Hope of salvation III

Good day my dear friend! I believe God prepared many victories for you today, so I pray that you are sensitive to His message and let the Holy Spirit to lead you all day long. There is no victory without obedience to His voice. Jesus once said: 

«My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.» (John 10: 27-28).

 We are still discussing three weapons God gives to us for the victory at the last days. We discoursed the importance of walking in faith and love, but now let´s talk about hope of salvation. Hope already helps us to have peace nowadays, when thinking about our future. While hope always points our attention on the future, it already has auspicious impact on our life nowadays. In order to effectively use hope of salvation as a weapon, we have to undeerstand who we are in this world and how we should you this world. Paul wrote:

 « … and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.» (1 Corinthians 7: 31).

 It´s meaningless to cling to this world, for the mode of this world passes away and only the mode of Heaven lasts forever. That´s why all heroes of faith called themselves aliens and pilgrims in this world. 

«These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.» (Hebrews 11:13).

 Here the author describes those who live by faith not by visible things as pilgrims and aliens. We have to make it clear to ourselves who we are on this Earth and what is the nature of our presense here. Also Peter called true believers aspilgrims and aliens.

«Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having good behavior among the nations, so in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.» (1 Peter 2:11-12).

 A pilgrim is a person who stays far away from home in a strange place. Pilgrim is not familiar with the best restaurants and leading banks in vicinity, he probably belongs to a culture different to the area he lives, etc. Locals immediately recognise a stranger in him. Someone compared a stranger to a swollen finger that always draws attention. Believers do look like strangers to all the others, who have no citizenship on Heaven. 

«For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;» (Philippians 3:20).

 We must be speaking, acting and responding a different way and, of course, thinking a different way. We have different values and look at everything differently, not the way this world does. We might be called “strange people”, but we know we are the strangers, living in a foreign country. We are pilgrims on Earth. While being strangers on this Earth we have home in a different place, so we are longing for that home. Besides, we are aliens. Aliens are travellers, getting ready for another journey. As aliens we are going home, so we must be ready. Don´t let anything nor anybody to withhold you, neither to lead you astray on your way home. This world is not home for us, Christians. We are living and working here, while longing for our true home. Jesus instructed his disciples to store their treasure on Heaven, not on Earth, explaining to them where their true home is. 

«Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.» (Matthew 6:19-21).

 As believers we have to crucify our flesh and stop living for the things of this world. We have to multiply treasure on heaven, since this world is not our home anymore. Earth is not a store for our treasure! Jesus spoke about our heavenly home in the Gospel of John:

 «Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also. Where I go, you know, and you know the way.» (John 14:1-4).

 What a wonderful home our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has prepared for us! Let the expectation of the day we meet Him influence our life and values in this world! See you tomorrow!Rufus Adjiboye, pastor