Verses 1 and 2 are very sound advice, as sound as Jesus' reply to the disciples that no one knows the day nor the hour. When Jesus does return it will be abundantly clear to all, you will not need even an ounce of spiritual insight to recognise it. At the same time it will come as a surprise, it will not be obvious until it actually begins to happen. In fact people will be saying "peace and safety", thinking everything is just going along much as they always have done. Jesus could return within this year, within ten years. Equally it could be a hundred years, a thousand year even a million years. No, I cannot imagine how it could possibly be a thousand, million or billion years before He returns, but I am just a man with the limited understanding of a man.
So what are we to do in response this. Not to think about it all? No. We are to think about the Day of His return, for most of us it actually not prominent enough in our thinking. But our response to this is to be sober, to put on faith, love and hope ( note the trinity of faith, hope and love again). We are to look forward to the day, for the return of Christ will be the fulfilment of all that has been promised.
It is not a day to fear, for we have not been "appointed for wrath", but to "receive salvation". The return of Christ is an anchor in our life, a fixed point that gives us hope, so that we can live as children of God and servants of Christ today.
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