Hope of salvation II

Mercy and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be multiplied on you! I am glad to meet you in our column daily word for spiritual strengthtoday. I am thankful to the Lord for this opportunity to share God´s wisdom given to me and inspire at least some of you my friends. Yesterday we started our conversation about the role of hope at the battle of the last days. We clarified that biblical hope is based on expectation of the future that prompts you to set correct priorities today.

We looked at the Abraham who lived in the promised land as a foreigner just because he had a hope to see the future city, designed and built by God.

“By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.(Hebrews 11: 9-10).

Today Abraham´s example shows us the way of life we should live in this world. It also helps us to understand the role of hope at the battle of the last days. Nothing in this world captured him nor temptation to become rich could influence his relationships with God, because he had the hope of salvation. Having the hope of salvation makes walking in faith easy nowadays. Regardless of what you have or lack you can easily rejoice even nowadays. Look at what the Bible says about heroes of hope mentioned in the message to Hebrews:

“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)

Did you notice what the scripture says? They all died in faith not in fear, doubt or unbelief. Did you notice, they rejoiced in the time they lived, even though, they did not receive what they had been promised yet? It became possible just because they were able to see something at a distance, something they had been waiting for and seeking. They had the hope of salvation in Christ. Biblical hope of salvation is always connected to Jesus Christ and our expectation of the moment when we unite with Him. Such expectation influences our way of life and our priorities. If you belong to the group of unstable, undetermined people of double-nature, who walk with God one day, but follow the king of this world next day stay sober! You are walking on the edge of a ravine you can fall in at any time.

It´s impossible to be seeking things only Jesus can give to you in the world if you really have experienced friendship with Him. This world rather resembles a mirage, false hope or illusion; it offers you a lot, then steals from you even more than you have received from it. Open your eyes, so that you don´t exchange the gold of eternity with the cheap counterfeits of this world. Appreciate the blessings received from God, so are not deceived by this world.

Are you unsatisfied, empty, disappointed, sad and unhappy even being a member of God´s family? Are you seeking for what you need in this world not in God? If this is the case, you are strayed, sailing the wrong waters. You will never find there what you are looking for. If you really want to enjoy your salvation these days, you have to dive deep into the place where the most precious treasures are berried. These treasures are more precious than anything else in this world.

Tomorrow we are going to elaborate on what it really means to be foreigners and pilgrims in this world and why all heroes of faith called themselves this way.

Be abundantly blessed in the Lord today!

With Christ!

Rufus Adjiboye, pastor