Living in the apocalypse

Don’t worry, I am not here to tell you to build a bunker, store up on food, or buy a lot of toilet paper. This is usually what people think of when they hear the word apocalypse.
There can be pictures and thoughts when we hear of the end of the world. Things like large disasters, famine, zombies (possibly?) and a final judgment.
But the interesting thing about the word apocalypse, at least when it is used in the Bible, means nothing along those lines. It has less to do with the end of the world and destruction and more to doing with “revealing.” In fact, that is exactly the definition, it is “to uncover, reveal, lay bare or pull back the covers.”
So how are we living in the apocalypse?
Jesus brought the apocalypse (revealing) of the Father. He also brought the apocalypse (uncovering) of a new life in him when he rose from the dead. And if you have read any of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, this is his main message: living in the apocalypse (revelation) of Jesus Christ. He writes to church after church trying to help them comprehend this new way of living and a new perspective.
This is similar to when you have an “Aha!” moment – when you taste real tacos compared to chain store tacos. There is no going back! Or, on a more serious note, it is as if you were living as a slave and then you were set free. There would be a whole new way of living, thinking, acting and deciding.
One way Paul reveals this apocalypse in almost all of his letters is by calling these followers in Christ “saints.” In our world when we hear of a saint, we think of Mother Theresa, or maybe the older man down the street who gives everyone cookies on Christmas. We attribute “saint” to someone's actions that they do.
Paul’s definition of being a saint is all because of what Jesus has done. Through His life, death and resurrection we are now saints, holy ones, set apart, seated with Christ. It is a new identity for anyone who is a believer in Christ.
Can you imagine how this helped Paul in his own life? After persecuting the church, he is met by Jesus on the road to Damascus and has an apocalyptic encounter that changed the way he viewed all of life.
Of course there may have been times he struggled with guilt in his past life, but God reminded him that he is a saint, a new creation because of what Jesus did. It is real freedom and life that he wanted to share with everyone.
How have you experienced the apocalypse of Jesus? It is more than just attending church and trying to be a good person. It is not just a change in your Sunday morning schedule. It is a transformation in how you view God, yourself, others and the world.
I pray that you would continue to have a greater understanding of the apocalypse of Jesus and live in that reality every day.