These words are quoted from Heb 12.28; “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.””
A few verses later the writer says; “for here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Heb 13.14).
There are many things to learn from these words. For one, the visible world is not the entirety of the world. There is the unseen, the spiritual. The Bible makes clear that the unseen is actually more real than the visible world. The present world is but a shadow of the unseen world.
What I find striking is that these wonderful truths motivate us, not to seek to escape from this world, but to be a blessing in it. The direct commands here need no explanation!
- Be thankful
- Be hospitable
- Be content
- Honour leaders
- Be loyal to the truth
Confidence about our future destiny is a powerful motivation to life with integrity in this world.
We are already receiving the kingdom, which is the future, but now. We taste Heaven here on earth. Eternity has started. Therefore we press on to know Christ and make Him known.