In the meanwhile, until that glorious hope shall be realized, he walks down here in the world as a pilgrim and a stranger (1 Peter 2:11) in the conscious love of God, to whom he is reconciled. He knows and calls Him “Father” (Rom. 8:15), who has made him His child, and cares for him in that relationship.
He knows too, for God has told him in His word, that he is a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20), that he is not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world (John 17:16); and is called to be a follower of that blessed One, by denying himself, and taking up his cross (Luke 9:23). He discovers that he is down here in a world which has rejected, cast out, and crucified his Lord. This brings out the enmity of the human heart; like master, like servant, and hence lie has to suffer for His name (1 Peter 2:21).
How gracious then of his Lord to leave with him the sweet promise of His return, and whilst away, to give him that other Comforter, Himself also coming to him, that he might not be left comfortless, or as an orphan in this dreary scene (John 14:16-18).
The world has yet to answer for the rejection and murder of Christ; the day of vengeance of our God will surely overtake the ungodly. But the Christian, through faith in the rejected One, is delivered from it, can look up with joy and confidence into the opened heaven, and there behold his Savior and his Lord at God’s right hand, knowing that He who raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken his mortal body by (or, on account of) His Spirit that dwelleth in Him (Rom. 8:11).
If he looks back, he sees a condemned world, from which he has escaped. If he looks around, he sees the fearful effects of sin on all sides. If he looks forward here, nothing lies before him but a waste, barren wilderness, a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, and where he may soon miss his way if he once steps out of the path of faith (2 Peter 3:17). If he looks in, he sees that wretched self, and the workings of the flesh; for although not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, the flesh is still in him (Rom. 8:8, 9; Gal. 5:16-18). But if he turns away from the world and sin, the flesh and self, altogether, and looks by simple faith into the glory, there he beholds the One so precious to his heart, the chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely, the fairer than the children of men (Psa. 45:2); and as he gazes, the heart is filled with
The Person of the Christ
Enfolding every grace,
and he longs for the moment when He who has said, “If I go away, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also,” shall fulfill His parting promise. He longs for the moment when, surrounding Himself with His loved ones and His own, He shall have the full joy of His own heart, and shall see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied. Then shall he meet his Lord, leaving every trace of mortality and sin behind him forever, no more to go out (Rev. 3:12), but to spend an eternity in His own blissful presence.
With Him I love, in spotless white,
In glory I shall shine;
His blissful presence my delight,
His love and glory mine.
All taint of sin shall be removed,
All evil done away;
And I shall dwell with God’s beloved,
Through God’s eternal day.
(To be continued.)