Know What You Don’t Know
In the business world, it is important to know what you know and to know what you don’t know. Businesses run into trouble sometimes because of the things that they don’t know they don’t know. When it comes to the end times when God brings this world to a close and begins eternity, there are definitely things we know, and things we know we don’t know.
When it comes to the things we know, we know them because God has revealed them to us in the Bible. We know that Jesus is coming again. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11, NIV). As Jesus was ascending into heaven, the angels reminded the disciples that Jesus would be coming again.
We know that we will all be judged. “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, NIV). Here is the fact, everyone is going to die. We know that. But, God’s Word is clear that everyone will also face God to be judged. Where you spend eternity will be based on the answer to the question: What did you do with Jesus? Those who receive Christ in faith will spend forever in heaven. Those who do not respond in faith to Christ will spend forever separated from God.
So we can know what we know: Jesus is coming again and everyone will be judged. But it is important that we know what we don’t know. We don’t know when the “end times” will begin. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42, NIV).
We don’t know when Jesus is coming again. Or, for that matter, we don’t know if today is our last day and will be standing before God in judgment soon. These are things that we don’t know. But, since we can know that we don’t know the timeframe, it can impact how we live.
Jesus told us to “keep watch” in Matthew 24:42. Because we do not know when the day will come, we must be ready every day. Keep watch, stand guard, don’t let this event catch you by surprise.
You must be ready today because if today is that day, you need to be ready. Then, if it is not today…you must be ready tomorrow because if tomorrow is that day, you need to be ready. If tomorrow is not the day…you get it. The only way to be ready on that day is to be ready today.
Are you ready? Are you ready to face judgment? Are you ready if Jesus comes again today? Have you dealt with your sin through Christ? Keep watch, it could be today. Know what you don’t know and live accordingly.