Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 5 January, 2020
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering …” (Col. 3:12)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM – Rev. Ken Koole
The Saints Addressed as Elect Sojourners [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Peter 1
Text: I Peter 1:1-2
I. A Divinely Determined Identity
II. Occupying a Peculiar Status in the World
III. Recipients of a Unique Blessedness
Psalms: 113:1-9; 99:1-5; 39:1-2, 12-13; 86:9-12
Evening Service — 6:00 PM – Rev. Ken Koole
David’s Numbering of Israel [youtube]
Scripture Reading: II Samuel 24
Text: II Samuel 24
I. A Foolish Numbering
II. Having Serious Consequences
III. Spared by a Wonderful Mercy
Psalms: 118:20-26; 78:1-3, 7-8, 70-72; 51:1-3, 15-17; 36:5-10
Hopeful Pilgrims
Rev. Daniel Kleyn
(an excerpt from an article in the Standard Bearer, February 15, 2009)
God ’s people are pilgrims and strangers here on this earth. This world is not our permanent home. We are here for just a short time. Each of us is travelling through this world and life with a view to reaching our eternal destination in heaven. And once we arrive there we will say: “Now I’m no longer a stranger. Finally I’m home!” Consider Abraham. Abraham was called by God to leave his home in Ur and to live in Canaan. In that new land, he lived among a people who worshipped and served other gods. He was obviously a spiritual stranger among them. But that was not all. Abraham and his family were instructed by God to live in tents. Repeatedly Abraham and his family uprooted themselves and moved to different locations. They were pilgrims. They were simply travelling through this life with a view to reaching their eternal home in heaven. “By faith Abraham … sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles [tents] with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb.11:8-10). What was true of Abraham, is true of all God’s people. This earth is not our home. We live this short and trouble-filled life with a view to reaching our eternal destination in glory. These truths are very clearly set forth in the book of I Peter. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, Peter explains that the people of God are pilgrims on this earth, “strangers” (1:1) who are “sojourning here” (1:17). And the instruction and admonitions he gives are always with that in mind, as is evident from these words: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims …” (2:11).
We are God’s people pilgrims on this earth because of God and His decree of election. God, has chosen us to be those who will live forever in heaven. The decree of election, therefore, means that heaven, and not earth, is our home. That sets us apart from the ungodly. To them, this earth is home, and because they were not chosen, they have not been given and will never have the new life of heaven in their hearts. They are comfortable in this world with all its sinful deeds and evil pleasures. They are satisfied with this life and want it to last forever. The children of God, however, desire heaven. We have been chosen unto life eternal in glory. We have been regenerated by the Spirit to know and believe we are the children of God. We do not feel at home on earth. Our home is the heavenly inheritance that God has reserved for those who love Him. Our home is the place that is incorruptible, and undefiled, and never fades away; We and God will dwell together in heavenly perfection forever. Because all this is true, we are certain that when our journey ends here on earth we will go immediately into heaven. Because our hope is not dependent on us but is the sovereign work of Almighty God.
On earth we struggle continually with our sin and have to live with its terrible consequences. But in heaven that will all be over. No more sin, and no more of its terrible effects. On earth we face opposition from the ungodly. For some of God’s people this persecution is so grievous that it makes their earthly lives unbearable. But in heaven that will all be over. We will be freed from the hatred of the wicked and the assaults of the devil. On earth we experience many trials and hardships. This places a great burden on our souls. But in heaven that will all be over. Every tear and sorrow and distress will be wiped away. In light of all this blessedness, the faithful pilgrim longs earnestly for the day when he will arrive in his eternal home. This hope comes to expression in the life of the pilgrim. It explains why we are very different from the world around us, we live an antithetical life, completely distinct from the ungodly. We speak a different language, have different interests, do different things, have a different focus and different purpose in life, because we realize we are not here on earth for the sake of this earthly life itself, but are merely travelling through to reach our eternal home in heaven. Because we still have the old nature with us, we all fail to long, as we ought, for our eternal home. Therefore God must frequently (if not continually) strengthen our longing. He does this in various ways. He sends troubles. He makes us suffer sickness and pain. He takes away loved ones in death, so that we experience deep loneliness. He causes an economic downturn, thus making us struggle to find work and to support ourselves and our families. He causes us to lose all our savings. He destroys or takes from us our earthly possessions. He makes the world unstable by sending war, disease, and natural catastrophes. He sees to it that our freedoms as Christians are denied us. All of this is done, however, in His mercy and love. By means of the things He sends, God uproots us from our earthly-mindedness. He makes us lift our eyes heaven-ward and pray, more earnestly than ever, that our Savior might come quickly to take us home. He makes us mindful of how desirable heaven is in comparison to earthly life, and causes us to long all the more for its arrival. Thus the pilgrim’s hope is strengthened. What a blessing it is to have this hope as pilgrims . In the midst of a hopeless and despairing world, which can only face eternity with dread, we as pilgrims have something most wonderful to long for. May our daily prayer be, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
