BEING READY FOR JESUS NOW
The Bible says: “now is the day of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44).
PARABLE OF TEN VIRGINS AND BEING READY
Jesus told a parable about ten virgins to convey the importance of being ready today for his coming.
Jesus said the time of his coming again “will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13).
SEPARATION OF “SHEEP AND THE GOATS” AT JESUS’ COMING
Jesus also spoke about separation of people at his coming, like sheep and goats are separated: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world…
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:31-41).
OUR BEING READY FOR THE COMING OF JESUS
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), you need to follow the following Bible signs.
The Bible lists the following things as necessary for being ready for the coming of Jesus:
- Recognize that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Roman 3:23)
- The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
- it is not God’s desire that anyone should perish, but that they repent of their sins and believe in the atoning sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son. (2 Peter 3:9).
- Accept God’s Son “in an acceptable time” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
- Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sins (John 3:16).
- And be anointed and filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)
- Do what the Lord says: Have more than “a form of religion” (2 Timothy. Jesus said: “if you love me keep my commandments”—”Why call me Lord, Lord and do not the things I say”
- “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39).
- Be assured: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first
- Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Because of his great love for us (John 3:16), he point out the things mentioned above. And he reminds us: “each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27); but no one knows if they will live until tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1). However, “now is the day of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
