What does the Bible say about watchfulness? Why be watchful?
What are the dangers if we are not watchful?
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Asked March 09 2020
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
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Tim Maas
Supporter
I would say that the need for watchfulness by Christians applies especially to two separate contexts. The first would be exercising watchfulness over their individual spiritual conditions, with regard to being alert for signs that their devotion to God, their fellowship with Him, and their desire to have their actions conform to His will, are declining, in order to seek God's help in restoring them. (As Peter said in 1 Peter 5:8, the devil constantly prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom he can devour. Christians must be aware of that activity and guard against it.) The second would be watchfulness with respect to the return of Jesus and the close of the age, particularly in relation to awareness of the signs that Jesus spoke of as indicating the imminence of those events, so that Christians will always be in a state of spiritual readiness, as Jesus commanded them to be (Mark 13:33-37), and not to have their conduct reflect a state of unpreparedness, which could have eternal consequences -- if not from a standpoint of salvation, then from the perspective of eternal rewards.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
The Bible says that we are to be watchful for dangers in 1 Peter 5:8. Compare Proverbs 4:23. Scripture delineates 4 dangers we must be aware of: 1. The danger of false teaching Matthew 7:15 Compare Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 16:13 Γρηγορεῖτε, watch) 2. The danger of temptation Matthew 26:41 Cp. Luke 12:15; 1 Corinthians 10:12-13; Galatians 6:1. 3. The danger of neglecting the word of God 1 Kings 2:3; Cp. Hebrews 2:1-3; 2 Peter 1:19 4. The danger of damage to the Lord's work Nehemiah 4:9; 7:3.
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