When will Jesus Christ return? Pastor Mark Driscoll from The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona recently tackled the subject, noting that people hold differing views on the matter.
Some people think that Jesus will return when He establishes His kingdom, while some believe He already has returned — during His Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-8 when he appeared before Peter, James, and John after His crucifixion.
But whatever people's views might be, Driscoll writes on his blog that what is important is how people live before He returns. "Salvation costs you nothing, but discipleship will cost you everything. Salvation occurs in a moment. Discipleship takes a lifetime. Salvation is something that God does for you. Discipleship is something you do with God," he says.
Driscoll finds it sad that many only preach a life of decision and not a life of discipleship. As a result, when people encounter setbacks in their lives, they become disillusioned with Jesus instead of clinging on to their faith in Him.
"Jesus is not a salesman. He's not trying to market anyone, sell anyone, or con anyone. He's absolutely, brutally honest with us about what it means to truly be His disciple," says Driscoll. "A disciple is one who believes in Jesus, worships Jesus, serves Jesus, follows Jesus, obeys Jesus, and is even willing to suffer for Jesus."
Jesus never promised anyone a lifetime of happiness as His disciples. Jesus told those who wished to follow Him that they must be willing to follow in His footsteps even if it means there will be suffering along the way.
The problem is, according to Driscoll, is that the world is filled with quitters who are allergic to suffering. "People often quit on God, quit on their responsibilities, quit on their marriages, and quit on their children. Some people continually look for the path of least resistance," he says. "But if you follow Jesus, you must be a disciple who perseveres, not quit when the going gets tough. And following Jesus will be difficult at times and will even cost many their very own lives."
