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Living the Christian Life Magazine
Heb. Ch 11 8-12 (NIV) By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
The spiritual life of the believer is a pilgrimage for life. Every pilgrimage has a destination. Abraham was called by God to leave his homeland. He sought a place not of a earthly abode but to that above. Likewise the spiritual journey of the believer is to a heavenly abode, to life everlasting, not to a journey’s end but to a heavenly home.
God’s promise to Abraham looked past hopelessness and barrenness to something far greater, to the glory of the cross, death and resurrection. To the earthly mind the cross was one of shame and anguish, even to his family, kinfolk and also to the disciples, the shame of the cross was too much for them.
But the cross was to be God’s final brush stroke in the salvation of man’s soul, not defeat but glorious victory over sin. “It is finished was the cry of Jesus” the work of the glorious gospel was complete
Abraham had to take that step of faith to move out of his comfort zone, to move on in the purposes of God, he could never realise God’s promises staying where he was. It is so with the Spiritual pilgrimage of the believer it is never static, if we are to experience God’s promises we must be moving on (maturing in our Christian faith)
We are to move on from the hopelessness and despair of death to victory of life everlasting. When we take that journey of faith, we move from hopelessness and fear of what the terminus of life holds into trusting in a future hope and newness of life. A life not based on trying to live good lives, but one based on faith and glorious liberty. Not relying on what we are, but on what we have become born again, a new creation.
It is a different path, one which is illuminated by the glorious Light of the Gospel, and as we walk this earthly pilgrimage amongst the moral darkness of a sin cursed earth, we come to recognise that the power of darkness is broken and we can live victorious lives.
Bible verses for our meditation
Gen. Ch.15, Psalm 27. Phil 3 17-21
The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Pilgrim Living – Walking in the paths of God
Pilgrim Living is about walking in the paths of God, looking towards our heavenly home. The spiritual life of the believer is a pilgrimage for life. Every pilgrimage has a destination. Abraham was called by God to leave his homeland. He sought a place not of a earthly abode but to that above. Likewise the spiritual journey of the believer is to a heavenly abode, to life everlasting, not to a journey’s end but to a heavenly home.