From The Sword & Trowel 2
There were three pilgrim feasts in the Old Testament, when the people would go to Jerusalem. There was the Passover, which commemorated the deliverance from Egypt. Pentecost commemorated the end of the grain harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles marked the end of the agricultural working year, also recalling the wilderness journeyings.
All these feasts involved pilgrimage, which reminded the people that all of life is a pilgrimage. On the journey they sang the pilgrim psalms, or songs of degrees (Psalms 120-134), especially during the final ascent to the city. The pilgrim theme was a major feature of the calendar.
Are we prepared for a pilgrimage, or do we expect fulfilment and purpose from this alien land? As foreigners, we should take every opportunity to make the world a better, kinder, fairer place to live in, but it is not our place, and many worldly people resent us, or are fairly cool toward us.
It is heresy to think that Christ’s purpose is the social reformation of the world. Good works by individual believers are part of our witness, but the clear biblical view of the world is that it is a fallen and doomed world, from which Christ is gathering out his people by grace.
We do not think like worldlings (though once we did), or have the same aspirations, or enjoy the same things. We are bound to be suspected, misunderstood, and even hated. Though many people may be respectful toward us, and appreciative, many more will be hostile in some degree.
All believers at some time experience some form of persecution, and for many it will be very bitter. If we don’t understand this, then it will be very painful to us. We should try to be as engaging as we can be, and as helpful and courteous, but we so often remain misfits as far as this world is concerned.
If we know what it means to be pilgrims for Christ, then we understand this, and derive our happiness and peace from him alone. We expect to be slandered and unfairly treated by the world.
Not only is the world hostile to us, but also the devil. He often takes advantage of us while we are ‘on the road’ away from home, firing at us temptation, despondency, and even doubts of our standing with the Lord. But we are provided with many helps and blessings on our pilgrim way to balance these things.
Whatever the trials of pilgrimage, we must set against them the overwhelming benefits, the best of which are described by the Saviour in his great high priestly prayer in John 17. We are the enlightened ones, the knowing ones (v 8), those who belong to God (v 10), people who will certainly be kept (v 11) and never lost (v 12), who will have certain joy (v 13), who are sent into the world on a divine mission (v 18), who will be sanctified (v 19), whose mission will succeed (v 20), who will ultimately be vindicated (v 23), and who will finally see the glory of the Lord (v 24).
Benefit of Fellowship (1)
The benefits shine out from Hebrews 11.13 also – ‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.’ We particularly notice the word ‘all’, which reminds us that there are countless believers. We are not alone; there are many others.
It is so precious and valuable for believers to join together on the Lord’s Day and on weeknight gatherings to hear the Word, to fellowship together, and to draw pleasure and solace from each other. It is sad when Christians don’t know many people in their church fellowship, because one of the great comforts in the life of a pilgrim is that there are many of us in this family.
Round the world there are millions and millions of Christ’s people. Of course we cannot know all of them, but we may think of others, even in the most isolated places. Countless people love Christ and his Word, and live as pilgrims passing through this present evil world. There are far more than we realise, even in our land, and certainly throughout the world. Vast is the company of those who have been brought to see through this world, have met with Christ, and now walk with him. We are not talking about a few pilgrims, but about the largest nationality or clan of like-minded people on earth.
There were three pilgrim feasts in the Old Testament, when the people would go to Jerusalem. There was the Passover, which commemorated the deliverance from Egypt. Pentecost commemorated the end of the grain harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles marked the end of the agricultural working year, also recalling the wilderness journeyings.
All these feasts involved pilgrimage, which reminded the people that all of life is a pilgrimage. On the journey they sang the pilgrim psalms, or songs of degrees (Psalms 120-134), especially during the final ascent to the city. The pilgrim theme was a major feature of the calendar.
Are we prepared for a pilgrimage, or do we expect fulfilment and purpose from this alien land? As foreigners, we should take every opportunity to make the world a better, kinder, fairer place to live in, but it is not our place, and many worldly people resent us, or are fairly cool toward us.
It is heresy to think that Christ’s purpose is the social reformation of the world. Good works by individual believers are part of our witness, but the clear biblical view of the world is that it is a fallen and doomed world, from which Christ is gathering out his people by grace.
We do not think like worldlings (though once we did), or have the same aspirations, or enjoy the same things. We are bound to be suspected, misunderstood, and even hated. Though many people may be respectful toward us, and appreciative, many more will be hostile in some degree.
All believers at some time experience some form of persecution, and for many it will be very bitter. If we don’t understand this, then it will be very painful to us. We should try to be as engaging as we can be, and as helpful and courteous, but we so often remain misfits as far as this world is concerned.
If we know what it means to be pilgrims for Christ, then we understand this, and derive our happiness and peace from him alone. We expect to be slandered and unfairly treated by the world.
Not only is the world hostile to us, but also the devil. He often takes advantage of us while we are ‘on the road’ away from home, firing at us temptation, despondency, and even doubts of our standing with the Lord. But we are provided with many helps and blessings on our pilgrim way to balance these things.
Six Benefits from Christ
Whatever the trials of pilgrimage, we must set against them the overwhelming benefits, the best of which are described by the Saviour in his great high priestly prayer in John 17. We are the enlightened ones, the knowing ones (v 8), those who belong to God (v 10), people who will certainly be kept (v 11) and never lost (v 12), who will have certain joy (v 13), who are sent into the world on a divine mission (v 18), who will be sanctified (v 19), whose mission will succeed (v 20), who will ultimately be vindicated (v 23), and who will finally see the glory of the Lord (v 24).
Benefit of Fellowship (1)
The benefits shine out from Hebrews 11.13 also – ‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.’ We particularly notice the word ‘all’, which reminds us that there are countless believers. We are not alone; there are many others.
It is so precious and valuable for believers to join together on the Lord’s Day and on weeknight gatherings to hear the Word, to fellowship together, and to draw pleasure and solace from each other. It is sad when Christians don’t know many people in their church fellowship, because one of the great comforts in the life of a pilgrim is that there are many of us in this family.
Round the world there are millions and millions of Christ’s people. Of course we cannot know all of them, but we may think of others, even in the most isolated places. Countless people love Christ and his Word, and live as pilgrims passing through this present evil world. There are far more than we realise, even in our land, and certainly throughout the world. Vast is the company of those who have been brought to see through this world, have met with Christ, and now walk with him. We are not talking about a few pilgrims, but about the largest nationality or clan of like-minded people on earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment