I have spent the weekend thinking about the joys of living with Christ one day in His kingdom. A Christian sister of mine died briefly following a horrific traffic accident that left her pinned under a semi for two hours. In the ambulance and then through surgery and on life support to keep her body functioning, she was "somewhere else." Her visions of heaven and our Christ took my breath away. He is real. Our home awaits. And it is far beyond what mere words can describe. In tears, she spoke of having to leave His presence to come thudding back into her own shattered body once more. But, of course, she is different. Her heart left in another realm where her Lord abides. She is homesick.
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? Psalm 15:1
David's song begins with two questions. Christ came to give us the answer.
"Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you."
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14)
How do we get to the dwelling place of God? Through Jesus. No other way. It is a love gift from God to man. We open our hands to receive it or walk away. It may seem narrow, but that view is false. Open to everyone who will come. Free and plentiful as ocean water or the air we breathe. Ubiquitous, His grace is everywhere available. The confining thing about it is that it gives no other options. Because there is no need for other options. There is no other proffered redemption by the gods worshipped on this earth that can in any way match the grace of God. He wants us to live with Him for all eternity and we don't need 70 virgins to draw us in or an early morning mantra to numb the pain of our lives. We have a Father. And He has a home. And we are going to live there because He calls us there through His Son.
Our Father has a throne room where we can go in and out. Before Christ, God visited His people once a year in a ball of glorious light in the traveling tabernacle and then in the temple Solomon built for His presence. Only the high priest could go into the holy of holies once a year and he had to go through many cleansing exercises before he was allowed entrance into the presence of God. That holy place was separated from the most holy place by a very thick veil. That temple veil tore in two from top to bottom at the death of Christ allowing us access to the holy of holies and thus to God Himself.
Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to hope us at the proper time. (Hebrews 4)
We do not have to wait for heaven to live in God's holy dwelling or to climb to the holy hill. Physically we are stuck for now in this fleshly tent, but we all know we are made for more. We all yearn for the knowledge of our significance, the place of our origin, and the eventual abode of that which is really us. Our souls - spirits. While we long for the other home, the one where Jesus waits and prepares a place for us eternally, we can enjoy the first fruits of our salvation here. We were made for relationship with Him now...not just at some future date. He is surely with us and longs for conversation and fellowship with His children. So come with confidence as beloved children into the "office" of your Father and be loved.
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? Psalm 15:1
David's song begins with two questions. Christ came to give us the answer.
"Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you."
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14)
How do we get to the dwelling place of God? Through Jesus. No other way. It is a love gift from God to man. We open our hands to receive it or walk away. It may seem narrow, but that view is false. Open to everyone who will come. Free and plentiful as ocean water or the air we breathe. Ubiquitous, His grace is everywhere available. The confining thing about it is that it gives no other options. Because there is no need for other options. There is no other proffered redemption by the gods worshipped on this earth that can in any way match the grace of God. He wants us to live with Him for all eternity and we don't need 70 virgins to draw us in or an early morning mantra to numb the pain of our lives. We have a Father. And He has a home. And we are going to live there because He calls us there through His Son.
Our Father has a throne room where we can go in and out. Before Christ, God visited His people once a year in a ball of glorious light in the traveling tabernacle and then in the temple Solomon built for His presence. Only the high priest could go into the holy of holies once a year and he had to go through many cleansing exercises before he was allowed entrance into the presence of God. That holy place was separated from the most holy place by a very thick veil. That temple veil tore in two from top to bottom at the death of Christ allowing us access to the holy of holies and thus to God Himself.
Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to hope us at the proper time. (Hebrews 4)
We do not have to wait for heaven to live in God's holy dwelling or to climb to the holy hill. Physically we are stuck for now in this fleshly tent, but we all know we are made for more. We all yearn for the knowledge of our significance, the place of our origin, and the eventual abode of that which is really us. Our souls - spirits. While we long for the other home, the one where Jesus waits and prepares a place for us eternally, we can enjoy the first fruits of our salvation here. We were made for relationship with Him now...not just at some future date. He is surely with us and longs for conversation and fellowship with His children. So come with confidence as beloved children into the "office" of your Father and be loved.
No comments:
Post a Comment