Looking Forward to Heaven

(Rom 8:17,18) And if children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ's joint heirs; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us.

This morning we continue by continuing to walk through the fourth chapter of Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth. Yesterday we focused in on the fact that our present challenges are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. The actual verbiage we were looking at was:

“For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”

This reminds me of something Paul said in his letter to the church in Rome. After explaining that the Holy Spirit Himself – who lives “in” every Born-Again believer – bears witness with our Spirit that we are the actual children of God, Paul said,

“And if children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ's joint heirs; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us.”

The concept of being an heir of God, and yes, even a joint-heir with Jesus Himself, was a hard one for me to wrap my head around initially. But once I did it truly helped me to see myself the way I believe the Father wants me to see myself. When you realize who Christ died to make you and who you actually became when His blood was applied to your life (sin and all), you begin to see life through a different lens.

However, life in Christ, here in the earth, is not supposed to be a perpetual picnic either. Paul explains that while we will definitely be glorified with Jesus, while we are here we will also suffer with Him. If we are going to take one we unfortunately also have to take the other. But once again, the two are not worthy to be compared to one another.

The glory which shall be revealed in us makes whatever challenges we face here in the earth pale in comparison.

Listen, I understand that some have ascribed to the Doctrine of Escapism, which lends itself to the idea that our life in heaven is going to be exceedingly wonderful, while our life here in the earth is going to be exceedingly challenging. Hence, the emphasis on escaping the rigors of this world for the bliss of the next. Don’t misunderstand these messages to be a series of doom and gloom. While I have taken my time highlighting the fact that we, as believers, will face challenges in this present age, if you have been a reader of Word of the Day for any length of time you will know that I also truly believe (in accordance with the scriptures) that the Father not only wants us to make it to heaven, but He wants us to also enjoy the ride.

When you have a Warrior Spirit and you build up a resiliency to persevere through whatever challenges may come your way, then that is exactly what will happen. While Paul endured many challenges, no one can convince me that he did not enjoy his time in the earth. His personal disposition was evident as he encouraged believers time and time again; and his writings continue to encourage us thousands of years later.

So what does this mean to you? Two things:
1. Heaven is going to be exceeding magnificent. No doubt about it, what is waiting for us on the ‘other side’ is far greater than anything we could ever experience here.
2. Don’t be so focused on heaven that you fail to maximize your earthly assignment. And the Father does not just want you to maximize your time in the earth either; He wants you to enjoy yourself as you do it. That’s what the Warrior Spirit enables you to do.

Father, I thank You for outlining the magnificence of heaven in Your Word. I know that my eternity with You will be far greater than anything I could ever imagine. My imagination falls short of grasping the awesomeness I will experience in Your direct presence. I am truly looking forward to it. However, I know You have things for me to do now, down here in the earth, so I will get busy doing them. I am determined to maximize my purpose and potential and I will not allow anyone or anything to stop me! In Jesus’ name. Amen!