The last chapter

By way of review, I have been sharing sections of an allegory that I recently wrote for a school assignment.  The instructions for the allegory stated that the student needed to compose an ideal ending to their spiritual journey.  So this is how I concluded my allegory.

“Decades and decades passed.  Believer had fought many battles with many foes, victorious only because of the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:16-17).  It came time for Believer to live in “a better country – a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16).  Upon arriving, Believer could hardly take in the incredible beauty of this new country in contrast with his old one.

“Welcome, Believer” said a familiar voice.  It was the Faithful and True One (Revelation 19:11), Jesus Christ, the Lord.  “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).  Believer’s eyes filled with tears, “I have waited my whole life to hear you say those words.  The Almighty One smiled, put his arm around Believer and said, “Come, there is much to show you.”

 

He went on to take Believer to the hundreds of people that he had influenced while he was in the previous country.  Several said that they would never even be in this country had it not been for Believer.  “I had absolutely no idea,” Believer responded.  “I’m grateful that my life made such a difference for the Lord, but the truth is I’m not the hero of this story; our Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) is.  I give all the honor, credit, glory, and praise to Him alone.”

   

Before moving on to something else in this blog, I wanted to present a few final thoughts about the allegory that I’ve been sharing with you.

First of all, remember that in chapter 2 of my allegory, Unbeliever’s name was changed to Believer when he embraced the Christian faith.  I wanted to remind you of this because at the end of the allegory, Believer goes to Heaven.  He does so only because of the grace and mercy of God.  There’s a popular erroneous notion that ultimately everyone will go to Heaven when they die.  This is not something that the Bible teaches anywhere.

In that same section of the allegory, Believer asked the man what his name was; his response: “For today, call me the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  That is, of course, a citation of John 14:6.  The verse in its entirety reads, “Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (NKJV).  If you want to go to Heaven, you have to choose to put your faith, confidence, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Secondly, note that I stated that many people came up to Believer and said that they never would have been in the new country, or Heaven, if it hadn’t been for Believer.  Once again, the guidelines specified that this was to be my ideal ending.  I would love it if my life had an eternal impact on others.  I love the idea of their being other people in Heaven who are there because I shared the gospel with them.  Ultimately, only God saves, through the conviction and illumination of the Holy Spirit, but what a privilege to be used by God to be the human instrument to lead someone else to becoming a Christian.  

Thirdly, in the end, Believer directed any praise and glory back to God.  I decided to end it this way because #1: I thought this only fitting because, if you look back, you’ll see that Believer isn’t really the main character; God is.  #2: I really believe that this is the right way to convey the Christian life.  I love this quote from Max Lucado in his fabulous book “It’s Not About Me.”  He said, “God does not exist to make a big deal out of us.  We exist to make a big deal out of him.”

Kevin