Do You Hear the Warning Signal?

Spiritually, getting from point A to B is not automatic. And there is no free ride! In fact, the route is anything but linear; passing through trials and dangerous encounters in an often zig-zag fashion. And sometimes the path seems cyclical, taking us through the same challenges again and again! That's why so many are tempted to give up on the whole thing and just camp out for a nap along the side of the path. Many believers are so sound asleep that they don't even hear the warning signal. What is the alarm sounding? "Get prepared!"

That's what I talk about in today's blog. In Matthew 24, Jesus teaches about how the time of His second coming will be like the days of Noah. Aside from observing similar levels of decadency and malaise, what should we be doing? Building your ark! This is just a unique way of addressing the importance of progressive sanctification.

Again, it's not automatic. Entering into that secret place of abiding requires building a relationship with the Holy Spirit. And, using the ark metaphor, out of all the loved ones you would want to have safe in your ark, the Holy Spirit is the necessary passenger! "Wait a minute," you may argue,"I've been sealed with the Holy Spirit. He's already on board!" There is a big difference between being sealed by the Spirit of God and being filled by Him. And the Holy Spirit is only welcome where holy living is practiced.

Take a look at Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19. V.17 states one of the objectives: that Christ may dwell in your hearts. But Paul was writing to and praying for believers. Wouldn't they already have the Spirit of Christ living in them? Yes, "sealed" by the Spirit (Eph 1:13)...but that's not the same as having Christ dwelling in your heart. Otherwise, Paul would not have made the distinction.

Here's another example from the Book of Psalms. All of the beauty, power, and benefits of Psalm 91 are conditional. Not every believer is going to experience that level of abiding in this lifetime.

So, how does one know if they're making progress with the ark construction? I believe that it's through the hard work of perseverance. Pressing through trials, afflictions, and hardships. Having your heart set on one thing only: to know Christ and to cling to Him for dear life! That's why I think we're supposed to rejoice in our trials (Rm 5:1f)...they're a sign that God is preparing us for the storm ahead. You are being hand picked to be an over-comer. And, according to Hebrews 12, such suffering is a sign of God's loving discipline.