Would you be ready to meet our maker if you died today or if the Rapture occurred? As humans and with all our shortcomings and sinful nature, the answer would probably be a huge “No.” About 4300 years ago, Moses wrote Exodus and told the reader that God was sending an Angel to lead the Israelites to the promised land. Moses warned the Israelites to obey his commands, be ready, and not provoke the Angel. Moses wanted the Israelites to be prepared to move upon command, believe that the Angel was sent by God, and that they should never question their circumstances. Exodus and Psalms describe God as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and having never-ending love. Matthew 24:44 states in no uncertain terms that we should be ready to meet the “Son of Man” and that the hour of his coming will be unexpected. Romans 14 then reminds us that if we live for God, we will die for God. So, if we live or die, we belong to God. Knowing that we belong to God, we should be ready to meet our maker at any time.
How will we know if we are truly ready? It is not unusual for a person to feel impatient and on edge when unsure of a feeling or decision that must be made. What is involved in deciding if you are a Christian? What actions are required to maintain the proper attitude toward God? Every effort, thought, and reaction is a decision made many thousand times daily. Readiness is hard to determine, challenging to acknowledge, and affects all our relationships. A person unsure of their readiness could suffer from self-doubt, harboring anxiety, and worry that they are not worthy of a relationship with God. Everyone has trouble making up their mind, especially on important decisions. A relationship with God is probably the most significant decision a person will ever make. It must be done honestly and with conviction. This pressure could create another source of anxiety. Like many things in life, becoming a Christian requires much thought and prayer. First Peter tells us to cast all our anxieties upon God, and Ephesians reminds us that by God’s grace, we are saved through faith and not by our actions. Those wondering if they are ready for a serious relationship with God should be excited and delighted about committing themselves to God. The emotional and psychological intimacy experienced when there is a relationship with God is like no other experience. What does it mean to declare that you believe in God? Knowing what a person means by this statement is a significant part of being ready. Knowing what to expect is part of accepting God and being prepared. Those that are ready and believe tend to live a more powerful, understanding, accepting and benevolent life. First Peter tells us to honor God and to be prepared to defend God.
Back in the 16th century, a philosopher, theologian, and mathematician named Blaise Pascal had people challenge his belief in heaven. Pascal was wise in not trying to argue with the unbelievers. He did not try to teach lessons from the Bible or share theology. He decides to devise a situation that even the street people of the time could understand. From the lowliest street person to the aristocrats, they enjoyed gambling and making wagers. Pascal suggested that believers and nonbelievers should enter into a wager with themselves and each other. If you bet that there is a God and participate in an extraordinary godly and enjoyable life that is lived to the fullest, and then when you die, there is no God, a person would undoubtedly be disappointed but would have enjoyed life, and no harm would result. What happens if a person decides to bet against there being a God and lives a horrid, terrible life of turmoil, having no peace, and constantly experiencing sin dies and finds that there is indeed a God will be genuinely disappointed. Eternity in hell would be the reward for such a poor bet. The significantly worse that happens to the believer is they would have lived well, and at death, there would be no afterlife, and they would just cease to exist. The nonbeliever would live a terrible life, enjoy no peace while living, and then realize there truly is a heaven and hell and be condemned to eternity in hell. This should be a simple and sound wager, but many fail even after being shown the consequences. A reasonable person would choose to believe in God and be ready to enter eternity. Hebrews 11 reminds us that nonbelievers will never please God, and those that plan to draw near God must believe that he exists.
We have been told in Matthew to always be ready because we will get no warning. And John makes it plain that no one meets the Father without first knowing Jesus. Revelation 1:7 states, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so.”