C. OUR LINK WITH HEAVEN

As believers we now live our lives in a special relationship with Heaven, because:

1.       We belong there

“But you have come to….the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful  assembly , to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven…” (Heb 12:22,23). See also Phillipians 3:20

2.       We are enthroned there

“And God raised us with Christ and enthroned us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6)

3.       We have our source of life there

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1:3). See also Colossians 3:1-4.

4.       We have our names recorded there

“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). See also Hebrews 12:23.

5.       We have been sent by the one who lives there

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it…As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:16, 18). See also 2 Corinthians 5:20.

6.       We have our eyes fixed there

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2Cor 4:17, 18). See also Hebrews 11:9, 10, 14-16.

7.       We have our treasure there

“He has given us new birth into a living hope…into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- kept in heaven for you…” (1Pet 1:3, 4). See also Matthew 6:19-21.

8.       We are being called there

“….But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called the heavenwards in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13, 14).

Jesus Himself, before returning to Heaven made a very special promise to every believer: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am” (John 14:1-3) See also 17:24.

Commitment: I decide today to set my affections on things in Heaven, not on things of this earth. I realize my life on earth is only temporary, so I will live by priorities established by his truth. I will share with others the good news about this wonderful eternal home Jesus offers to all who wil believe on Him.