The Apostle Peter wrote the following in I Peter 1:13: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (ESV) There is one who  predicted that the Lord Jesus is coming back for His Church on May 21, 2011.  When  that date passed he said it  would be  October 21, 2011. That  date  passed also without Jesus coming  again. The Word of God makes it clear that no human being knows when Jesus will come. If He had come on the  dates  above, it will not because some modern day date setter predicted it. But one thing is for certain, He is coming back and Christians need to heed the verse at the beginning of this paragraph and build upon it while we await the day “when we shall be like Him!”

The Word of God tells us that we are living in a mindless society that is diametrically opposed to even the thought of a God. We are told to renew our minds spiritually (Rom. 12:1-2); to seek the “things that are above,” (Col 3:1-3) and not to put our trust in the things of this world (1 John 2:15).

Most of the time when Scripture uses the word “heart,” the word “mind” is in view. Peter is instructing us that if we are going to be ready on that day when Jesus really returns we must began that preparation now!

The Christian life is a life of action where we “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.” We must have the assurance of our salvation! We can and must know that we are saved before we can live the Christian life to the fullest. Salvation is by grace and we must appropriate that grace by obedience to the commands of God. Grace and obedience go together in the Word of God.

Just as “salvation” has at least 3 stages, “grace” is the same. What I mean by that is that we can look back to when we received salvation; we are presently “working out our own salvation..,” and we are promised salvation when Jesus comes for us. The grace of God has been received, we are living in it, and it will be brought to us fully when Jesus returns.

So, while we are looking for the return of Jesus and living for Him while we are waiting; we must be continually preparing our mind for action.

-Larry Miles lives in Louisville, KY and worships with the Cherry Street Church of Christ in New Albany, IN