“For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 ESV
Reflection: is salvation a current or a future thing? If current, what are we saved from?
There are few topics in our Christian faith that are as significant to understand than salvation. If we don’t understand what we are saved from, how can we then understand the purpose of our faith, of why Jesus came to save us? Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8 ESV. To save us, rescue us.
But from what?
Some preach that salvation is a future thing, almost as an insurance policy, that can “save us from the fires of hell”. That salvation basically is a ticket into heaven, and has therefore little meaning until we die. And, we can understand that people who hear and believe this might think that, “if I am saved, it doesn’t really matter what I do in this life”. But, most know instinctively that this cannot be correct. So let’s think about this today, what are we actually saved from?
We probably all know the story from the Old Testament, of God through Moses freed the Israelites from Egypt and led them to the promised land. We read the Lord Himself saying ““I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Exodus 20:2 ESV. We read a parallel story from the New Testament, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 ESV. We see the parallels here between Egypt as the “house of slavery”, and the “domain of darkness”. Notice also here that, freeing the Israelites out of slavery was the rescue, the salvation, so that they could live free, walk with and worship God, until they reached the promised land.
This is a metaphor, a parallel to our situation with Christ. Moses brought the people out, and established the tabernacle, the place of worship, based on the Law. Christ has brought us out of slavery, saved us from the domain of darkness, brought us into the light, and has established a heavenly tabernacle where He is the High Priest Himself on our behalf. It is nothing we have earned, nor can we earn, but we can choose to accept and follow. Not all the Israelites chose to follow Moses into the desert; nor did all those who followed enter into the promised land. Although the Lord provided for them all they needed, many who He had rescued out of slavery in Egypt grumbled, even rejected God, and wanted their own ways. Some even wanting to return to Egypt.
In our focus verse today, Paul is urging the early Christians there to “walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12b ESV. Notice again this reference of God’s calling, “into his own kingdom and glory”. Although we will at some point be “fully present with the Lord” in His glory, we already now have been rescued out of the domain of darkness, and we can enter His presence now, through Jesus. We read “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV
You have been saved out of domain of darkness, by the grace of God through Christ Jesus. Let’s not again give darkness any attention or rights over us; reject the devil, and let us live a life worthy of God in the light of Christ.
