Living with Eternity in View: How Christ’s Return Should Shape Our Daily Lives
As we navigate the challenges and pressures of daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in the temporary and lose sight of what truly matters. The apostle Peter, writing near the end of his life, understood this struggle and penned powerful words to help believers live with purpose and hope. His message is clear: if Jesus is coming again and this world won’t last forever, how should that truth transform the way we live today?
Why Does God Seem to Be Taking So Long?
Many people today echo the same doubts that existed in Peter’s time. It’s been 2,000 years since Jesus ascended to heaven – where is He? Some begin to wonder if God has forgotten His promises or if Christ’s return was just wishful thinking.
Peter addresses this concern directly: “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends. A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” – 2 Peter 3:8-9
God’s Timeline vs. Our Timeline
God exists outside of time – He created it. Using Peter’s perspective, the 2,000 years since Christ’s ascension equals just two days in God’s timeline. He’s not late, distracted, or overwhelmed. He’s being patient and merciful.
Every day that passes before Christ returns is another opportunity for someone to repent and turn to God. Every Sunday the Gospel is preached, every conversation about faith, every moment someone has to hear the truth – these are all displays of God’s incredible mercy and patience.
How Should We Wait for Christ’s Return?
Active Waiting, Not Passive Waiting
Waiting for Christ’s return isn’t like waiting at an airport gate – passive, bored, and frustrated. If God is showing patience toward sinners and delaying His return to give people opportunities to know Christ, then the church should be actively sharing the good news.
We wait by:
- Praying
- Witnessing
- Discipling others
- Serving
- Forgiving
- Living in ways that show eternity is real and worth waiting for
The Element of Surprise
“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.” – 2 Peter 3:10
A thief doesn’t announce his arrival. Similarly, Christ’s return will catch the world by surprise. But for believers living faithfully, this shouldn’t be terrifying – it should be exciting, like a joyful family reunion you weren’t expecting.
The point isn’t to live in fear, but to be ready and live ready now.
What Kind of People Should We Be?
Since everything around us is temporary but we are eternal, Peter asks a crucial question: What kind of people should we be? How should the reality of Christ’s return shape our daily lives?
Live a Holy Life
“Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live.” – 2 Peter 3:11
Holiness means belonging to God and living like you belong to God. It’s not about pretending we don’t struggle or acting spiritually superior. Instead, it means:
- Taking seriously that Jesus purchased us with His blood
- A husband choosing faithfulness to his family
- A wife refusing to let bitterness take root
- A student valuing Christ more than popularity
- Church members refusing to gossip or sow division
- Believers stopping the treatment of sin as harmless when Jesus died to save us from it
When we have eternity clear in our minds, temporary pleasures of sin lose their appeal, and human approval doesn’t carry the same weight.
Live with Peace
“Make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.” – 2 Peter 3:14
Peace begins with having peace with God through Jesus Christ. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus, our Lord, has done for us.” – Romans 5:1
Peace doesn’t mean there’s no turbulence in life. It means actively trusting in what is true and what will guide you home. When we have peace with God through Christ, our souls don’t have to be ruled by every storm around us.
Live with Purpose
“Rather, you must grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18
Peter’s final command is to keep growing. No believer reaches a point where growth no longer matters, regardless of how long they’ve been saved or how much they’ve served.
Growing in grace means continuing to learn dependence on Christ and experiencing His mercy. Growing in knowledge of Christ goes beyond collecting Bible facts – it’s about having a personal relationship with Him, trusting Him, loving Him, and serving Him.
How Does This Change How We Live?
In Our Relationships
“Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” – Colossians 3:13
The return of Christ exposes how foolish it is to spend our lives clinging to bitterness. We should be quick to forgive when wronged and quick to seek reconciliation when we’ve offended others.
In Our Mission
“So we are Christ ambassadors. God is making his appeal through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
God has placed us in our communities to represent Christ. Our message isn’t that people need to become respectable or religious, but that sinners can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
In Our Perspective
“But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.” – Hebrews 11:16
Understanding that this world isn’t our home doesn’t make us useless to it. Christians who know they belong to another kingdom will be faithful while living in this one. We work, serve, love, and give because we labor for the Lord, but we don’t worship this world.
Life Application
Peter has given us the path to a successful, fulfilling Christian life: trust in the faith God has given us, guard the truth because false teaching is real, and live for what lasts because Christ is coming back.
This week, let Peter’s words impact your heart. Ask yourself these questions:
- Where does my life need to reflect the holiness of Christ?
- Is there someone I need to forgive or start praying about with a softer heart?
- Where have I grown passive in my faith, careless with truth, or distracted from the mission?
- Am I too attached to things that can’t last?
Your next step might be returning to God’s Word with fresh hunger, confessing a sin you’ve been excusing, making peace with someone you’ve avoided, or speaking to someone about Christ because the gospel is too important to keep quiet.
The goal isn’t merely to show up in heaven having attended church and gone through religious routines. We want to hear Christ say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” – knowing we were faithful with the gospel, God’s Word, the time He gave us, the people He placed in our lives, and the mission He entrusted to us until the very moment we stand face to face with our Lord and Savior.