Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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From a testimony by old Brother Carter in a prayer meeting at Grandma’s farmhouse, 1970
There have been many people, including myself, who may have said in prayer meetings along the way that if we miss out on being saved in the end, we will have “missed it all”. And if you will be honest with yourself, my reader, you will admit that you have whole-heartedly agreed and may even have said “Amen” a few times to such statements as that. Right?
But God has placed good men like old Brother Carter in the body of Christ just for us imperfect commentators, to prevent us from becoming too sure of our own wisdom and from wandering too far away from perfect truth. Such simple, sweet people in the body of Christ are much needed, to fine-tune all the members and their testimonies. In his testimony that Sunday afternoon, Brother Carter, a holy-Ghost filled farmer in that community, was telling of God’s goodness to him and how that he hoped to see Jesus some day. Then he added, “If I don’t make it in, I’m not going to miss everything; I’m just going to miss the good things.”
Amen! Isn’t that good? Or rather, isn’t that perfect?
Isn’t that a more perfect testimony than our testimonies have sometimes been? Brother Carter was right. Those who miss out on eternal life will not have missed out on everything; they will only have missed out on the good stuff. They will not have missed out on pain, or on torment, or regret, or darkness, or endless terrors. They will just have missed out on eternal joy, and peace, and laughter, and safety, and uninterrupted pleasantness.