E.T. Has Nothing On Us!

In case you haven’t seen the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the main character is an alien from outer space who gets displaced from his family for a time, bonds with a young boy, and is protected by a small group of kids from those who would do him harm (the “evil” scientists and such). I know, I know...I’m stretching your imagination a bit here by mentioning a fictional extraterrestrial being but, just bear with me, I promise I’ll make a connection.

During his time on Earth, E.T.’s physical body decayed to the very edge of death. Finally, E.T.’s family returns to receive him back and remove him from dire circumstances, delivering him from certain death, whether by physical deterioration or at the hands of prodding scientists. Throughout the movie, E.T. longed to be home, united with his family. The famous image is E.T. pointing his finger to the heavens and saying, “E.T. phone home.”  Sound familiar? Have you ever looked up to the heavens and uttered along the lines of what Paul wrote?

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight — we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
How about the Apostle John’s cry for deliverance in the penultimate verse of Holy Scripture?

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
I believe any true believer possesses such an affection for their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that they long to be in His presence, in the most intimate of ways, namely, in Heaven. Until then, we must exist as aliens in a land filled with guaranteed persecution (John 15:20).

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
We must dig our heels in and press on in the face of promised tribulation. Our home, our citizenship, is in Heaven. While we earnestly desire to be there, our wont is to please our Lord, for this is the overriding conviction given to us by our Savior, Himself. We are His sheep, guided by His Spirit, empowered for good deeds. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). As such, we are estranged from this world, even from our own households!

“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Let us be encouraged. Like our little buddy E.T., we are displaced from our true home in the heavens, we are physically dying daily, we are persecuted from without, and yet we maintain a “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3) based on the veracity of our Father in Heaven, who has assured us that we are indeed His children, soon to be fetched out of this heathen, adulterous, evil world.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
I have no doubt (nor should you) that God will deliver each and every one of His children, as He has avowed their “survival” in this foreign land; for such is the promise of sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Our job, as believers, is to transcend the confines of earthly reasoning, fighting the temptation to hate when hated on (Matthew 5:44), realizing that sin has ripped an infinitely wide chasm between good and evil that only the Holy God of the Universe can mend. While we behold the peerless Christ so very dear in our hearts, and as all things antichrist pale in comparison, let us indeed “survive” the condition in which we have been called.

The rift within ourselves is understandable - you are not alone in your struggles.

The matchless charms and superlative glories of the Saviour make everything else appear mean and contemptible to [a believer in Christ].
E.T was lost and then found. So were we. Unlike E.T., though, we have been purposely left here on Earth after being saved and granted eternal security. We are to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ as members of His Body. The Word of God assures us of our success. May we find peace in knowing the end game before we even arrive and in doing so, bring glory to the One who, by grace, has taught us to believe in Him, and His divine purposes, from the start.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Love in Christ,

Ed Collins