Posted on 11/25/2020 5:25:23 AM PST by Gamecock
Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
“I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, . . . says the Lord Almighty.”
What will it be like when we enter the presence of the Lord? The apostle Peter gave us an inspired perspective on this in 2 Peter 1:11, where he said, "There will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ." This is a picture of a grand and glorious homecoming.
At the end of World War II thousands of servicemen returned home from Europe and the Far East. As the various ships on which they returned arrived in ports here in the United States, they were greeted by cheering crowds and lively bands. And if relatives were able to be present, there was the added excitement of tearful hugs and joyful kisses. These servicemen received a rich welcome back home. This is the way it will be with us, only on a much grander scale.
Peter prefaced his words about this rich welcome with this instruction: "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall" (2 Peter 1:10). It might appear, upon a casual reading of this Scripture, that our rich welcome is actually dependent on our practicing these "qualities" mentioned in verses 5 through 7. However, the practice of these qualities—that is, pursuing the particular Christian virtues presented in verses 5 through 7 —is not the basis of the rich welcome. Rather, it’s one of the means whereby we make our calling and election sure. It’s a way we assure ourselves that we’ve been made new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and that we do indeed have the hope of eternal life.
Ping
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