5/22/26

People look forward to retirement. They IMAGINE what their life will be like during their retirement. In the excitement of what their future retirement holds, they work hard and they save for the great day. Then when the day arrives they wonder how long they have left to enjoy it. They find that they have less money, poor health, more boredom, stress of taking care of loved ones, and death. All of these things can affect retirement. No matter how hard you work to prepare for retirement at least one of these things will take a toll on it.

Yet God offers an eternal plan for all people, where money isn't needed, health is always perfect, and worship consumes your time, so that you are never bored. Your loved ones are numerous and have no problems to bring to you, and no one ever dies. His VISION is that you are not required to work for this plan because Jesus did all the work for you. You should work, out of your love for Him, but you don't have to worry. You don't need to wonder, have I done enough, because Jesus did it all.

I wonder why many people focus so much on a retirement where problems are guaranteed, instead of an eternity where problems are guaranteed to be nonexistent.

Our text says, Hebrews 6:9 NASB95 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

How many times have people quoted this verse or others that are similar and then explained, when you are saved everything will be alright for the rest of your life on earth?

This is simply incorrect and a misrepresentation of what this text says.

Before this verse, the writer is speaking of troubles but then he says that although we are speaking of these awful things. We are convinced that you have better things coming that accompany your salvation.

What accompanies salvation? Life in the presence of God!

Salvation on earth is God coming to you. (The indwelling of the Holy Spirit.) He moves into your neighborhood and makes you His home. He cleans you up. Now you have the best-looking place in the neighborhood. However, you still are in the crime-infested, evil, filthy neighborhood. Now because your place looks so good, the evil one starts attempting to steal, kill, and destroy, you. They paint graffiti on your walls, break out your windows, defecate on your lawn, and shoot at you. However, they will not win because, God cleans up your place daily with His new mercies. So it always remains the best place in the neighborhood.

Then later Salvation gets completed when God takes you to His neighborhood in heaven. (You, dwelling in His home.) There EVERY dwelling is filled with the glory of God. No attack, no killing, no stealing, and no death will ever happen there. It is here that you have the BETTER things accompanying Salvation.

So it just makes sense for us to focus on and make sure that we are secure in the salvation paid for by Christ. We should work toward this out of love only, because the price is paid in full. This is what the scripture is speaking of.

You can't have it all until the thief is removed. However, you can work toward it by striving to tell your neighbors about Christ's eternal salvation plan, and how it completely surpasses and obliterates their retirement plan. If they accept Christ's plan, He will clean up their place. Then if you and they work together sharing Christ, it will soon look like you have moved, simply because the neighborhood has been cleaned out by Christ.

Are you focused on retirement or eternal salvation?

You imagine retirement, God has a vision of your eternal salvation. God's vision is always bigger and better than your imagination.

Love Bro. Scott