 |
| Photo by Almos Bechtold on Unsplash |
Do you remember as a child not being able to go to sleep at night because you were so excited about a special family outing, someone who was going to come to your house or a big event that was near?
This is how believers should live their lives at all times - wide-eyed with expectancy.
We need to get back to the
future.
Through inspiration, the Apostle Paul wrote:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.[i]
The saving grace of God –
that undeserved kindness that God shows to us sinners who believe the good news
of Jesus’ death in behalf of our sins – is also a sanctifying grace. It teaches
us, in gratitude, to live a life of honesty, faithfulness, discretion, righteousness
and goodness. These are important things for us to live by while we’re here.
But everyone needs something
to look forward to. This is what the word hope
means. Hope is living our lives with expectancy; not just expectancy for today
or next week; not just expectancy for the time we are here in this body, but
expectancy for the life to come.
Christians ALWAYS have
something to look forward to. This body may become frail, diseased or
afflicted. Our minds may become feeble. We may lose those we love.
I talked to a lady recently
who’s husband had a massive stroke at the age of 49. What does she have to look
forward to? What does this man have to look forward to? If they are in Christ,
they have much to anticipate. The anticipation of heaven is enhanced when we go
through earthly trials.
The blessed hope of the
Christian is Jesus and his appearing (Greek,
epiphaneia where we get the word epiphany).
He is coming again.
When he does, he will change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body,[ii]
When he appears, we we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3.2)
When he does, he will subdue all things unto himself.
It is time we quit living in
the past. It is time that we stop focusing solely on this present moment, as
important as that is. But it is time we got back to the future. For the
Christian believer, the future is brighter than the noonday sun.
No comments:
Post a Comment