, condemnation and shame made me feel defeated daily. As I tried to brush myself off I would tell myself that I had plenty of time left to get it right. I thought I was just cutting myself some slack and being encouraging, but that kind of sentiment is actually detrimental to our faith. If we view our sin in all seriousness, then we know that the time to deal with it is right now. God makes available to us a way to be free today. Sanctification certainly is a process, but that does not mean that we intend on taking our time with it. We do not want to be found in sin when the Savior returns.
My perspective has changed these days. When I see sin creeping into my life, I know it is a weed which must be pulled immediately. Instead of telling myself that there is plenty of time to deal with it, I instead remind myself that the time to be pure and obedient is well overdue. To be faithful stewards with these lives we must desire to use every moment available to effect this transformation we seek. We cannot afford to work on things tomorrow if we cannot be sure that tomorrow will come. We should want to walk in faithfulness and righteousness today. Father, we ask that your Spirit remind us continually that time is of the essence and that today is the day for change.