When Jesus confronted the devil during the Temptation, one of the challenges that Satan put before the Lord was an offer of all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory. (Matthew 4:8) Jesus, of course, refused to take what was rightfully His as an offer from the enemy because He knew that He would receive it legitimately through His obedience to the cross. Furthermore, He knew the promise of Psalm 102:15 that the heathen nations are to fear the name of the LORD and all the kings of the earth honor the Lord’s glory. In fact, one of the significant promises of the end time is that the glory of the Lord will be revealed throughout the earth (Habakkuk 2:14) and that the glory of the nations will be given over to the kingdom of God (Revelation 21:24, 26). Revelation 7:9 and 15:4 depict a time when people of every nation, kindred, people, and tongue will stand before the throne of God and worship Him. Revelation 11:15 further confirms that every nation will eventually become part of the divine kingdom. Twice in chapter twenty-one, the prophet predicted that the rulers of the nations will bring their glory and honor into the kingdom of God. (Revelation 21:24, 21:26)
John Piper made an excellent summation of God’s plan for the human race when he said that mission exists because worship doesn’t. In other words, the ultimate goal of church is to bring the message of the kingdom to every nation and people group so that they can join in voluntary praise to their Creator and Redeemer. At that point, the total purpose of human history will be fulfilled. When the early church leaders were trying to make sense of what had happened in and through the life of Jesus and the establishment of this new faith, they drew upon an Old Testament reference (Amos 9) that essentially brought them to the same conclusion as Dr. Piper.
And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. (Acts 15:15-17)
The reference to the tabernacle of David speaks of a special tent that the king constructed in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant when he brought it back after the Philistines had captured it. (II Samuel 6:17 One significant fact about the arrangement that David made concerning this tabernacle was that there was continuous worship in the presence of the Ark. (I Chronicles 16:37-40) This worship was of staggering proportions with some four thousand worshippers regularly serving before the tabernacle. (I Chronicles 23:5) To get a perspective, we need to realize that the forty largest orchestras in the world today employ only about three thousand five hundred musicians, still several hundred short of the number employed for this singular praise ensemble!
With this truth in mind, we must take a new look at the world around us, trying to understand how every kingdom can contribute to God’s ultimate plan and be part of the glorious finale of history.
The Taj Mahal! Beautiful white marble, perfectly symmetrical with a sparkling white dome amid four elegant minarets, it is considered to be the most beautiful building in the world. Standing before it was truly a breath-taking experience. For hours, I wandered through its great chambers, across its great plazas, around its stunning gardens, and beside its beautiful reflection pools. I was totally enthralled by the magnificence of the splendid structure. I marveled at the exquisite inlaid stonework. As a mausoleum to his favorite wife, the Taj was a tomb fit for a queen and only affordable by a great Indian maharajah. This was the glory and grandeur of Mother India.
After India, my Asian odyssey took me to Sri Lanka, the ancient Ceylon. There, I had the wonderful experience of witnessing the Parahara, an annual festival celebrating Buddha’s tooth that is preserved in the great temple in Kandy. Inside five coffins of gold and silver rests the sacred remains of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Once each year, this hallowed molar is brought from the temple and paraded through the streets of the mountain capital of this resplendent island nation. Nine days of festivities lead up to the climactic moment when the most sacred object of the Buddhist faith begins its journey through the city. Thousands of celebrants had gathered to witness the parade of more than one hundred fifty decorated elephants, hundreds of native dancers, jugglers, acrobats, and marching bands as they escorted the massive male pachyderm that bore the revered relic. Words cannot describe the excitement that rushed through my being as I stood in the press of the crowd watching the seemingly endless parade of elephants and dancers preceding the awesome tusker decorated with tiny glowing light bulbs and the golden coffin.
Having completed my ministry in the Indian subcontinent, I moved on to the Land of the Rising Sun – Japan. Traveling through the islands, I had occasions to visit many of the elegant temples and shrines of the land. Kyoto and Nara were ancient capitals with some of the most beautifully preserved shrines and gardens. Here, I found the kind of serene beauty that only the Japanese can model. Long, quiet, meditative strolls through the deer parks, beside the garden pools, and around the ancient temples gave birth to unsurpassed calm and contemplation. Again in Japan, I found beauty and grandeur. It was unlike that of India or Ceylon, but it is a treasured experience.
These experiences of the magnificence of nations and cultures rushed through my very soul as I read a biblical passage about the glory of heaven. John the Revelator, using the imagery of the ancient practice of subservient nations paying royal tribute to the king of the dominate nations, wrote,
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. (Revelation 21:24-26)
In my mind, I could see Indira Ghandhi, who was still alive and the uncontested Prime Minister of India at that time, arrayed in an exquisite Indian sari, bowing low before the throne of the Almighty to present to Him the glory and honor of the Taj Mahal as a tribute. Following Miss Ghandhi came then-president Jayewardene of Sri Lanka prostrating himself before the Ancient of Days to humbly offer the Parahara as a tribute for the kingdom of God. Next came Hirohito, who had not yet passed away and stood as supreme emperor of Japan. In traditional Japanese fashion of courtesy and humility, he bowed time and time again, lower and lower each time to indicate reverence for Him Who Sat Upon the Throne. Finally – as he had bent himself as deeply as possible – with fear that his gift was not good enough, he presented the glory and grandeur of Kyoto and Nara to God.
The kings of the nations were bringing the glory and honor of the earth into the city of God. Or were they? Almost as quickly as my mind had conjured the image of this oriental parade into the New Jerusalem, my spirit brought it to a screeching halt as the Holy Spirit directed me back to the passage. This time my attention was drawn to a little phrase that I had previously overlooked: them which are saved. I was also drawn to one further verse, And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27)
Now, my mind was drawn to another of my experiences in Japan. It was a quiet afternoon I had spent with an elderly Japanese pastor and his wife as they shared with me their testimonies. During World War II, since Japan and the US were enemies, all Japanese Christians were considered to be traitors because the nationalistic government saw them as members of an American religion. This dear pastor had been arrested and condemned to spend the four years between Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima in a four-foot-by-four-foot oriental prison cell. Even though the wife was not incarcerated, she was placed under house arrest and subjected to daily interrogation. This precious couple endured innumerable beatings and indescribable persecutions, yet they never flinched in the face of opposition. Their unwavering faith was a crown of life that shone almost visibly as they shared their stories. “This,” the Holy Spirit said, “is the glory and honor of the nation.” Then the Lord asked me, “To whom is the Taj Mahal dedicated?” “Mohammed,” was my answer. Next the Lord questioned me about the Parahara, and I answered, “To Buddha.” Finally, His query turned to Nara and Kyoto, and I responded that they were dedicated to the Shinto kami. Yet, the little Japanese pastor and his wife were dedicated totally to Jesus. This is the glory and honor of a nation.
Years later, this whole vision came pouring back into my spirit as I visited the former Russian provincial capital of Leningrad. Formerly the great St. Petersburg that boasted, and rightfully so, to be Europe’s northern Paris, Leningrad was resplendent with cathedrals, palaces, and art treasures that rival any other throughout the world. It was more than I could comprehend as I walked through palace after palace with massive walls covered with elegant golden facade. Room after room was filled with furniture of pure gold. Fabulous cathedrals sported golden domes. Museums held unbelievable collections of masterpieces including Van Goghs, Rembrandts, and Picassos. I felt as if my eyes would pop out of my head as I moved from one breath-taking scene to the next. Yet it was not in the palaces, museums, or cathedrals that I found the real treasures of the Soviet Union. It was in a humble three-room apartment where a handful of believers gathered that I witnessed the glory and honor of the USSR. Believers, who had been subjected to years of communism’s insistence that there is no God, knew that He did exist for His presence permeated their little gathering. This was the exaltation of the nation. Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) In a nation dedicated to humanism and man’s accomplishments without even acknowledging God’s existence, this handful of believers was a repository of glory and honor that was probably noticed only by the Lord Himself.
When I stopped to consider that the glory and honor which was to be brought into the New Jerusalem was to enhance and add to the glory already existing in the city, I realized how foolish it was to even think that the gold-plated furnishings of Leningrad could embellish a city whose streets are of such exquisitely pure gold that it becomes transparent. How preposterous it is to even imagine that the polished marble of the Taj Mahal would add to, rather than detract from, the grandeur of a city whose foundations and walls are made of such fabulous gemstones that the ordinary man finds it difficult to even pronounce their names, much less imagine their splendor.
But before we discuss how anyone will ever be able to add to the grandeur of that heavenly city, let’s consider the one word that arrested my attention when I read this chapter – “saved.” I suppose that this term is a bit out of vogue these days. We generally substitute words like “become a believer,” “accept Christ,” “become a Christian,” or “be born again.” While all these are powerful terms that convey the impact of conversion, perhaps the expression “saved” leaves us a bit unsure as to what we are actually trying to communicate. If a man is drowning, we instantly understand that he needs to be saved from the waters that threaten his life. If a rapist were attacking a lady, we would have no problem recognizing that she must be saved from her attacker. Unfortunately, we seem to be almost unaware that we live in a spiritual environment that is equally as threatening as that crazed sexual predator ready to molest the defenseless woman or the raging sea ready to engulf a man overboard. The Bible makes it unquestionably clear that there are malevolent forces at work in our world that will destroy any and every victim they can capture. The devil and the demonic fallen angels who assist him have an agenda that includes the total devastation of every area of the lives of their victims – body, soul, and spirit. Just as the fourth man appeared in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace to rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:24-25) – our God has a plan to step into the lives of all who will allow Him in to rescue them not only from the destruction of the furnace but also from even being tainted by the smell of its smoke. (Daniel 3:27) This kind of all-inclusive rescue and preservation is what God desired to communicate when He dictated the word “saved” into the hearts of the men who penned the words of the Bible.
Although the term may not be the most popular and it may not be considered the most politically correct wording today, I remember a day when “saved” was the common term people used to describe their regeneration. Although I cannot prove it scientifically or with any statistical studies, it seems to me that along with the decline in the use of this archaic term there also came a corresponding decline in a lifestyle within the church that was free from the lingering scents and reeking odors of worldliness within the church.
As a child, I grew up among simple folk in a little church in a cotton mill town in South Carolina. Every Wednesday evening and occasionally on Sunday evening, we would have testimony services. One by one, the members of the congregation would stand to their feet and testify, “I’m saved, sanctified, filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost, added to the great Church of God, and on my way to heaven. Ya’ll pray for me that I’ll ever stand true.” If there were fifty people present, forty-nine of them would stand up and testify, “I’m saved, sanctified, filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost, added to the great Church of God, and on my way to heaven. Ya’ll pray for me that I’ll ever stand true.” Finally, the fiftieth person – most often a little old lady, sometimes a middle-aged gentleman, occasionally a younger person – would rise, sobbing into a handkerchief, and between the tears would stammer out, “I wasn’t going to say nothing tonight. I told myself that I was just gonna set here. But I can’t stand to fail to testify for my Lord. It’s like fire shut up in my bones. I’ve just got to testify for my Jesus. I’m saved, sanctified, filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost, added to the great Church of God, and on my way to heaven. Ya’ll pray for me that I’ll ever stand true.”
Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot of laughs out of the memories of those old testimony meetings; but as I’ve matured, I’ve come to understand that – although the words had become little more than a religious formula – they were once a vital testimony that rather fully expressed the reality of what it means to be saved. When I think of the first affirmation in the cliché that declared that the individual was saved, I call to memory a statement by one of my aunts who did not come to Christ as her personal savior until late in her adult life. Though she attended church regularly, she lived a rather carnal life and readily acknowledged that she was not saved. When challenged with her need for salvation, she would answer that she would someday get saved but that she was going to get saved the way they did at “Johnny’s church” – referring to my dad’s church where the people were all saved, sanctified, filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost, on their way to heaven, and asking that everyone would pray for them to ever stand true. She said that because she had seen dramatic transformations in people like our town drunk and so many others who had been considered lost causes until they got saved in our church. When she did finally get saved, my aunt wept bitterly at the altar until her life was truly and radically altered by God. She had been genuinely saved; she had not just made a simple profession of faith or joined the church.
The next description – “sanctified” – means to be separated or set apart. When I hear this term I think of the money in my wallet because I have a divided compartment where I always keep a little cash that I don’t intend to spend except in case of a real emergency. That cash is sanctified or set apart from normal purposes for a very special use under only specific situations. I keep it in a secret compartment so that it is out of normal sight when the wallet is opened because I want to avoid the temptation to use the money for general purposes. Our God does exactly the same thing with those who will allow it. The ninety-first Psalm speaks of a secret place where believers can dwell under the wings of the Almighty to find a special protection from the attacks of the enemy who would desire to destroy their lives – body, soul, and spirit. Those who allow themselves to be brought into this secret place of sanctification are genuinely saved from the destruction that could otherwise befall them.
To be filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost is one of the most powerful forces that a Christian can invoke in his life. In fact, Jesus warned His disciples that this was to be the first priority in their lives after He left them to return to the Father. (Luke 24:49) He commanded that they should not do anything or go anywhere until they had received this divine indwelling. There are many benefits from being filled with the Holy Spirit, but let me focus on just one aspect – the empowering to live the sanctified life characteristic of a truly saved person. (II Thessalonians 2:13)
David Wilkerson, in his groundbreaking testimonial The Cross and the Switchblade, told the story of how he had naively followed the prompting of the Lord to go into the gangland of New York City to rescue the lives of the young men trapped in addictions and snares of the devil. When this little Pentecostal preacher from the quiet countryside of Pennsylvania found himself dealing with the violent and hardened gang lords in the ghettos of the big city, he realized that there was only one thing that would ensure that the young men and women he was able to reach could ever stay free from the forces that had so solidly bound them before. He knew that they would have to not only be born again; they needed to also be filled with the Holy Spirit. His little book recorded that individuals who followed the Lord into this Holy Spirit encounter were the ones who also overcame their drug addictions and other bondages.
I once prayed with a young woman who had turned to the bottle during a time of stress in her life. Eventually, she realized that alcohol was controlling her life. As we prayed for deliverance from its addictive power, I was prompted to quote Ephesians 5:18 to her. When I instructed her to be filled with the Spirit rather than to be drunk with wine, she burst forth in a heavenly language. As soon as she began to speak in tongues, a foul smell of alcohol filled the area – an apparent manifestation of the demon of alcohol as it left her.
Of course, when the good folk in my little mill-hill church boasted of having been added to the great Church of God, they were making the distinction that they were members of that particular denomination as opposed to being Baptists or Methodists; however, the power of the statement is that they were actually members of the universal church of God consisting of all saved men and women – including the Baptists and Methodists. Being part of the church makes us all members of the Body of Christ and members one of another. That way we each are able to add to the whole our own unique giftings. (I Corinthians 12:7-12, Ephesians 4:16) The necessity of being part of the total Body of Christ is so significant that the author of Hebrews left us with a direct command that we should not forsake gathering together as a body of believers, and especially so in light of the fact that trying times are approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
The next phase in the testimonial was “on my way to heaven,” an affirmation of the believer’s eternal focus. To see the power of having our focus on heaven, let’s take a quick look at the life of the Apostle Paul. We have already quoted the comprehensive description he gave in II Corinthians of what it had cost him to be a Christian: abundant labors, stripes above measure, frequent imprisonments, often being in danger of death, five occasions when the Jews beat him with thirty-nine stripes, three occasions when he was beaten with rods, being stoned until he appeared to be dead, three shipwrecks, being afloat in the ocean for a full night and day, uncalculated traveling, perils of waters, perils of robbers, perils of his own countrymen, perils by the heathen, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brethren, weariness, painfulness, constantly being on guard for those who were threatening him, hunger, thirst, frequent fasting, not having adequate clothing against the cold, and constant concern for the churches which he cared for. (II Corinthians 11:23-28) Yet listen to how he summed up all these experiences: Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (II Corinthians 4:17) In other words, he had his eyes so focused on the heaven he was going to that he hardly noticed the hell he was going through. It is this kind of determination to press for the mark (Philippians 3:14, Hebrews 12:1-2) that makes us able to have the staying power that is necessary to endure to the end – the quality necessary to truly be saved and qualify as one of the nations that can bring glory and honor into the New Jerusalem! (Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13)
Finally, the saints would always invoke the prayers of the other saints so they would be able to ever stand true. It is vitally important that we recognize the need for the support of other members in the Body of Christ. The Bible is full of examples of prayers for members within the community of faith. We could fill pages with biblical quotes showing the significance, power, and necessity of praying for one another. However, I will only cite one verse in illustrating this point. There is one little detail we should pay attention to in I Timothy 2:1 as Paul admonished Timothy in his intercessory prayer life. I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. Did you notice that he instructed Timothy that prayer should be his first directive? He assigns his young protégé the seemingly overwhelming task of establishing proper order in the church, but instructs him that the first step is prayer, the same pattern we will discover in Paul’s own ministry if we simply read through the introductory paragraphs of his epistles.
Before we go any further in our discussion of salvation, I’d like to make one interesting observation about why we are saved. Our salvation is for God’s own purposes – not simply to keep us out of hell! (Psalm 106:8) Notice what Paul says in II Timothy 1:9, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. God has a purpose in saving humans; He wants to mold us into masterpieces of His grace. As Michelangelo had his statue of David and the Sistine Chapel, God has regenerated humans as His showpieces.
Ephesians 1:3-12 explains that God’s whole plan in saving man is so that he will be able to manifest honor and bring praise to the glory of God through his redemption and regenerated personality:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Possibly the best loved passages of the two testaments proclaim the same truth. In the Old Testament, the twenty-third Psalm tells us that the Good Shepherd leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3) It is not so much for the benefit of the sheep as it is for the purpose of bringing honor and credibility to the name of the Shepherd. In the New Testament, the Lord’s Prayer begins with the imperative Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2) This clause could also be read, “Let Your name be honored,” implying, “Let me be a good example for You,” or “Let me reflect You.” The principle is more explicitly spelled out elsewhere in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Isaiah 45:17-23 gives us a number of powerful insights into God’s plan of salvation:
But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
When the prophet declared that Israel is to be saved, he concluded the sentence with a phrase that at first seemed rather out of place, world without end. However, as we continue through the section, we come to a similar phrase that helps shine a light on this unusual phrase; he declared that all the ends of the earth are to be saved. Sandwiched between these two references to the extremities of the earth is an explanation of the whole purpose of creation – when God made the earth, He did so with an intent that it be inhabited by men who would recognize that He alone is God. Unfortunately, men everywhere have turned to worshipping idols that cannot save. Therefore, He made a decree that men from even the most remote parts of the planet would come to Him in salvation.
This theme was picked up some seven hundred years later as the Apostle Paul penned Romans 10:9-18.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Notice how the New Testament passage repeated the Old Testament’s truths about salvation extending to the ends of the earth; moreover, notice that the confession of the mouth is augmented with the belief in the heart in this more refined revelation of the salvation process. When Isaiah declared that every knee will eventually bow and every tongue will eventually confess, his emphasis is on those who will do so in acceptance of His lordship as they inherit eternal salvation. The flip side of this truth is presented in Romans 14:11, when Paul used this clause to show that some will simply acknowledge His lordship as they are plunged into everlasting damnation.
Let’s turn our focus back to the passage that arrested my attention after my excursion into the far-flung corners of our planet. The Revelator went on to explain that it was the kings of the earth who would bring the glory and honor of their nations into the heavenly city. It wasn’t difficult for me to imagine what that procession might be like because I once had a front-row seat as two kings of the earth greeted one another. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came at the end of a mission trip to Zimbabwe as I was flying back to Kenya to meet my wife who had been ministering in that eastern African nation while I was speaking in a conference in southern Africa. When I arrived at the airport for my departure, I was greeted with lots of excitement and unusually stringent security. Eventually, I came to learn that the plane I was to fly on had been commandeered by President Robert Mugabe for a flight to Malawi. It was explained to me that it was his custom to fly on the national airline rather than on a private “Air Force One” when he needed to travel. The practice was to simply re-route any of the Zimbabwean Air planes that happen to be available at the time. A number of the passengers were simply bumped off the flight and rescheduled, and the plane’s itinerary was adjusted to accommodate the president’s plans. In my case, a stop in Blantyre was added en route to the scheduled destination of Nairobi. In addition, the departure was delayed at least an hour so that the plane would arrive just in time for the scheduled reception by Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, the Malawian president. When the plane arrived in Malawi, we were greeted by military bands, precision drill teams, dignitaries in formal attire, clerics in their liturgical robes, school children in their most neatly pressed uniforms, and native dancers in their traditional African costumes. I sat and stared out the aircraft’s window, watching in close range as all the pageantry, splendor, grandeur, and pomp were displayed as Mr. Mugabe and the First Lady of Zimbabwe exited the plane and were greeted by Dr. wa Mutharika and his wife. It was an experience that can never be forgotten, but it pales in comparison to another quick encounter I had with greatness. It was only a brief few minutes, but those were minutes that will live forever in my memory.
When Peggy and I were in Calcutta, we stopped by the Missionaries of Charity home with the request to meet Mother Teresa. Honestly, we never expected that we would have the privilege of actually talking with this great woman. To our surprise, the nun who greeted us warmly welcomed us and replied that Mother was busy in a meeting with her staff planning a retreat for the workers. She added that if we would wait just a few minutes she would ask Mother Teresa to see us. Shortly afterward, the door opened and Mother Teresa entered the room escorted only by the friendly young lady who had greeted us at the door – no fanfare, no bodyguard, none of the trappings that you might expect of a person in her international standing. This saint of God had dropped all that she was doing to visit with strangers who had showed up at her door unannounced and without an appointment or invitation! Her welcome to us was as heartfelt as if we were her closest friends or some outstanding celebrities or officials. But that was Mother Teresa. To her, every human being – royalty or beggar – was of ultimate worth.
She graciously shared with us about her work and about her call to minister to the poor in Calcutta. Then she invited us to visit the home for the dying and the project where the destitute of the streets were being fed. Peggy declined, saying that we had seen the orphanage already but it was her first mission trip to India and that she was already in severe culture shock from what we had seen. Mother patted her hand and replied, “That’s okay dear. I understand.” The glow in her eyes was a window straight to the heart; it told us that she really did understand – she knew not only the hurts of those on the street, but also the hurt of those of us who are strangers to this level of anguish.
On a later trip to Calcutta, I did have an opportunity to visit the home for the dying where volunteers from around the world were caring for the destitute. Then I made my way to the door where we had been so welcomed before. This time, a simple handwritten note was posted, “Mother is not able to receive guests. She is in prayer.” Apparently only God Himself was more important to Mother Teresa than the humans who made a constant trail to her door and into her life.
As we talked with Mother Teresa about all that she had accomplished around the world, we never felt the slightest bit of pride or sense of accomplishment – just an overwhelming gnawing about a job that still was not yet done. But, the outstanding quality of that conversation was the way she turned the discussion away from herself and began to ask us about the mission work that had brought us to India and Sri Lanka. With a light in her eye, she mentioned that she had never been to the areas we would be going to in Sri Lanka. Reading between the lines, we felt that she was excited that someone was going there even if she wasn’t.
After a few minutes, she politely mentioned that her staff was waiting for her in a meeting. We asked if we could have a photograph taken with her before she left. When the picture was developed, we both laughed at the way we were stooped just like the aged saint. It was only later that we realized what had actually taken place. Mother Teresa was so gentle and so gracious; yet at the same time, she was such a powerful personality that we had actually begun to take on her qualities even in just those few minutes. We could only pray that her other qualities of faithful caring and loving will become evident in our lives as well.
Before we left, we asked if we could leave a donation for her work. She called one of her assistants over to receive the check and to see that we were given the proper receipts for the gift. Her parting remarks to us were in reference to Peggy’s necklace with a little dove that symbolized the Holy Spirit. “I see that you have the Holy Spirit; I do too,” she said.
Micah 6:8 declares, He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Sitting with Mother Teresa, we knew that we were truly in the presence of an individual who had genuinely fulfilled those requirements. Isaiah described the environment in which God Himself dwells.
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15)
For those few minutes, we felt as if we had literally walked into the dwelling place of the Most High! There was no pretension, no fanfare, no grandeur; but we knew that this lady – not the presidents at the African airport – was one of the kings of the earth who would have something worthy of adding to the glory and honor of the New Jerusalem!
Twice in the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:6, 5:10) and in I Peter (I Peter 2:9), we are told that believers are kings by divine appointment. Ephesians 2:6 makes it clear that we are already spiritually seated with Christ in heavenly places, and Jesus Himself declared that His followers would literally join Him on thrones to share in His divine rule. (Matthew 19:28) We may not be “Mother Teresa,” but we will each one have our own bit to contribute to the glory and honor of that city if we stand true through the adversities of this life.
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. (I Peter 1:7)
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life. (Romans 2:7)
John had a revelation concerning the qualities that make for overcoming saints, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11) It is amazing to me that I have heard countless sermons about the power of the blood of the Lamb and innumerable messages on the power of the word of our testimonies. However, the third element in this formula seems to be a point that is seldom mentioned – we must come to the place that we are so determined to stand for God that we are ready and willing to give our lives for the cause.
The Revelator continued in his description of those who will bring glory and honor into the heavenly city by saying that nothing that defiles can enter in. In the Old Testament, we find that defilement was associated with certain foods, certain sexual practices, and touching dead bodies; however, the New Testament makes it clear that defilement has to do with what comes out of the mouth and the spirit of a man.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (Matthew 15:18)
There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man… And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him…All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:15, 18, 23)
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. (James 3:6)
To be able to enter the New Jerusalem and to bring glory into it, we must have our hearts and tongues totally purified and radically sanctified. John adds that those who work abomination will also be barred from that celestial city. (Revelation 21:27) Although we may immediately think of the sexual perverts parading down the streets on Gay Pride Day, a simple look at the scripture will bring this truth a lot closer to home. According to Proverbs 6:16-19, there are six things that God hates and seven areas that He considers abominations:
1) a proud look,
2) a lying tongue,
3) hands that shed innocent blood,
4) a heart that devises wicked imaginations,
5) feet that run to mischief,
6) a false witness that speaks lies, and
7) one who sows discord among the brethern.
Though only a few of us knew anything about it, one of my college students had been converted from a homosexual lifestyle. When some clues about his past began to leak out and were circulated among the other students, one of the supposedly spiritual members of the class came to me quoting a passage that branded the young man as an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22) I listened patiently to the exhortation and then asked the student to read the passage I have just cited. My point was that the murmuring was as much an abomination as his homosexuality. Then I pointed out that he had been delivered out of that lifestyle while the present student body was still actively participating in the abomination of sowing discord. To qualify to bring glory and honor into the kingdom of God, we must move beyond our own human righteousness, which the prophet Isaiah labeled as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), into a divinely generated righteousness.
The unfortunate thing is that we too often feel that we can substitute our own accomplishments for the godly purity that only Christ can impart. Think about the Old Testament account of the golden shields in Solomon’s temple. After the Egyptian king stole them, Rehoboam made brass shields to replace them. (II Chronicles 12:10) Certainly, there was no one who was fooled by the inferior substitutes, but we Christians try an even more preposterous substitution trick when we try to fashion our Christian lives with wood, hay, and stubble rather than authentic gold, silver, and precious stones. (I Corinthians 12:10) The admonition of Jesus Christ to the self-righteous Laodicean church was that they needed to come to Him to buy gold that had been tried and proven rather than to rely upon their presumed resources. (Revelation 3:18)
The marble of the Taj Mahal, no matter how gorgeous it might be, could not add any grandeur to the precious stones that make up the walls and foundations or the transparent gold of the New Jerusalem. In like manner, we must realize that none of our human accomplishments can add to the glory and honor of that city; in actuality, we would only detract from it. However, the Lord is calling each of us to become the glory and honor of our nation so that we will have something to contribute to the splendor of the city. As the time draws near for the great parade of nations to enter into the New Jerusalem and present their tribute to God, we must present ourselves as righteous saints with robes washed white and spotless in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) We must all come to the same realization that Paul had in Romans chapter seven – that in ourselves there is nothing worthwhile. The only solution is to affirm as Paul did in Galatians 2:20 that our own lives have been crucified with Christ and that the lives we are able to live are only because of Christ living inside of us and that our very existence is simply through faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us. Because it is Christ in us that is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), there is something in us that can indeed bring glory and honor into the heavenly city.
There is one last point we need to consider as we ponder how we are to bring glory and honor into the heavenly kingdom: we must gather more of the jewels of each nation by bringing the gospel to every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. Then they, too, can join us as the glory and honor of their nations to be presented at the foot of God’s throne.
Going into the entire world to present the message of salvation is not only our privilege; it is also our mandate. (Mark 16:15-16) It is a personal mandate to share the message individually (preach the gospel to every creature); yet, it is a global imperative (go ye into all the world). Our mandate is one of not only evangelism, but also of spiritual development in the form of solid teaching and instruction. (Matthew 28:18-20) To fulfill this mandate, we must – as Mother Teresa pointed out – have the supernatural enablement of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:46-49) At that point, our effectiveness will be through who and what we are, not what we do. We shall be witnesses, not just people who do witnessing! (Acts 1:8) Again, we see that our only hope of being able to bring glory and honor into the eternal city is through the power and character of the Godhead dwelling inside of us!