Dear Christian friends:

There is nothing more tragic than trapped people. Paul's eye's filled with tears as he thought about it. People trapped in things! Creatures meant for God, themselves trying to play God - with minds set on earthly things.

There is only one way to stay out of the trap and that is to live as those who "await a Savior whose commonwealth is in heaven." This is the secret of remaining foot-loose and free in this quicksand world.

Although is sounds simple and fanatical to most people in our sophisticated world, the only way to really live in this sinful and dying world is to live as a stranger or pilgrim, just traveling through to that real land above. In child like faith we need to sing: "I'm but a stranger here; heaven is my home."

This is a glorious hope and a tremendous goal. It gives that sense of direction and purpose to our life without which everything here on earth turns out to be vain and hopeless. Having a hope and goal like this gives value and purpose to everything a Christian does in this life. His life is for the glory and praise of God, which glory he shall share in heaven soon, even as he shares it now in part, but then fully.

For although we Christians have been declared just and holy by the Gospel, saints of God, His dear children, yet for a short time we must remain here in this quicksand world in our dying bodies amidst unbelief, evil and all manner of temptations from the devil, the world and our own deceitful hearts and minds. Paul calls them "enemies of the cross of Christ" He says that their god is the belly and that they glory in their shame, with minds on earthly things."

We must not be trapped by them with their false gods and false values. Remembering that we have full and complete deliverance on the way should help us for "we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body."

St. Paul describes this glorious event in 1 Corinthians 15:51 "Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep (in the grave) but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. Then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death where is thy sting?
O grave where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. What a tremendous Savior we have. Not only is He our Savior, but also the attraction in heaven. When Paul writes, "our commonwealth is in heaven" He refers to Jesus. The word "commonwealth" means treasure. Our treasure is in heaven. It is Jesus and He alone whom we shall forever worship and serve with our glorified bodies in that glorious land.

John writes of this bliss in Revelations 7:9 "After this I looked and behold a great multitude which no man could number etc." (read to the end of the chapter)

Such a hope and yonder treasure helps us beware of the vain and false treasures of this world. Now we can place the right value on things. They are not to possess us and enslave us as a god. We already have the true God the Creator. His creatures and things we posses and use to glorify His great name.

But those who do not have this hope and these values are trapped, and their end is destruction - everlasting banishment from the goodness of God. As they were in this world, so shall they be in eternity only worse. "Let him that is filthy, be filthy still," the Bible says. In this life on earth they were not fully forsaken of God, for here even unbelievers enjoy the goodness and presence of of God for, "He makes His sun to shine on the evil and on the good; He sends rain on the just and on the unjust" He gives daily bread to all men, even to those who do not pray and thank Him. But there God's goodness and presence shall be totally removed from them.

Trapped people they are with no lasting joy or satisfaction in this life and no hope for the next. No wonder Paul speaks of them with tears in His eyes.

Lets not fall into this trap. Lets remember that our commonwealth (treasure) is in heaven. By God's grace, we can be faithful to our hearts true Home.

Amen