WAITING FOR CHRIST
The way of the Christian is the way of the wanderer. We are “passing through” on our way to a better land. The whole purpose of our earthly existence is to glorify God and try to take along co-passengers on our journey—not to put down stakes here on earth. We are pilgrims, sojourners, those with heaven in our hearts.
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths and rust destroy them, and where thieves break in and take them. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and thieves cannot break in and take them. Your heart will be focused wherever your treasure is” (Matthew 6:19-21). “Therefore, if you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2). “Beloved, I plead with you, as sojourners and pilgrims, stay away from the lusts of the flesh which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
How much more abundant our spiritual lives would be were we to emulate more the philosophy of our forerunners who “all died in faith, even though they did not receive all the promises. They saw them from afar and had perfect assurance in them, embraced them and confessed that they were foreigners and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). The reason for setting our mind on things above is so that we will “appear with him in glory” when he returns (Colossians 3:1-4). We are waiting for Jesus to return from heaven. Paul states that “our citizenship is in heaven” from which we look for Christ (Philippians 3:20).
Since our home is heaven, and that is where Christ is, we wait for him to come and take us there. Just as he ascended to heaven, Christ will descend from heaven. “After saying this, Jesus was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they saw him no longer. They were looking keenly up into the sky as he was departing, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing here staring up into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him leave” (Acts 1:9-11).
The angels spoke comfort to the apostles, for as they were watching Christ depart from them into heaven, it seemed, no doubt, that he was taking a part of them with him as well. The angels reminded them that they were to be busy for him, for he would one day return just as he promised.
For this reason, every Christian should look to heaven with confident expectation, for into heaven he went, and from heaven he will return. We are waiting for Jesus. The Scriptures provide great comfort and strength to the disciple in regard to eternity. We look forward to that day when we will “receive a very great welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).
Dewayne Dunaway
