The Hour Is Near

04.08.09

J.A. Matteson

"Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass."
1 Thessalonians 5:24

On pilgrimage the Christian sojourns upon the earth as one out of place and time, passing through regions of indescribable joy, finding himself high upon the mount where the vistas are breathtaking, the air so clear as to see great distances, and the warmth of the Son intimate. At other times he is in the lowlands—the shadowy places—in the foreboding valley of darkness, groping to find his way, tenderness toward the Holy Spirit produces an unbearable heartache and misery over sin, his meddlesome companion. Cycles of spiritual victory and fleshly setbacks define the Christian’s pilgrimage and his heart aches for the day when he is permanently loosed from the rotting corpse of the old man he drags about. The testimony from the saints of old provide a consolation to the weary traveler, “So Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life….’” (Genesis 47:9)—the nearer to God the saint walks the more aware he is of his sin, serving to further his misery and desire to be clothed with the majesty from on high.

The Apostle Paul revealed his vulnerability and anguish over sin, “I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members…Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:23-25). Irrespective of the persistent struggle by the saint on pilgrimage he is not his own and has been bought with a price—by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The same Lord of Hosts who—marshalling the armies of heaven—called and sanctified him by grace, will one day glorify him. All of the promises in Christ Jesus toward the saint are true and faithful because their Author is True and Faithful, for “It is impossible for God to lie….” (Hebrews 6:18), and it is into this eternal fellowship with the Son that the Father calls the saint and He will not loose him, but will raise him up on the last Day.

Therefore, rejoice! While on pilgrimage the saint is called to various places and endeavors on behalf of the King and His Kingdom, but his primary calling is to an intimate relationship with the Son of God. In glory the pilgrim will behold Him face to face and each tear of pain will be lovingly wiped away by Him who calls, and the saint will receive a new name known only to God and the saint. The tears of greatest pain to be wiped away will be those of a heart broken by sin, sin that polluted the ability to offer undefiled worship, a living sacrifice unblemished.

On pilgrimage the saint endures hardship and suffering—specialized tools in the hand of God designed to further progress in sanctification, and he is therefore perplexed in heart, for to depart and be with the Lord is far better than anything the world has to offer, and yet to remain on pilgrimage for his Master is needful and beneficial for his brethren until such time as the Lord of glory ushers him home. He who is justified and walks by faith is a conundrum to the world, which cannot comprehend Him, for the eyes of the saint on pilgrimage behold Him who is unseen and eternal, releasing that which is seen and temporal, straining and grasping for Him who is to come at which time he who is mortal will be fully clothed with Him who is immortal, when he who is corruptible is fully clothed with Him who is incorruptible, when he who is finite is fully clothed with Him who is infinite.

As Robet Moffat eloquently noted while reflecting upon the brevity of the saint’s pilgrimage, “We will have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset in which to win them.” The Day is quickly approaching and the hour is very near, let us be wise and run with endurance the race that is set before us, laying aside every encumbrance. On pilgrimage the good steward redeems the time he is given, making the most of each opportunity Providence affords, bearing witness to the Lord Jesus Christ before all men that some may, by God’s grace, be saved.

Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever") Isaiah 40:8