Salvation viewed eschatologically 2 (The Victor's Mentality 47)

You’re welcome to today’s article reading. By God’s grace, I shall be continuing from where we stopped in the last article.

Last week, I shared an eschatological view of salvation, and we saw what it means. So in today's article, we will look at why we must hold this view. What is the impact it has on us as Christian believers?

1. It stabilises our mind.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, the bible says:
“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8 NKJV)

The Bible presents this future hope as a helmet. A helmet guards the head. That talks about our mind, our faculty, the seat of our thinking. The place the devil often targets is the mind. Because if he can influence your thoughts, he can influence your perspective; and if he influences your perspective, he can affect your choices and actions. So this hope of our future salvation in Christ brings the mind to rest when we know that our future is secure in Him. 

It does not make a person careless or passive about life; rather, it allows the mind to remain at peace and stable. Even in the midst of confusion and turbulence, the believer has confidence that they are not heading toward ruin, but toward glory. This assurance steadies the heart and keeps the mind anchored in Christ.

2. It produces endurance.

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:24-25 NKJV)

Here also, Paul is giving the Roman Christians the eschatological view of our salvation. He said that even though everything has been paid for, we have not come into full experience of everything that has been paid for. So as a result, there is a need to eagerly wait for it. Why are we eagerly waiting for something? Because we are assured that it is done. Our bodily resurrection, glorification, and total deliverance from sin have been paid for.

To eagerly wait means to actively wait in faith. That is why this hope of salvation is not uncertain or a “50-50” hope. It is a certain, assured hope, and we wait for it with endurance and perseverance, because we are confident that God who has begun the work in our spirit man will bring it to completion.

So you don’t give up on faith easily. Even when it gets tougher, you abide with the One who is working in you and bringing us closer to this future salvation. That is endurance.

That you keep going despite the delay we get in our prayers, the pressure we get from society, or the obstacles in our way. That’s perseverance.

Just like a farmer plants seeds and waits months for harvest. He does not dig up the seed every now and then to check if it is growing. Rather, he trusts the process and keeps tending the field. So also, we must trust the Holy Spirit, who is the seal of our redemption, that He is working in us. We must remain committed to Him, His process, and His way. Even when things are not aligning, you know He is committed to keeping you spotless and pure until the day of our Lord.

3. It inspires us to live a sanctified and holy life.

1 John 3:3 says “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

This hope the Bible is talking about here is the hope of Christ’s return and the full experience of our salvation. When we are truly living in this hope, it changes the way we live. We are conscious that our destiny does not end here, and we are able to tame our selfishness and worldly ambition. Therefore, our hearts are redirected from temporary things to eternal realities.

This hope also causes us to commit fully to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into holiness, guards our minds, and trains us to walk in victory over sin and the world.

Paul says “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:13 NKJV)

4. This Hope helps your focus to remain on Christ.

It helps your perspective on life. You find it difficult to even have issues with people, not to talk of keeping malice. Because your expectations are beyond here. You are able to live responsibly here, while your heart is not trapped in the different things happening in our world today.

So I will conclude by asking: Are you eagerly waiting for this blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord?
 
Brethren, prayerfully meditate on these things.

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