The life of a Christian is the best life that we can have on this earth. Not only do we have the promise of a home in Heaven, but we have the rewards that come with living a faithful life here on the earth. Being a faithful Christian causes us to have to face persecution and challenges at various times throughout our lives, but God will always see us through the storms, and help us on our journey to Heaven.
God speaks about how He helps us get through this life in the best way possible. “ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11). However, we must do our part and be faithful to God, and He will reward us. We must make sure that our lives are free from sin in order to be able to partake in God’s Deliverance.
I am reminded of those faithful people who are mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. This chapter mentions at several points how God delivered those who are faithful out of the challenges they were facing, and due to their steadfast subjection to Him, He gave them the ultimate deliverance, which is a home in Heaven. Those who were delivered by God had faith that He would help them in their times of need.
For example, in Hebrews 11, we are given the example of Abraham’s faith in God to deliver his son, Isaac from death, after being commanded to offer him as a sacrifice. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” (Hebrews 11:17-19).
The apostle Paul speaks about God’s deliverance of those who are repentant and faithful in Romans chapter 8. At the time of the writing of the book of Romans, the Old Law, which is the law that those who are mentioned in Hebrews 11 were under, had ceased to be after the death and resurrection of Christ (Colossians 2:14). Paul mentions this fact in Romans 8:2-3;” For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” So according to these verses, God has delivered us from having to follow the Old Law. We are now under the New Covenant, as Colossians 2:14 says.
Paul goes onto to speak about how we can work to obtain God’s Deliverance. Romans 8 teaches us that we must keep our bodies and minds out of the world and focused on spiritual things in order to be able to win a home in Heaven. “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:4-6). Having a worldly mind makes us enemies of God (Romans 8:7).
We must always strive to be spiritually minded and to live as much of a spiritually clean life as we can. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes. We are so blessed to have a God who is Merciful and Patient towards us despite our many flaws. May we work to serve Him each and every day so that we may have deliverance from an eternity in Hell. By living faithful Christian lives, we can have a home in Heaven with God for all eternity. These thoughts should motivate us to continue to “press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God “(Philippians 3:14).
