“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” (Matthew 5:13 NLT)

In Jesus’ day, salt had great value. In fact, Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. That’s where we get the expression, “He’s not worth his salt.” Salt was valuable because it stopped the spread of rot in meat. In the days before refrigeration, people would cut meat into strips and embed it in salt to preserve it. The followers of Christ, the salt of this world, serve a similar function.

Christians stop the spread of rot—or evil—in our culture today. Christians stand up for the rights of the unborn. Christians speak out against racism and try to bring about reconciliation. Christians help people in need. That’s what it means to be salt in our culture today.

Another thing salt does is stimulate thirst. If you eat salty popcorn in a movie theater, it will make you thirsty. (And then you’ll have to spring for a soft drink the size of a small wading pool—with free refills—or a $40 bottled water.)

As the salt of the earth, believers stimulate a thirst to know God in others. When people see someone who loves the Lord, walks with Him, and experiences His joy, they get curious. Maybe a little envious. They start to want what the believer has.

That’s how I came to Christ. I had transferred to a new high school. One of my friends warned me, “Greg, the Jesus freaks are everywhere here. Be careful.”

I said, “Oh, yeah. The last thing that’s ever going to happen is that Greg Laurie will become a Jesus freak.” Famous last words, right?

But here’s what interested me about these people: They had joy and happiness—things I didn’t have. I realized that there was an emptiness in my life. It was the believers’ walk with God that attracted me to them. I showed up at one of their meetings but sat far enough away that people wouldn’t think I was one of them. When I heard what it means to be a Christian, I gave my life to the Lord. The thing that ultimately reached me was Christians being salty. Christians living as Christians ought to live was very attractive to me.

Likewise, Christians who have lost their saltiness can make people turn up their noses at our faith. If you treat your faith like a chore—or if you take it seriously only when it’s convenient for you—people will notice. And they’ll judge your faith to be worthless.

If you live your faith with passion, purpose, and joy, people will also notice. And they’ll start to get thirsty.

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So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:7–8 NLT)

 

There will be good people in Hell. That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? Of course, when I say “good” people, I mean people who trusted in their own human efforts, people who trusted in their own personal reality, people who trusted in the religious things they did.

 

Jesus warned, “On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name’” (Matthew 7:22 NLT). If we updated the passage, the people might say, “Lord! Lord! We were baptized in Your name. We received communion in Your name.” But Jesus’ reply is the same: “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws” (verse 23 NLT).

 

These are good people. They paid their taxes. They recycled and put the right trash in the right can and did their best not to damage the environment. They volunteered at soup kitchens and donated to food drives. They did everything right.

 

But they’re still not good enough. No one is. No amount of good deeds can erase our guilt before God. If they could, we would have something to boast about. Our salvation would be a do-it-yourself project. We could stand back and admire our spiritual handiwork. Eternal life would be something we earned.

 

Eternal life is possible only because of God’s mercy and grace. He sent His Son to die in our place—not because we’re good people, but because He loves us, even though we’re helpless sinners. We are saved through faith in Christ, not through good works.

 

That’s not to say that good works play no role in a Christian’s life. True, they’re useless in our salvation. Isaiah 64:6 says, “When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags” (NLT). After we’re saved through grace, however, our good deeds are purified by Jesus. They become evidence of His work in our lives. Good works show others that our faith is alive.

 

James wrote, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now, someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds’” (James 2:17–18 NLT).

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And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. (Hebrews 11:9 NLT)

Among the endless parade of articles you can find online are variations of the “fish out of water” theme: “20 Ways to Spot an American in a Foreign Country”; “10 Eye-Opening Things I Learned When I Moved to Portugal”; “5 Surprising Differences Between Living in New Zealand and Living in Australia”; and so on. The idea behind them is that our citizenship marks us in certain ways, that citizens from a country have certain similarities.

In Philippians 3:20, Paul says Christians “are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives” (NLT). In Hebrews 11:9–10, the author says that, as citizens of Heaven, one of the things we have in common is a foreigner status in this world.

God calls His people to walk a thin line. We’re to influence the world without being influenced by it. To care about the things happening around us without being consumed by them. To make a home here without getting too comfortable in it or too possessive about it. To take care of our daily responsibilities while keeping our focus on things above. To be salt and light in this world without getting caught up in power plays, territorial spats, and political machinations. To care enough about the people in this life to make sure that they join us in the next.

Don’t think for a second that Christians have no place here. Or that our contributions as foreigners are minimal at best. Imagine how our world would be if there were no believers standing up for what’s right or speaking out against what’s wrong. God’s people are the restraining force. Once we’re removed, once the church is taken out of the equation, caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture, all hell will literally break loose.

Until that time, however, we will make our presence felt. And we will remember that our citizenship is in Heaven—and that what awaits us there is beyond compare.

Paul wrote, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). As you get older, the promise of eternal life becomes more and more appealing.

When I first became a Christian, what interested me as a seventeen-year-old kid was that I could fill a hole in my heart, that I could find meaning and purpose in my life. But now, as a seventy-two-year-old kid, I rejoice in the fact that when I leave this world, I’ll enter God’s kingdom. I’ll go to Heaven, where my citizenship is.

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Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. (Colossians 3:1–2 NLT)

 

Have you ever tried to talk to someone whose thoughts were obviously elsewhere? It can be a frustrating experience. Instead of meaningful eye contact, you get a faraway stare. Instead of a lively back and forth, you get a few grunts or a noncommittal “Huh.”

 

Have you ever driven behind someone whose thoughts were obviously elsewhere? It can be an annoying, frightening experience. You can recognize inattentive drivers by their erratic lane changes, their unpredictable slowing and speeding up, and their complete indifference to everyone else on the road.

 

On a more pleasant note, have you ever interacted with Christians whose thoughts were on a whole different plane of existence? People who refuse to panic about the trials, tribulations, and persecution of this life—even as the end times approach—because they’re anticipating the life to come? People who prioritize eternal things over temporary ones?

 

Cynics might claim that such people are too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly use. The Bible says otherwise. In fact, believers who set their sights on the realities of Heaven may be the most valuable people on the planet, eternally speaking. Because their priority is to make sure that as many people as possible join them in the life to come.

 

Their focus is reflected in their prayers. They latch on to Jesus’ promise in John 15:7: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (NLT). They pray with passion and persistence.

 

Sometimes, we pray for something once, and if that prayer isn’t answered in the affirmative, we conclude that it’s not the will of God. “I prayed for my husband to come to Christ, but he didn’t. So I accepted it.” No! Keep praying! Why? Because you know it’s the will of God to save people. So when you pray for someone to be saved, you’re praying in alignment with God’s will. God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT). Don’t stop praying for that husband who doesn’t know the Lord. Don’t stop praying for that wife who needs Jesus. Don’t stop praying for that son, daughter, or grandchild.

 

My mother came to the Lord toward the end of her life. I prayed for her for thirty-plus years. That’s a long time to pray. But thank God that prayer was eventually answered. Don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep thinking about the things of Heaven.

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But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. (2 Peter 3:10–12 NLT)

After reading Peter’s description of the end times, would you be surprised to learn that many people experience extreme stress when the topic of the last days comes up? Psychologists have coined a phrase for their excessive concern about the end of the world or life as we know it: doomsday anxiety. (The Latin term for it is rapturus nuttiness—okay, maybe not.) The symptoms of this very real condition include chronic nightmares, a constant sense of fear, and obsessive “doom scrolling” through online media.

That’s not the reaction Jesus wants from His followers. He didn’t say, “When all these things begin to happen, freak out.” He said, “When all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28 NLT).

And make no mistake: These things are beginning to happen. Even secular futurologists are sounding the alarms as they see converging lines of danger and instability around the world. So, what does it all mean to us? How should we prepare for Christ’s imminent return?

James 5:7–11 offers a few ideas. The first is to be patient. James isn’t talking about a passive resignation, though. He’s talking about patience with an element of excitement—like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. It’s not something you approach with a relaxed attitude. You’re alert to the possibilities, but you realize there’s nothing you can do to speed things up. You take comfort in the fact that everything is happening according to God’s schedule. You remind yourself that your patience is tied to God’s loving grace. The reason Jesus hasn’t returned yet is that God wants more people to come to Him. He’s giving them a little more time.

The second is to stand in unity with fellow believers. People who haven’t yet come to Christ look to believers for their cues. If they see Christians at odds with one another, treating one another worse than unbelievers do, they’ll question Jesus’ impact on our lives.

The third is to endure. Be courageous and strong in the face of what this world throws at you. Trust God to work His will in your life. And always look to the life He’s promised you when this one is over.

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“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.” (Matthew 24:9–10 NLT)

Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 were in response to a question His disciples asked in verse 3: “What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” (NLT). Think they were sorry they asked? The disciples faced intense persecution for sharing Jesus’ message with the world. All but one of them, John, died a martyr’s death.

But the persecution didn’t stop with them. And it didn’t end in the first century. Some scholars estimate that more Christians were killed in the twentieth century than in all previous centuries combined.

Christians have been persecuted more than any other religious group. And it’s not just confined to atheistic or Islamic countries. We’re starting to see more and more persecution in the United States. We see it in the woke ideology that has infiltrated our education system. We see it permeating the military. We see it being spread by the media. I describe it as an “ABC culture”: Anything But Christ.

When you stand up and say, “I’m a Christian,” you can expect pushback, resistance, and even persecution. Paul said, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT). That’s a promise of God we rarely claim.

Yet Jesus said the closer we get to the time of His coming, the more His people will be persecuted. So how should we respond? First, remember that it’s not us people hate; it’s Jesus. And if people see Jesus when they look at us, it means we’re doing something right.

Second, consider the times. Jesus said persecution will intensify as we draw closer and closer to the time of His return. If you notice an uptick in the mistreatment of believers, look up. Don’t get discouraged. Remind yourself that something amazing is on the way. Our suffering is temporary; our glorious reward for faithfulness is eternal.

Third, pray for believers who are facing persecution. Ask God to give them the strength and endurance to persevere. Ask Him to help persecuted Christians remain faithful in their mission and not abandon their faith.

Staying strong in the midst of persecution is one of the most powerful testimonies a Christian can offer. It says to unbelievers, “Here’s something worth suffering for. Here’s something more important than my life.” So as persecution increases in the last days, so do the opportunities to impact other people’s lives with our response. The challenge of Christians is to look beyond our own suffering and persecution to see the good that God is bringing from it in the lives of others.

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Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. (Colossians 2:8 NLT)

Everybody has a worldview—a way of looking at, reacting to, and navigating this life. The question is, do you have a biblical worldview? The way to develop a biblical worldview is to read, memorize, and internalize God’s Word. To fill your mind with the truths of Scripture. As those truths become second nature to you, your thinking starts to change. Your priorities start to change. Your perspective starts to change. Your attitude starts to change. And your actions start to change.

As Christians, our worldview should align with Jesus’ worldview as much as possible. And if you want to know what Jesus’ worldview is, read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7. Do you want to know what Jesus thinks? Read the sermon. (And by the way, you can read the entire sermon in one sitting.) Do you want to know how His heart really beats? Study the sermon. Do you want to know how He feels about living life in general? Read the sermon. Not only is the Sermon on the Mount the longest recorded message that Jesus ever gave, but it’s also one of the most beautiful and best-known portions of Scripture.

In it, you’ll discover that a biblical worldview influences every aspect of the way you live your life. How you express your anger. How you express generosity. How you pray and fast. How you establish healthy priorities and pursue what’s truly important. How you deal with anxiety and uncertainty about the future. How you take full advantage of God’s generosity with a truly grateful heart. How you build your life on a solid foundation.

You’ll also find that a biblical worldview influences the way you interact with others. How you repair damaged relationships. How you respond to people who have wronged you. How you treat your enemies. How you judge others. How you avoid being a hypocrite. How you live the Golden Rule. How you ensure that other people see Christ in you.

And you’ll discover that a biblical worldview influences the way you react to events. If you have a biblical worldview, you won’t panic when evil seems to be winning. You won’t see a world spinning out of control. Instead, you’ll draw on your knowledge of biblical prophecy. You’ll see that events are unfolding as God determines. You’ll see His hand in the things happening around you. Instead of panicking, you’ll rejoice and prepare as you anticipate the return of Christ and eternity with God.

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Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. (1 Timothy 4:1–2 NLT)

False teachers have been a problem for Christians since the earliest days of Christianity. In fact, false teachers appeared on the scene almost at the same time as the first Christian evangelists. The false teachers took advantage of the early believers’ limited understanding of God’s Word.

Paul was often left to clean up the mess left by false teachers. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul identifies some of the teachings that were leading people astray. Apparently, some false teachers were telling people that it was wrong to get married or to eat certain types of foods.

False teachers continue to cause problems for believers and seekers today. And they’ll keep going until Jesus returns. The Bible says so. You may be tempted to duck the problem by saying, “I don’t pay attention to theology. I just love Jesus.” Be careful. You may end up loving the wrong Jesus. Jesus warned that “false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:24 NLT).

The people who are most vulnerable to deception are those who don’t know what the Bible actually says about the end times. Christian history is littered with stories of people who gave up everything to follow some persuasive leader to some specially chosen location to await Jesus’ return. Unfortunately, the stories end with the people awkwardly returning to society, embarrassed, humiliated, and discouraged. The book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988 was very popular—until 1989.

The most obvious way to discern between truth and fiction is to study the only trustworthy source of information. You can’t swing a stick in Scripture without hitting a passage that refers to Jesus’ return. You’ll find prophecies written thousands of years before Jesus was born. You’ll find descriptions of signs and events that will precede Jesus’ return. You’ll find words of comfort and encouragement. And you’ll find warnings like this one: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36 NLT).

Study these truths. Understand the big picture of what will happen and when. Help others understand it as well. Talk to your pastor about things that aren’t clear to you. Get comfortable with the truth of the end times so that you can spot counterfeit teaching.

And when you do spot counterfeit teaching, call it out. Counter it the way Jesus countered the devil’s temptations in the wilderness: by using the Word of God.

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Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT)

Revelation 17 describes “the great prostitute” who will wreak havoc in the last days. The prostitute is the image John uses to refer to the one-world religion that will dominate the end times. Because of the imagery John uses, it’s hard to say what the false religion will teach. But it’s likely that it will combine the teachings of various major existing religions. Or that it will just gloss over the differences between religions and declare them all to be equally valid. Sound familiar?

It’s a message we hear a lot today: “All paths lead to God.” Instead of focusing on the differences that separate Christianity from other belief systems, we are encouraged to embrace the things we have in common: sincere faith, the desire to make the world a better place, and so on.

It’s a tempting proposition. With all the divisiveness in our world today, what’s wrong with ignoring some of the lines that separate us and finding common ground, especially when it comes to spiritual things?

There are two theological words we need to understand when we talk about this issue: interdenominational and interfaith. An interdenominational ministry bases its doctrine on the nonnegotiables of the Christian faith, starting with Jesus’ words in John 14:6. But in the areas that are negotiable—such as worship style, the observance of the Lord’s Supper, and the interpretation of certain Bible passages—it breaks down the walls that separate different Christian denominations.

An interfaith ministry tries to create common ground among different religions. And here’s where we must be careful. There’s nothing wrong with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and other religious groups working together to help people in need. But we can’t blur the lines that God’s Word establishes. Jesus said there is no other way to God—no other way to experience eternal life—than through Him. If He’s wrong on that point, how can we trust anything else He said?

There’s value in having a dialogue with people of other religions. We see that in Acts 17, where Paul takes the gospel to Athens, the cultural and intellectual center of the world at that time. Some two thousand years later, I got to do the same thing. I walked in the footsteps of Paul. I even spoke on Mars Hill, where Paul addressed the people of Athens.

Athens was an interfaith city, to say the least. It’s estimated that it housed at least thirty thousand altars to various deities. Acts 17:16 tells us that Paul was “deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city” (NLT). He didn’t see them as equally valid as his Christian faith. He wanted the people who worshipped those idols to know the truth about Christ. So Paul used what he’d learned about those false religions to begin a dialogue. He embraced the interfaith setting as an opportunity to share his faith. And we can do the same—as long as we understand what is nonnegotiable.

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O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? (Psalm 13:1 NLT)

Christians have been asking variations of David’s question for two thousand years: How long, O Lord, will You delay Your return? How much worse does the world have to get? How many more prophecies must be fulfilled? How long will You make us wait?

As the apostles watched Jesus ascend to Heaven, two angels joined them. “‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’” (Acts 1:11 NLT).

And the waiting began.

There’s no question about what’s going to happen. The Second Coming of Jesus is mentioned more than 1,800 times in the Old Testament and 300 times in the New Testament. One out of every 25 verses in the Bible mentions the Lord’s return.

Jesus said, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3 nlt).

The question is, how do you feel about it?

Charles Spurgeon said, “The sound of His approach should be as music to our ears.” When you think about Christ’s coming, your heart should jump with excitement. If, instead, you feel dread or indifference, I would wonder where you are spiritually. The teaching of the imminent return of Jesus is a great barometer of your walk with God. When you’re right with God, you look forward to Christ’s return.

In fact, anticipating His return has a purifying effect on you spiritually. First John 3:3 says, “All who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure” (NLT).

Jesus is coming again. It’s our blessed hope. We live in a world filled with bad news. And you can find it 24/7 on the newsfeed of your choice. War is imminent. Our nation is unraveling. AI is making us rethink what’s real. It’s enough to stress out anyone.

But what did Jesus say? “So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28 NLT).

Don’t panic. Look up.

The scary stories we see on the news are reminders that God keeps His promises and Jesus is coming back again. I’ve read the last page of the Bible. We win in the end.

Are you ready? Are you living in anticipation of Jesus’ return by honoring and trusting God and putting Him first? Are you sharing the gospel whenever you have the chance? Are you living the life God has called you to live?

We may have many years left before Jesus returns. Or we may have a few. The timing is in God’s hands. Our job is to make every day count for the glory of God until then.

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