Last week we addressed the high calling in Christ that few Christians see, much less run to attain. For those who do see it and give themselves to this ultimate life of devotion, it’s more than just taking up our crosses, dying daily, or doing everything for the sake of the gospel. It is about growing in the faith and authority God gives to those who truly become one with Him.
The Lord has called His church to be the salt and light of the world to preserve the world from corruption and help people find answers to the world’s ultimate problems. As the world enters this great time of trouble and the crises in the world increase, the One who lives inside His people will shine ever brighter. God’s people will also stand out brighter as darkness increases. We will see the greatest miracles and wisdom come through God’s people. However, the prophecies concerning these days are clear: God’s people will not be appreciated or celebrated by the world. It will be just the opposite.
Jesus is our pattern for what we can expect from this world. Ordinary people loved and followed the Lord, but the greater the miracles Jesus did, the greater the threats and persecution He suffered from religious leaders. We can expect the same. However, nothing will happen that will not work for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory and prepare us to be used in an even greater authority. Thus, we must not seek man’s acceptance but God’s approval.
The less we focus on ourselves and our interests and the more we focus on the Lord, His kingdom, and His interests, the greater our measure of victory. At times this may even require us to pray for the judgments of God to come. We saw this with the Prophet Elijah who declared it would not dew nor rain except by his word. Is our unity with the Lord such that when He wants to bring an earthquake to get peoples’ attention, we are willing to pray for that? When we truly become one with Him, we will.
There may also be times when God will reveal to us a necessary judgment, as He did with Abraham concerning Sodom, and we will be compelled to intercede for mercy as Abraham did. This is the kind of expected relationship for those who have become friends and heirs with God.
As evil grows and gets stronger, so will the witness of the Lord. As we have said many times, Isaiah 60:1-3 is clear, when darkness covers the earth and “deep darkness” the people, the glory of the Lord will rise and appear on His people. Always remember, the result of this will be nations coming to the Lord and His light, as stated in verse 3 of this text. The darker the darkness, the brighter the glory.
As both Jesus and the apostles stated, these things will come on the world like labor contractions on a woman. We now clearly see this pattern. As a woman gets closer to birth, the contractions become stronger and more frequent. Such contractions are now apparent in our time. Every day we get closer to the birth of a new world over which our King will rule. As the apostle Paul explained in Acts 14:22, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom,” and the whole world will enter the kingdom through the “great tribulation.”
Of course, we all want to hear there will be nothing but peace and safety, but His peace will not come on earth until we have gone through the “great tribulation.” The whole earth must go through this to enter the kingdom. Still, those who are walking with God can have the greatest peace and safety even amid the greatest tribulations. The peace of God and joy of the Lord on His people are greater than any trial. This is our heritage in Him.
As the Lord said when asked about the signs of the end of this age, when we see these things come to pass, we should look up and rejoice because our redemption draws near! We can rejoice when we have more faith in His cross and our sure redemption than we fear our circumstances in this world. Remember also, Jesus did not go to the cross to come back and destroy the world but to save it.
In everything, we must keep our attention on His glorious kingdom that is on the other side of the tribulations this world is now experiencing. God’s kingdom is more certain than anything in this world, and every day that passes, it gets closer. Since His kingdom is described as “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (see Romans 14:17) we know we will never lose our peace or joy, so long as we abide in His righteousness.
