It is one thing to drift into spiritual sleep because of human weakness. But in this present age, the Church faces something far more dangerous: the systematic denial of the Lord’s imminent return. This is not merely a matter of neglect—it is active instruction to sleep, a theological sedative that dulls the conscience and undermines the very foundation of our hope.
The Doctrines That Induce Spiritual Slumber
Scripture warned us that in the last days, scoffers would arise—those who, walking after their own desires, would mock the promise of Christ’s coming. Peter spoke plainly:
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
(2 Peter 3:3-4)
Today, this prophecy is fulfilled before our eyes. Some openly ridicule the literal interpretation of prophecy, caricaturing those who hold fast to the hope of Christ’s appearing as “prophecy nuts.” Others, under the guise of balance, urge believers to avoid the book of Revelation, dismissing it as nothing more than “scary signs and symbols.” But the effect is the same: the blessed hope is obscured, and the Church is lulled into complacency.
Consider the chief errors at work:
- Preterism: This teaching claims that the prophecies of Revelation were fulfilled in 70 AD. By relegating the hope of Christ’s coming to the distant past, it robs believers of any expectation for the future. The result is a Church with no sense of urgency, no watchfulness, and no separation from the world.
- Dominionism: Here, the Church is told it must conquer the world and establish the Kingdom before Christ can return. This pushes His coming off into an indefinite future and binds the hearts of believers to earthly ambitions. The focus shifts from heavenly hope to temporal achievement.
- Denial of the Rapture: Some deny that there is a secret coming of Christ for His Church, confusing His coming for the saints (the rapture) with His open coming with the saints in judgment. Scripture distinguishes these events for a reason: the rapture is a source of comfort and joy for those who watch, while the open coming brings woe and judgment to those who remain.
In every case—whether through mockery, Preterism, Dominionism, or the denial of the rapture—the Church is being taught not to watch. This is not a secondary matter; it strikes at the heart of New Testament motivation for holy living.
The Consequence of Neglecting Imminency
When the expectation of Christ’s imminent return is lost, spiritual decline is inevitable. The Lord Himself warned of the danger:
“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
(Matthew 24:48-51)
This is not a mere caution—it is a declaration of what follows when imminency is denied. The loss of watchfulness leads to moral decay, the erosion of separation from the world, and the abuse of fellow believers. The Church, instead of being a holy people set apart, becomes indistinguishable from the world it was called to overcome.
If you accept these errors, you lose more than a point of doctrine. You forfeit the very means God has ordained to keep His people vigilant, sober, and set apart. The hope of Christ’s imminent return is not an optional encouragement—it is the engine of New Testament sanctification. Without it, the conscience is dulled, the heart drifts to earthly things, and the inheritance of sonship is neglected.
The Two Comings: Comfort or Woe
Scripture draws a sharp line between the secret coming of Christ for His saints and His open coming with His saints. The former is the blessed hope, the cause of rejoicing and comfort for those who watch and wait. The latter is a day of judgment and woe for those left behind. To blur or deny this distinction is to rob the believer of assurance and to expose the Church to the very judgment from which she was delivered.
Watchfulness Is Not Optional
The New Testament does not present watchfulness as a suggestion, but as a command rooted in the finished work of Christ. The expectation of His imminent return is the safeguard of our conscience, the anchor of our hope, and the motivator for holy living. To set it aside is to invite spiritual sleep, worldliness, and ultimately, loss.
Do not let the spirit of this age—whether it comes as mockery, theological sophistication, or pragmatic activism—rob you of the hope that purifies. The Lord’s coming is at hand. Stay awake. Watch. Let your life be marked by the expectation that at any moment, you may see Him face to face. Anything less is not merely error; it is spiritual disaster.
