1st Peter 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"
The key phrase I want to concentrate on is 'be ready always to give an answer'. I believe the Lord, through Peter is giving us clear direction, that we are to understand our faith sufficiently to always be prepared to share what He has done in our lives. Our hope is in the Lord, not in this world.
How do we accomplish this? By studying the Word, by memorizing scripture, by not forsaking the fellowshipping of the saints, by attempting to pattern our lives after the perfect pattern given us by our Lord and Saviour. Will we ever 'get' there, there being the perfection that is Christ? Not in this life, I fall short daily, but that is the goal, that is my goal.
We are living in interesting times, an old apparent Chinese curse (I am not sure, I just remember reading or seeing that somewhere), but truthfully times have been the same since the Lord left this world at the Ascension when the angels appeared to them watching. The early writer's of the Gospels and Epistles are obvious in their belief that the Lord would return in their lifetimes. To met Him in the beyond or in the air? The most important thing is are you ready?
We will not perfect ourselves in this life, that is only possible by the Lord, but if we have not put our faith in Him alone then any 'perfection' that you are working for, hoping for salvation with is wasted. Without faith in Christ we (you) will be left behind.
We are in the 'end times', there is nothing prophetically that needs to be completed prior to our Lord returning for His own.
Have you put your faith in Christ, is your heart ready? js
