Closing Thoughts Part Two – Final Victory

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

April 8, 2022

Closing Thoughts

Part Two – Final Victory

Today, I am closing my Meditations in the Season of Lent. On Monday, April 11, 2022, I will begin meditations for Holy Week, the week before Easter. Today’s meditation is my second takeaway from this Season of Lent.

Yesterday, I closed my meditation noting that the Kerygma is summarized in the Great Thanksgiving of the United Methodist communion liturgy: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. In this same Great Thanksgiving are the lines:

By your spirit make us one with Christ,

one with each other,

and one in ministry to all the world,

until Christ comes in final victory

and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

In this Season of Lent, both James and Peter asserted that the followers of Jesus understood their lives within the context of looking forward to Jesus coming again in final victory. I believe it is this same truth that enables us to understand and make a difference in the world today. Even though Jesus has defeated the powers of sin and death, in our present time as we await Jesus’ return, we see the forces of evil are active in our world, as the war in Ukraine testifies. And we will experience persecution as we align ourselves with God’s Messiah, Christ Jesus.

As I consider these lessons from Lent, I am reminded of two portions of the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy. First,

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

I believe we are living is this time Paul predicted.

Secondly,

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Now I don’t think I am at death’s door, but I am feeling my age. My heart’s desire is to continue to fight the good fight, to finish the race the Lord has assigned to me, and above all, to remain faithful to Him who called me.

My Takeaway: My Jesus is coming again in Final Victory to make all things right. Keeping my eye on this, the ultimate truth of our faith, helps me stay on course even though so many around me reject the truth and chase after myths. Come Lord Jesus!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.