Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed - Donald K. Short

Christ until they are willing to surrender their own
assurance of salvation in order that God's name
might be vindicated. Their ultimate desire will be
reborn and lifted up from their own egotistical
concerns, and placed on those that have value for
the entire universe.
Israel of old had a hope that Messiah would
come. He would free their nation from oppression,
and their name would be vindicated before all the
world. This would prove that God was on their side
and they would be freed from guilt. The disciples
of Christ had a similar outlook and motivation. The
same idea is seen on every hand in our church
today, for almost every public prayer closes with
the thought: "when You come in the clouds of
heaven, we pray that we may, without the loss of
one, have a place in Your kingdom."
Does God need this constant reminder? Is He
not acquainted with a verse of scripture which
clearly says it was God who so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten? Could such prayers be
the expression of guilt though perhaps an unwitting
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