3. Pilgrimage to Paradise: We Win!

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Our goal:

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go on from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion.—Psalm 84:5-7

Pilgrims, on their journey to the capitol city of the Kingdom of God, are not promised a trouble-free trip. The believers to whom Peter wrote his first letter were experiencing persecution because they were followers of Jesus. They were scattered throughout the world of their day with little hope of finding peace and safety anywhere since Rome had her tentacles in every part of that world.

Several years ago I read We've Lost. What Now?,  a book based on lessons from Daniel. In it, author Wayne Baxter describes how Daniel's experience relates to today's church as it hovers on the edges of society, in a world over which, as Francis Schaeffer said in Death in the City, we ought to mourn as Jeremiah mourned over Jerusalem.

We have lost this battle, but not the war. Though we in the west do not yet suffer persecution as many do in other parts of the world, it is coming. So how do we pilgrims, with our eyes fixed on Heaven, live out Psalm 84 in a world in which we increasingly realize we are not welcome, and in which we do not belong?

Enter Peter.

Peter had begun his letter reminding his readers of the mercy that God had shown them in giving them salvation and assuring them of a place in His Kingdom. He then goes on to say: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6, 7) 

The possibility of turning bad into something good lies in the understanding that whatever form the "bad" takes, it is meant for a higher purpose than we might realize as we experience it. Its ultimate goal is to bring "praise, glory, and honor" to Jesus and along the way it tests, purifies, and strengthens our faith.

Who would have thought that persecution was actually a good thing? I'll bet the pilgrims of Peter's day had their moments when they wondered about that! Those who today suffer persecution for their faith in Jesus likely also have their moments of doubt. But there it is, written down for us in Peter's letter.

The "perseverance of the saints" is a theme that runs through the Scriptures. Faith is proved when those who claim it keep walking in it despite the challenges of life. The Beatitudes end with several verses that few sermons emphasize. Listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:10-12: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Emphasis mine)

James follows up on that when he writes: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

Believers are to rejoice in what is guaranteed, what the world can't take away: salvation, Heaven, a strong, relentless, proven faith that brings glory to God. And did you see it? They are to exhibit JOY generated not because we've lost the battle, but because we have our eyes fixed on the end of the journey and we know we'll win!