I, Jacob, imprisoned for the Lord’s sake, wish my dear brother much grace, mercy and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he would strengthen and enlighten you by his Spirit, according to his pleasure, to the revelation of his knowledge, that you may do his will, so that you, according to the true judgment of God, may be found worthy for his kingdom, through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise forever and ever. Amen. Eph. 3:1;2 Tim. 1:8; Eph. 3:16; Rom. 16:27.
Very dear and in God beloved brother, as I have remembered by writing many of the godfearing, I can finally not forget to write a little to you in token of the good fellowship which we had together for a time, in Christ Jesus, through faith, but which must now for the Lord’s sake be broken and severed. For, as a wife must, for the husband’s sake, leave all good acquaintance and fellowship which she has besides her husband, and go with him where he pleases, so we must also for the Lord’s sake, forsake all good acquaintance and fellowship which we aside from the Lord have with any person and this through faith in and love to Christ Jesus; for we have not seen him with our bodily eyes (1 Pet. 1:8); hence it is evident that it must be done by faith. For if we love a thing because we see it, it is not done by faith, for this love results from sight, but if we love a thing for what we hear of it, love arises through faith in what we hear of it. As Rebecca, though she did not know Isaac, and, as may be perceived from the Scriptures, had never seen him, yet she, through the words of Abraham’s servant, so loved him that for his sake she left all that she had in Syria and went to meet Isaac. So we must also for the Lord’s sake, through faith, and not through sight, forsake every thing that we have in this world, not only in spirit, as may have been done by us for a time, and which is the smallest part; but now everything must be forsaken indeed by me, unworthy one, in the hope of meeting him in the air, and being ever with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:17.
Hence Peter writes: “At the appearing of Jesus Christ; whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Pet. 1:7–9. Behold, dear brethren, then we shall walk no more by faith, being absent from the Lord, but by sight; then shall the pilgrimage be over, then hope shall cease, then shall we receive what we now hope for, namely, we shall inherit all things, for the marriage shall then be at an end, for the bridegroom shall come for his bride, which is his church. Then shall the vision which John writes be complete: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Revelation 21:1. Mark, dear brethren, he says,: “There was no more sea;” for it is much understood to relate to this present time. But we still have a sea, whether this be meant in a natural or a spiritual sense, however one may understand it. For in the fourth chapter (v. 6) we read of a sea of glass, but as I understand it, John speaks of the natural sea, and of the natural heaven and earth. And at the last day, when heaven and earth, according to the words of Peter, shall be dissolved by fire, and be renewed, we find nothing about a natural sea, but it says: “Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness:” for God faithfully keeps his promises. 2 Pet. 3:12,13; Is. 65:17. Then shall his righteousness be revealed; for when God shall give to every one in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, then shall God’s righteousness be manifest in righteousness as well as in unrighteousness, since he will faithfully keep his promise to every one. Jer. 17:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Rev. 2:23.