OUR HOUSE FROM HEAVEN

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:1-8).

Devotion 1 of 12

INTRODUCTION

The nature of salvation is not generally known, even among those professing to possess it. Even though there are a remarkable number of religious activities in our day, a staggering level of Scriptural and salvational illiteracy dominates the contemporary church. For me, this is a special burden, for, as the Spirit would say, "My brethren, these things ought not so to be" (James 3:10). The unparalleled investment that has been made in the reclamation of the human race demands that it be given prominence in our thinking. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit have willingly invested of Themselves in our salvation. They have summoned the aid of angelic hosts, and bent the history of the world around the redemption of our race. It is even the subject of inquiry among those who encircle the Throne (1 Pet 1:11-12).

The saints of all ages have willingly forfeited this world to obtain this "great salvation," settling, while in the world, for the temporary status of "strangers and pilgrims in the earth" (Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 2:11).

Although pretentious preachers often represent the patriarchs of old as grappling with the will of God, they are not so presented in Scripture. I have often heard Abraham represented as struggling with the requirement to offer up Isaac, Joseph grappling with the insidious temptation of Potiphar's wife, and the three Hebrew children sweating at the prospect of a fiery furnace. However, that is not how the Spirit presents the trying of these believers. David did not hesitate to meet Goliath, Peter did not balk at going to prison, and Paul did not waver at the prospect of being beheaded. John the Baptist was not concerned about the latitude divinely granted to Herod. He rather sought assurance of the Person Christ. Hebrew believers "took joyfully the spoiling of" their "goods, knowing in" themselves that they had "in heaven a better and an enduring substance" (Heb 10:34).

How were these brethren able to so conduct their lives? Why is there such a sharp contrast between their manner of life and that of our Western-world religious peers?

For a long time now, I have heard repeated references to what we "do not do" and "do not know." I hear it in the churches, academic circles, and religious conventions. Leaders tell us they know what is proper in Kingdom life, but confess that is not what "we are doing." With casual nods of the head, audiences concur with this judgement, openly acknowledging the thrust of their lives is wrong, out of concert with the Word of God, and unacceptable to the Lord. Much of this is passed off as being "natural" or "normal," and thus few appear concerned about the situation. However, it is not natural--at least not for those who have been born again.

A few examples of this kind of erroneous reasoning will clarify what I am saying. "The justified ones live by faith, but the trouble is we do not live by faith like we should." "Trusting in the Lord with all of your heart is what God wants for us, but we are too prone to trust in ourselves." "The Bible says that we should pray without ceasing, but we do not pray like we should." This type of expression can be multiplied many times. It reflects a totally unacceptable spiritual culture. It also represents a frame of mind that is NOT held by those who choose to walk in the Spirit and live by faith. Such approaches to Scriptural affirmations tend to neutralize their power, and make the slothful comfortable.

No allowances for retrogression

There are no allowances in spiritual life for retrogression into the flesh. Nothing in the Gospel hints at disobedience ever being acceptable or tolerable in any sense, or at any time. Unfaithfulness, and living as though there was no eternity, are consistently condemned in Scripture, and there are no exceptions. It is never appropriate to live without being dominated by the truth of God. When such a condition occurs, it is to be confessed as sin, not normality. It is then that we come to our Lord, confessing our sin. It is never right to live for ourselves.

We are living in the midst of a great falling away, and the confessions of halfhearted church members confirm this to be the case. Those who are close to the Lord are offended by the inclusive statements of distant disciples. Individuals who have counted all but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord cannot speak as those dominated by the world.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I praise You for the sense of strangership I have in this present evil world. I know You are preparing me for glory, and joyfully submit to the preparation-process, in the name of Jesus Christ.

-- TOMORROW: A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE --