Growth

True Citizenship

“If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.” – Charles Spurgeon

Last night as church ended, I received the news that spread like wildfire throughout the nation. Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9-11 attacks, had been killed by American troops.  Hearing the news, reading the Facebook status updates, caused a mixed of emotions – gratitude for the men and women who are willing to put their lives at risk so that our world may be safer, concern for the men and women whose lives were now increasingly at risk as they seek to spread the Gospel in countries that are sympathetic to Bin Laden’s anti-American philosophy, and confusion over how I should feel about his death. After all, while I believe that temporal justice was served, Bin Laden’s real experience with justice will come, just like all of ours will, when he faces his Maker. As a sinner who is only saved from that judgment by the grace of God, I am well aware that, except for the sacrifice of His Son, I too would have been standing in condemnation before Him. I too, would be experiencing the punishment that anyone with an unrepentant heart will one day face.

It’s an important reminder for all of us. While I love my country and am proudly the daughter and granddaughter of men who have sought to defend and protect it, my true citizenship is in the Halls of Heaven. Therefore, I want my response to the things of this Earth to reflect the place of my ultimate allegiance. I want to remember that Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), the city that would betray and kill Him. How much more so should I be grieved by the people and the nations that refuse Him to this day? Loving our enemies isn’t just an instruction for the enemies that we know personally (Matthew 5:44).  When one of our enemies meets their demise, we should, as Spurgeon states, respond in such a way that is “consistent with our high dignity” – that is consistent with our status as a citizen of Heaven.  We should respond as our Savior did.

In my nature, I’m glad that there is one less terrorist on this Earth. In my heart, I’m sad that we live on an Earth where terrorists exist. In my spirit, I’m longing for the place where I will finally be at Home. Until that day, I want to make sure that I am a citizen that my Ruler would be proud of.

Continue Reading

Being Content

Perfect Peace

This post concludes a series on Isaiah 26:3. For the previous post, click here.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that for the person who keeps their minds fixed on God, and who trusts God, that the end result is perfect peace.

Peace, as you may know, is the Hebrew word shalom.

According to  the New Bible Dictionary (1996) it means,  completeness and soundness.

In the Bible, we see that this word can be used in a variety of ways:

i.     It can mean the well-fare of another (Gn. 43:27; Ex. 4:18; Jdg. 19:20),

ii.     It can meanwhen one is in harmony or concord with another (Jos. 9:15; 1 Ki. 5:12),

iii. It may mean material prosperity (Ps. 73:3) or physical safety (Ps. 4:8).

iii.     But also it may mean spiritual well-being. Such peace is the associate of righteousness and truth, but not of wickedness (Ps. 85:10; Is. 48:18, 22; 57:19–21).[2] (New Bible Dictionary, 1996).

And while all of these topics may be worthy of discussion, what I want to consider is – what does it mean to have peace in terms of spiritual well-being? After all, if we are spiritually sound, then we can weather at lot of earthly storms.

Here are three things that we can gather from Scripture are true of those who are perfectly at peace:

1) They do not worry.

Matthew 6:25 states:

“Therefore I tell you,do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

So individuals that are sound in their spiritual walk, will not worry, because they realize that ultimately it is not the cares of this life that matter; it’s the security of the next.

2) They fear no evil.

Psalm 23: 4 says:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will( fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

When we are confident in the fact that God is with us, we have no reason to fear the evil that we may experience, for we know that when we do, the Giver of perfect peace will be the one comforting us.

3) They are confident in what God has provided.

As Philippians 4:11-13 states:

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Being in perfect peace means that we know the One who gives us strength, and so whatever life may throw our way, we are resting in His provision to get us through.

And Philippians 4:7 tells us that what this peace looks like:

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

Perfect peace, then, guards our hearts and our minds so that as we rest in His care, and stay focus on Him, we can experience the benefits that come with perfect peace.

Perfect peace is the result of spiritual maturity. In fact, the word “perfect” is elsewhere translated mature. So as we strive to have contentment in a chaotic world, it means we have to get about the business of being spiritually mature. And as a result, we will experience His perfect peace.

Continue Reading