The Bible says that only God the Father knows when the final events of humanity will take place.... I think that those events cause many of us to wonder, and some people to feel terrified about the impending last judgment. What should the attitude of the Christian be when faced with the real possibility that these events will happen?

Dear Friend,

You are asking about the events that the Bible describes as being part of the end of the world as we know it. The truth is that churches and their leaders interpret the Scriptures somewhat differently with regard to these upcoming events. Therefore, we do not intend to clarify when what we believe will happen, but rather seek to answer your specific question as to what the attitude of a Christian should be when considering such events. Is there a reason to fear?

To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ, studying His teachings and endeavoring to put them into practice in your daily life. It is not, as some people believe, the same as being a good person. The Bible makes it clear, from beginning to end, that it is impossible for you to ever be good enough on your own.1 The Apostle Paul said it like this: “Everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence.”2 He didn’t say that bad people have sinned, nor that most people have sinned; he said that everyone has sinned.

If, on the other hand, it were possible to be a Christian by never having sinned, then Christ would not have needed to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. But our Father God, knowing that no one could be good enough on their own, loved us so much that He gave His Son to take the punishment for all our sin.

Therefore, to be a follower of Christ is to accept that we can never be good enough on our own and that we need a Savior to save us from our sins. Once we have accepted the forgiveness that God the Father gives us in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, we then follow Christ by studying His teachings and obeying them.

Those who fear the end times and the final judgment do not understand, or do not accept, that Christ is willing to forgive their sins and erase everything that they would have been condemned for. The penalty for their sins has already been paid, and they have been declared “not guilty.”3

Unfortunately, not all people understand that they have already been offered a pardon for their sins and a ticket to spend eternity in heaven. Instead of accepting the pardon, they choose to reject Christ and the pardon He offers. Consequently, our attitude as Christians regarding the end times should be to pray that those people will come to accept Christ and His forgiveness so we can all spend eternity together with Him.

We wish you well,

Linda
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1 Ps 14:3; Isa 53:6; Ro 3:10; 1Jn 1:8
2 Ro 3:23 (GNT)
3 Ro 5:16; 8:33 (GNT)

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