Translation

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

            Generally when Christians think of human translation, two famous cases come to mind: Enoch and Elijah. The Scripture says Enoch walked with God “and was not found, because God had translated him.” Elijah met God at a spot near the Jordan River where God had arranged for a chariot of fire to pick him up.

            But there is a very personal side to translation for every believer. So sure is our new birth that we are spiritually transported into the Kingdom of God. Literally, we are in the world but not of the world. At first that seems a curious thing to do. Why not include a physical translation like Enoch and Elijah?

            I honestly don’t think we are as ready for that as we’d like to believe. That’s why we are given this try-it-before-you-buy-it offer we call life. Mark Twain raised an interesting point about this very thing. He wondered how Christians, who have trouble with an hour of praising and worshipping God on Sunday, are going to do with an eternity of it.

            I suppose when God knows we’re really ready for that eternity, we are welcomed in. My guess is that Enoch and Elijah didn’t need a whole lifetime to get ready.