I Thessalonians 5:8
“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
Today will be the second entry on spiritual armor. Today’s piece is the helmet, the hope of salvation. The helmet protects the head, the center of thinking. While there are many avenues to take, this verse narrows it down to the hope of salvation.
If Jesus is our lord and savior, then we are saved. This is different from other religions and even slightly different than some denominations. Once we agree to His terms and follow Him, our salvation is secure. We don’t need to worry about it again.
The word hope is different than used today. It’s a certainty that’s anticipated. Most other faiths require its members to do their best and their eternal destiny will be determined at death. The hope of Christianity is like a parent promising Disneyland at a birthday. The child has no doubt, but lets that hope provide joy. This hope can bring satisfaction long before it’s realized. The child might get a map of the park and plan routes and ride order. There is learning about the rides and talking to one’s friends. There aren’t any doubts.
This hope of Heaven should bring joy and remove the fear of death. We have many joys on earth: eating, friends, hiking, cars, hobbies, and so on. God created all these to be enjoyed. These are just a fraction of the awesomeness of Heaven. The food, the fellowship and the beauty of the hikes will far excel those of earth. As we experience good things at present, we should thank Him and ponder how much greater this experience will be in heaven.
How is this hope used as a helmet? To doubt our salvation is a grievous thing. It fills us with fear. We try to do better to erase those fears. We begin to view God wrongly. However, if we are in Christ, it’s done. We can relax and be thankful. Doubts will enter occasionally. Correct that thought with a verse like “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Lord, thank You for Your free gift of salvation. May that delight us on earth. Help us to deflect doubts when they arise.