Selling Seats

Selling Seats

Daniel Courington

More details are coming out daily about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's scheme to sell the Senate seat of President-Elect Barrack Obama. At the writing of this article, Governor Blagojevich has not resigned despite being asked to step down by Barrack Obama. I'm not writing this article to declare this man's guilt or innocence but rather to talk about the concept of selling and buying a seat. A seat, in the way in which we are referencing it, is defined as placing someone ceremoniously or formally in an office or position

It's interesting, yet very sad, how corrupt things happen when responsibility is placed in the hands of mortal man. Despite this, in general, man is aware that a seat should not be given based on the ability to pay the most money. Mortal man understands that seats should typically be given based on merit. Luckily for us, when it comes to our eternal destination seat, we will have a just God to make that decision based on the life that we have lived. We will not have to worry about the cost of the seat, for that has been paid. We will only have to worry if we are qualified for the position. Paul was confident, but not arrogant, about his eternal destination:

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2Ti 4:6-8)

Paul gives three reasons why he knew that his destination seat was heaven:

1. He had fought the good fight. Paul had fought and won wars for God's cause. He had won no physical wars as he would have, had he not been converted, but rather he had defeated Satan many times over in the battle for the souls of man.

2. He had finished the race. A race is won when a person finishes in first place, having followed all of the rules. Paul understood man's need for endurance. It was Paul who wrote that endurance produces hope. (Rom. 5:4) He did not allow himself to "burn out" but kept the love of God in his heart, which in turn led him to have a full assurance in the hope he wrote to Timothy about.

3. He had kept the faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. While Paul did not have a convenient, bound, copy of the Bible. He always sought to do whatever the will of God was. The way we show ourselves approved to God is by studying his will and putting that into action in our lives. Paul kept faith in things unseen so that one day he could see that crown of righteousness.

I pray that the Lord will help us each day to consider the things that we do and seek the will of Him in our lives so that we, like Paul can know the seat we will sit on eternally.