What Are You Waiting For? Living as Kingdom Disciples in the In-Between

There is a moment in every great story where the characters find themselves waiting. The climax is coming. Everyone knows it. The tension is almost unbearable. But the story has not yet reached its conclusion. That is precisely where we find ourselves right now in history. We are living in the in-between, the space between what God has already accomplished and what he has promised to complete.

The question is not whether the story ends. It will. The question is what we do while we wait.

The Reason for the Delay

One of the most honest questions any thoughtful person asks is this: if God is real and Jesus is coming back, why hasn't it happened yet? The answer is not complicated. In 2 Peter 3:9, the apostle Peter addresses this directly, explaining that God is not slow in keeping his promise as some might understand slowness, but is instead patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

That is the reason. Not negligence. Not forgetfulness. Patience rooted in love.

God exists outside of time. He is not constrained by calendars or clocks the way we are. What feels like a long delay to us is, from his vantage point, simply the necessary space for more people to hear the gospel and respond. Every day that passes is another day of opportunity. Another chance for someone to turn from sin and place their trust in Jesus Christ.

That is not a small thing. That is everything.

What the Delay Demands of Us

If God's patience is the reason for the delay, then our response to that patience matters enormously. Peter does not leave us without instruction. In 2 Peter 3:11-14, he asks a pointed question: since everything will be dissolved, what kind of people ought we to be? His answer is equally direct. We ought to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the day of God and make every effort to be found spotless and blameless in his sight.

This is not a call to anxious striving. It is a call to intentional living. The knowledge that Jesus is returning should not paralyze us. It should propel us.

There are two concepts that help frame what this kind of living actually looks like in practice.

The first is the kingdom agenda. Tony Evans defines it as God's comprehensive rule made visible over every area of life, including the individual, the family, the church, and the community. This is not a narrow vision. It is a total one. God is not interested in a compartmentalized faith that shows up on Sunday mornings and disappears by Monday afternoon. He is interested in every corner of your life coming under his authority and reflecting his character.

The second concept is the kingdom disciple. A kingdom disciple is a believer who visibly and consistently lives every area of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ. That means finances, relationships, parenting, words, schedules, and ambitions are all gradually being shaped by the one who is King of kings. This is not a destination you arrive at overnight. It is a direction you commit to walking in every single day.

The Warning to Stay on Guard

Not everything in the in-between is peaceful. Peter issues a serious warning in 2 Peter 3:16-17, noting that some people twist difficult scriptures to their own destruction, and urging believers to be on guard so they are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from their secure position.

The word picture behind "twist" is vivid. It refers to a torture rack, a device used to force a confession or statement out of someone by inflicting unbearable pressure. That is exactly what false and careless teachers do with scripture. They apply pressure until it says what they want it to say, rather than submitting themselves to what it actually means.

This is why context matters so deeply in Bible reading. Scripture interprets scripture. Difficult passages are best understood in light of clearer ones. The overall flow of God's redemptive story provides the framework within which any single verse must be understood. When that framework is abandoned, all manner of distortion becomes possible.

The remedy Peter prescribes is not fear or suspicion. It is growth. He closes with this charge in 2 Peter 3:18: grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The best defense against error is a deepening, genuine knowledge of the truth.

The Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity

There is a well-known story about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson camping in the wilderness. Holmes wakes Watson in the middle of the night and asks him to look up at the stars and share what he observes. Watson launches into an impressive analysis covering astronomy, astrology, meteorology, and theology. When he finishes, Holmes responds with characteristic directness: someone has stolen their tent.

Watson had all the right information and still missed the most obvious reality right in front of him.

The Bible is not written to confuse ordinary people. It is written so that every human being on this planet can understand what God requires and what God has provided. The provisions are clear: God is all-powerful, God knows all things, and God is present everywhere. He has not left us without guidance. He has not left us without grace. He has not left us without a community of fellow believers to walk alongside us.

The Invitation

If you have not yet placed your trust in Jesus Christ, today is the day. The delay exists precisely because of you. God's patience is not weakness. It is pursuit. He is wooing you, drawing you, making a way for you to be reconciled to him through the death and resurrection of his Son.

If you already believe, then the call is clear. Grow. Stay on guard. Live as a kingdom disciple. Bring the reality of God's reign into every area of your life, your home, your workplace, your community, and your conversations.

Time is not unlimited. But right now, in this moment, the door is open.