THE FINAL TEST
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Heb. 11:16.
Over in England during the second world war, there was a camp where many of the Allied espionage agents received their training. The methods were rigorous. The trainers would take those who were going into espionage, and change their environment, their food, their habits, their practices, their customs. They dressed them in German uniforms, gave them German names. It was the objective to transform them completely so that they would consider themselves Germans.
The success of the program was determined by a final test. They took the soldiers on an extended march. Finally, in the middle of the night, they allowed them to crumple into pathetic little heaps in their pup tents. After they were sound asleep, they were roughly awakened, with spotlights shining in their eyes, and asked, "Who are you?"
Now if you were one of these agents, and as you awakened you said, "I'm Henry Smith," and then to the questions "Where are you from?" and "Where are you going?" replied, "Canada," and "I'm going home to mother," it would be a long time before you went home to mother! But if you said, "Mein namen ist Heinrich Schmidt [or something like that]," and "I am from Frankfurt, and I am going to Berlin," then before long you would be in Berlin.
Some of them passed the test. But I think I see a different scene. I see a Master Teacher who deals not simply with food and clothes and outward actions. He deals with minds, and hearts, and motives, and tastes, and desires. When you have been trained in close connection with this Master Teacher, who is your best friend, you are transformed within and without. Someday the spotlight comes on. You are shaken, as from a deep sleep. There are voices saying, "Who are you?" And you say with great assurance, "I am a follower of Jesus Christ, who died in my place." "Where are you going?" "I look for a better country, a city that has foundation, whose builder and maker is God."
Thank God for the little crises that precede the big ones. Thank God for the opportunity to know, before it is too late, whether our faith in Him is based solidly on Christ.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Heb. 11:16.
Over in England during the second world war, there was a camp where many of the Allied espionage agents received their training. The methods were rigorous. The trainers would take those who were going into espionage, and change their environment, their food, their habits, their practices, their customs. They dressed them in German uniforms, gave them German names. It was the objective to transform them completely so that they would consider themselves Germans.
The success of the program was determined by a final test. They took the soldiers on an extended march. Finally, in the middle of the night, they allowed them to crumple into pathetic little heaps in their pup tents. After they were sound asleep, they were roughly awakened, with spotlights shining in their eyes, and asked, "Who are you?"
Now if you were one of these agents, and as you awakened you said, "I'm Henry Smith," and then to the questions "Where are you from?" and "Where are you going?" replied, "Canada," and "I'm going home to mother," it would be a long time before you went home to mother! But if you said, "Mein namen ist Heinrich Schmidt [or something like that]," and "I am from Frankfurt, and I am going to Berlin," then before long you would be in Berlin.
Some of them passed the test. But I think I see a different scene. I see a Master Teacher who deals not simply with food and clothes and outward actions. He deals with minds, and hearts, and motives, and tastes, and desires. When you have been trained in close connection with this Master Teacher, who is your best friend, you are transformed within and without. Someday the spotlight comes on. You are shaken, as from a deep sleep. There are voices saying, "Who are you?" And you say with great assurance, "I am a follower of Jesus Christ, who died in my place." "Where are you going?" "I look for a better country, a city that has foundation, whose builder and maker is God."
Thank God for the little crises that precede the big ones. Thank God for the opportunity to know, before it is too late, whether our faith in Him is based solidly on Christ.
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