Meanwhile

Philippians 2:1-2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

This passage took on a whole new meaning for me this morning as I thought about a consolation prize. Strange that I should think that way about Christ but as I studied the Word I discovered something interesting. The Jews of Jesus’ time were waiting on the Messiah in exactly the same way we are waiting upon His second coming now.

Jesus came to save us from ourselves, to dispense with sin as an obstacle in relationship with God. The Jews of His day felt like they had a relationship and wanted the Messiah to come and save them from the Roman occupation. In many ways this is the same for us today. We want to be saved from this present world and come into His rest.

The consolation spoken of in Philippians 2:1 is a coming along beside of, not to take you out of your present condition but to walk with you thru it. To this end He sent the Comforter, as a consolation prize, but He is God and God is One, so you get Jesus also. The physical presence of the Messiah as the King of this world didn’t appear back then. As He told Pilate “My Kingdom is not of this world.” But it will be.

Revelation 20:2-4 will explain that millennial kingdom where Jesus will once again be in the world to reign as King of this world. In the meantime, we wait and are consoled by this great love He has shared with us and that we share with one another.

Meanwhile on earth we love one another.

Abuses

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Every attack from dark forces have cited the abuses of the churches that did not heed Paul’s warning. Ruthless men of ambition have used the bible to enslave men into answering to their evil design. Whole countries have been ruled by binding men to false doctrines and building an army that was not of God. All you have to do is be a student of history to recognize that abuses have existed in nearly every decade of the church age.

Romans 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Isaiah 1:9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Our enemy has been trying to destroy us time upon time but God has saved a remnant out of every generation that hold true to His Word.

Is there still great deception in this world? Has there come upon us a newer and more convincing deception? Will there come even greater deceptions that lead to even more vile abuses?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

I am determined to be of the remnant and not of those who fall away.

The son of perdition has not been revealed.

Yet.

Daily Christian Devotionals