Devotional - 98-06-24 - Strongholds

2 Peter 1:11, "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This topic was suggested to me without comment and since I really don't know what is meant by the topic title, I am taking the liberty to dissect the above verse and show how a verse, when picked apart some, can become a stronghold for our faith. Scripture is one of the most important strongholds of our faith.

So an entrance The way to glory, the door to heaven will be plain and wide open. Hindrances will be removed. Your fears will turn to peace and your enemies will be silenced. Through the eyes of faith the gates of heaven will be opened for you.

Shall be ministered This is yet a future event, but it is just as sure to happen as if it already had happened. In a while the joyful angels will come to you and bring your soul into the presence of God with delight. God the Father will embrace you as His child.

Unto you You are prized by God. The world thinks you are not worthy to acknowledge, but God thinks this world is not worthy of you. You know that you do not deserve God's mercy, but God will give unto you mercies unknown and unforseen. When the careless world has the entrance to heaven shut against them, those very doors shall be open unto you.

Abundantly The advantages that are yours in Christ are not common. When you enter glory you will go in with a storm because you bring in with you the righteousness of Christ which has been imputed to you.

Into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In this kingdom you will leave this body of clay and enter the house of God. The kingdom you will enjoy is the very kingdom that Christ enjoys. It is a kingdom that Christ purchased for you with His own blood. This kingdom you will enjoy as long as Christ enjoys it and it cannot wear out, become dirty, or run down. Christ would have to lose His love and the Father His power for this kingdom to fail to grant you rest and happiness.

An interpretive paraphrase of 2 Peter 1:11 "For while in this way and manner of making out your election by your effectual calling, you add to your faith virtue, you will not only get safe to heaven, but shall have an abundant increase of hope and joy in your way to it; and, when you come to die, a triumphant entrance will be richly supplied and added to you into all sublime dignity, affluence and delights of the eternal kingdom of our great Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which he has purchased and taken possession of for us, who are interested in him, and whom he will receive to himself, that where he is, there we may be also." (John 14:3) --John Guyse

Soli Deo Gloria,
Tim