Church Health: How Should Christians Live in Light of Christ's Return?
Updated: Oct 14
Christians should live in light of Christ’s return with confident hope, spiritual alertness, holy character, loving community, and faithful mission. Scripture does not call us to predict dates or panic over headlines. It calls us to trust Jesus, encourage one another, resist spiritual sleep, pursue godliness, and make the most of today while waiting for our King.
Christ’s return is not meant to produce speculation without obedience. It is meant to anchor the Church in hope and shape the way we worship, work, forgive, serve, suffer, and love.
The New Testament presents Christ’s coming as a promise that comforts grieving believers, purifies Christian character, strengthens perseverance, and awakens the Church to its mission. The Assemblies of God identifies this expectation as the “Blessed Hope”: the resurrection of believers who have died in Christ and the catching up of living believers to meet the Lord.
Christians may hold different views about the details and sequence of end-times events, and those conversations should be handled with humility and charity. The Assemblies of God’s stated position is premillennial and pretribulational, but no faithful Christian should use eschatology to set dates, stir fear, or divide the body of Christ over matters Scripture does not command us to treat as tests of fellowship.
The central question is not merely, “When will Jesus return?” It is, “Who are we becoming while we wait?”
Why Should Christ’s Return Change the Way Christians Live?
Paul connects the hope of Christ’s appearing directly to the grace of God and the shape of everyday discipleship.
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope: the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11–13)
Grace does more than forgive our past. Grace teaches us how to live in the present.
Because Jesus is coming, we do not have to be controlled by the values of a passing world. We can say no to bitterness, dishonesty, lust, pride, cruelty, revenge, and spiritual apathy. We can say yes to patience, integrity, compassion, purity, courage, generosity, and faithfulness.
This does not mean Christians live in terror that they might be abandoned. Those who belong to Christ are not trying to earn His love through perfect performance. We live faithfully because we have already received mercy, and because we love the One who first loved us.
A healthy church understands that readiness is not frantic activity. Readiness is a life steadily surrendered to Jesus.
What Does Christian Hope Look Like When We Are Grieving?
The promise of Christ’s return speaks tenderly to people who are carrying loss.
Some believers grieve a spouse, parent, child, friend, or church family member. Others are grieving a future they expected to have, a relationship that ended, a season that changed, or a body that no longer works as it once did. Grief can make the future feel empty.
Paul did not tell the Thessalonian believers to stop grieving. He told them not to grieve “like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Christian hope does not deny the pain of death. It declares that death is not the final authority over those who are in Christ.
Paul continues by teaching that when the Lord comes, “the dead in Christ will rise first,” and believers will be gathered to be with Him. Then he gives the pastoral conclusion:
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
This is important. The doctrine of Christ’s return was given to encourage suffering people, not to entertain speculation.
When a Christian dies, we grieve honestly while holding on to resurrection hope. When the world feels unstable, we remember that history is not abandoned to chaos. When our own future feels uncertain, we remember that Jesus has promised to come for His people.
Hope makes us steady because hope is not built on circumstances. It is built on the character and promise of Christ.
For more Scripture-centered encouragement, you can read Truth 13: The Blessed Hope and spend time with others through the Bible Study Club.
How Can Christians Stay Awake Without Becoming Fearful?
Jesus told His disciples that no one knows the day or hour of His coming. He compared the time to the days of Noah, when people continued their ordinary routines without recognizing the seriousness of the moment.
Jesus was not teaching His followers to become suspicious of every event. He was teaching them to remain spiritually awake.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)
Spiritual watchfulness is not the same as anxiety. Anxiety constantly scans for danger but rarely produces peace or obedience. Watchfulness keeps the heart attentive to God.
Paul uses similar language in 1 Thessalonians 5:1–6. He reminds believers that they are not meant to live in darkness or spiritual sleep. They are children of light, called to be alert and self-controlled.
How does that look in daily life?
It looks like bringing decisions into the presence of God before acting.
It looks like testing messages and predictions against Scripture instead of accepting every confident voice online.
It looks like refusing to let fear-based content shape your understanding of Jesus.
It looks like staying spiritually awake when your faith feels routine.
It looks like confessing sin quickly rather than hiding behind religious language.
It looks like remaining compassionate toward people who are confused, grieving, skeptical, or searching.
No one knows the timing of Christ’s return. Therefore, date-setting is not faithfulness. Faithfulness is living prepared every day.
The safest response to uncertainty is not obsession with signs. It is deeper love for Jesus and greater faithfulness in the responsibilities He has already given us.
How Does the Hope of Christ’s Return Lead to Holy Living?
Peter asks believers to consider what kind of people they should be as they look forward to the day of God.
“You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” (2 Peter 3:11–12)
Peter’s emphasis is not fear. It is transformation.
The future promise of God should affect the present pattern of our lives. If Christ is returning and God is making all things new, then our choices matter. Our bodies matter. Our words matter. Our treatment of neighbors matters. Our handling of money matters. Our private habits matter. Our willingness to forgive matters.
Holiness is not a performance designed to impress God or other people. Holiness is belonging to God in every area of life.
A holy Christian is not someone who never struggles. A holy Christian is someone who keeps bringing the struggle into the light of Christ. When we fail, we repent. When we are tempted, we seek help. When we are wounded, we ask God to keep bitterness from becoming our identity. When we are blessed, we practice gratitude rather than self-sufficiency.
Peter says believers are looking forward to “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). That future gives us courage to practice righteousness now.
We do not pursue holiness because we are trying to escape an angry God. We pursue holiness because Jesus has rescued us, claimed us, and promised to complete His work in us.
How Can the Church Live on Mission While Waiting for Jesus?
Titus 2:14 says that Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
The Church is not meant to sit passively while waiting for the Lord. We are called to remain faithful in our witness.
That mission begins with the Gospel. People need to hear that salvation is found through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. They need to know that the cross is not merely a symbol of suffering but the place where Christ gave Himself for sinners. They need to hear that Jesus rose from the dead, reigns as Lord, and will return in glory.
Mission also includes the way Christians embody the message.
A church that expects Jesus to return should be eager to welcome the lonely, protect the vulnerable, care for the grieving, disciple new believers, serve families, pursue reconciliation, and speak truth with love.
This is why Christian community matters. A healthy church does not merely collect information about the end times. It helps people remain faithful together.
You can explore more about biblical discipleship through What Are the Assemblies of God’s 16 Fundamental Truths?, and you can learn more about finding genuine connection in Online Church: Finding Real Community Online.
The return of Christ should make the Church more compassionate, not more arrogant; more courageous, not more combative; more urgent, not more reckless.
What Are the Five Most Important Ways to Live in Light of Christ’s Return?
1. Keep Jesus at the center of your hope
The Christian hope is not mainly about escaping difficulty or gaining knowledge about future events. The Christian hope is Jesus Himself.
Paul says believers will “be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). That is the heart of the promise. Our greatest hope is not simply a changed world. It is the presence of Christ.
2. Practice holiness in ordinary places
Readiness is formed through daily obedience.
Choose honesty when dishonesty would be easier. Forgive when resentment feels justified. Guard your mind. Keep your promises. Serve without needing recognition. Ask the Holy Spirit to shape your reactions at home, at work, online, and in private.
3. Encourage people who are hurting
The return of Christ is called a blessed hope, but some people hear end-times language and feel terrified. Others are grieving and need patient comfort.
Speak about Jesus in a way that strengthens faith rather than exploiting fear. Remind people that the Lord is faithful. Pray with those who are anxious. Sit with those who are grieving. Let your life make the hope of Christ visible.
4. Refuse speculation and date-setting
Jesus clearly taught that the timing of His coming is unknown. Confident predictions have repeatedly harmed people and weakened Christian witness.
We can hold firmly to the promise without pretending to possess information God has not given us. Humility is not a lack of conviction. It is obedience to the limits of Scripture.
5. Stay engaged in the mission of God
Waiting does not mean withdrawing from responsibility. The Church is still called to make disciples, proclaim the Gospel, care for people, and live as a people of grace.
Your assignment may look ordinary: raising children, serving neighbors, encouraging a friend, praying for someone, working honestly, caring for an aging parent, welcoming a newcomer, or sharing your testimony.
Faithfulness in ordinary places is not small in the kingdom of God.
How Can 1 John 3:2–3 Shape Our Daily Faith?
John writes that when Christ appears, believers will be like Him, because they will see Him as He is. Then he adds:
“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)
This is a beautiful connection between future hope and present character.
We do not know everything about the future, but we know enough to live differently today. We know Jesus is coming. We know resurrection is promised. We know evil will not have the final word. We know God is preparing a future where righteousness dwells.
That hope invites us to ask:
Am I becoming more like Jesus?
Is my hope producing love?
Am I more patient with people who are still growing?
Am I more willing to repent?
Am I using my time to bless others?
Am I living as though Jesus is worthy of my whole life?
These questions are not meant to crush us. They are invitations to return to grace.
If you feel spiritually tired, begin again with a simple prayer. Open Scripture. Tell the truth about your heart. Reconnect with faithful believers. Take one obedient step.
Christ’s return is not a reason to hide from life. It is a reason to live life with eternal purpose.
Can We Pray for Grace to Live Ready?
Lord Jesus, thank You for the promise that You will return and gather Your people to Yourself. When we are afraid, steady us with hope. When we are distracted, awaken our hearts. When we are grieving, remind us that death will not have the final word. Teach us to live holy, humble, watchful, and faithful lives. Help us encourage one another, serve with love, and remain committed to Your mission. Keep our eyes fixed on You until the day we see You face to face. Amen.
What Does It Mean to Live in Light of Christ’s Return?
It means trusting Jesus, pursuing holiness, encouraging the Church, serving others, rejecting speculation, and remaining faithful to the mission of the Gospel. Christ’s return should create hope-filled endurance rather than fear-driven panic.
Does the Assemblies of God Believe in the Rapture?
Yes. The Assemblies of God identifies the catching up of believers, together with the resurrection of those who have died in Christ, as the Blessed Hope of the Church. Its stated eschatological position is premillennial and pretribulational. Christians should discuss differing views with biblical conviction, humility, and charity.
Should Christians Try to Predict When Jesus Will Return?
No. Jesus taught that no one knows the day or hour of His coming. Date-setting goes beyond Scripture and can produce fear, confusion, and disillusionment. Christians are called to remain spiritually awake and faithful every day.
How Does Christ’s Return Encourage People Who Are Grieving?
First Thessalonians 4:13–18 teaches that believers who have died in Christ will be raised and that those who belong to Jesus will be with Him forever. This does not remove grief, but it gives grief a living hope and assures us that death will not have the final word.
What Should Christians Do While Waiting for Jesus?
Christians should worship, pray, study Scripture, pursue holiness, encourage one another, care for people in need, share the Gospel, and remain faithful in ordinary responsibilities. Waiting for Jesus is active trust expressed through love and obedience.
Text the Boundless prayer line at 901-213-7341 and visit www.boundlessonlinechurch.org.
Read our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
www.boundlessonlinechurch.org
Comments