By Fenter Northern
If you are a New Testament Christian, you are different. The New Testament speaks of Christian difference as sanctification. The basic meaning of sanctification is “set apart.” Bible usage is a bit broader than that because it includes purpose, to be separated for a purpose. Jesus revealed the purpose in His Sermon on the Mount. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and GLORIFY YOUR FATHER which is in heaven.” When the light of God’s word enters the heart of a sinner, turning them around 180 degrees, from darkness to light; from being a servant of sin to a servant of righteousness; the new holiness the world sees emanating in that sanctified person is the glory of God – the best sermon that can be preached.
Righteousness that is lived, testifies to the world that the Lord, God omnipotent reigns in the heart-temple of that person. God is their Father, because, by faith in His word, they have been born again. Fleshly appetites are no longer their god; they hunger for righteousness of the Spirit.
The Christian is appalled and repelled at the rocket speed sin has expanded in our nation without a blush of shame. However, stop and think. What if all the desolation about us had happened in a world where God had never broken through and exhibited His love for righteousness? What if there was no Bible or hope for a better tomorrow, with no promise of heaven made by One risen from the grave? What if there was no judgment coming with eternal heaven to be gained or a hell to be shunned? Suppose the hydrogen bomb had never been pre-dated by a Man risen from the dead who said, “I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Christians know by the vow of God, even if hell reigns about us, we can go to the grave with unspeakable comfort. If Jesus had not become the historical savior of the world, we would still be in our sins, without any hope.
What would we do when our conscience hammered our souls with guilt and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could atone or ease the pain? And the pain of all pain – to lose one dearer to you than anything else on earth as you follow the slow drive to the grave? What if there had never been a sunrise of light shining from that empty grave with no angelic voice having come from within saying, “Go tell them He is risen.”
Let’s thank our God there is a difference; It has been the joy vibrating in the heart of every Christian in every age that has been repeatedly pummeled by the iron fists of wickedness. Something has happened. The New Testament is filled with “but now,” “however,” and “therefore” that lift the dark clouds of sinful oppression that work to blot out the hope of mankind
Christians must be careful lest the world evangelizes the church rather than the opposite. Paul said, “examine yourselves.” We are all tried to see if our faith is gold, silver, precious stone, or wood, hay or stubble. No one is immune to strange and difficult trials that try the soul.
However, God leaves such here for a purpose. Only those are tried in fiery trials, and by prayer and the grace of God will walk the streets of heaven. Jesus promised to help us, therefore we can make it. Others have been subjected to horrific trials and made it, and so can today’s Christians who have hope burning in the furnace of our souls.
Stop and think, there are unsearchable riches for the Christian fight… One of those riches is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That means when Satan is raging, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous upon whom we can call to help us through any dark and stormy time, —- we are not alone.
That is a resource beyond description, What if there was no one— and we had to walk the dark valley by ourselves? If that was true, Paul says we would be the most miserable of all people. However, it is a lie, a demonic lie. Because God, who cannot lie, has vowed to the faithful, that when we come to the end of the last day, our sun does not set forever. No demon or power of hell can rob a child of God of that. In Jesus Christ we have come to a banquet feast, where the marriage of the Lamb has come, and we are His guests.
God help us! And He will. So when we face the last enemy, hopefully we will face him with chin up high. May we keep this foremost in our mind.
ISAIAH SAID, STOP. THINK AND WONDER (29:9)