We have considered six of the Seven Precious Blessings for the Believer. They are Salvation, Forgiveness, Justification, Peace, Eternal Life, and the Sealing of the Holy Spirit. The seventh is “Glory with Christ Jesus”. The whole Bible and the Gospel’s benefits will all be void if the promise of glory was just a pipe dream. As believers … and as the Christian Church, the fact that Jesus is coming again, to bring all things as we know it (the creation) to an end. This will start with the Final Judgement, the banishing of all who reject Jesus to eternal damnation and the ushering into glory (eternal heaven) all blood washed souls who belong to Jesus Christ through confession, faith and repentance. So as we think of heaven … to be with Jesus in His glory, we realise it all starts with Jesus’ Second Coming. These two issues … the Second Coming and Glory are the real hope of the Church. If these two doctrinal truths were wishful thinking, then there is no real future and Christianity is hopeless! But praise God … we have His wonderful promises in the Bible that not only teach the truth of these matters, they are God’s Word to God’s people … and God does not lie nor does He change His mind. It’s always good to read the whole passage (Psalm 145) … but for right now, the following section will be sufficient:
Ps 145:9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD, your saints will extol you. 11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, 12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
Just look at the witness and testimony of the saved in verses 9-10 followed by the purpose of publically acknowledging God … so that the world might know … experience … taste God’s “mighty acts” and “the glorious splendor of your kingdom”. Take special note of the end of verse 13 … “The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” God is always true to His Word and His Promises. He says Jesus is coming again and He says His blood washed saints will enjoy His glory with Him … believe it, accept it, look forward to it … and enjoy these glorious truths our faith hangs on!
1) Waiting to be collected. So many people have gotten themselves ready to be collected for an outing, holiday or lift to work and their lift never arrives. We don’t wait in vain for our being collected for glory. The Bible says:
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
I cannot give time frames, but this verse implies that Jesus will come again and then we will be with Him in His glory. Naturally there will be the Final Judgment in between. How long this will take is not important because glory will be forever! Where I have said before God’s saints will be ready … the onus is on us as individual Christians to get ourselves ready for collection. No one wakes and rises from bed and goes to wait outside in the road in their pajamas without washing, dressing and grooming to wait for their lift to work. It is our responsibility to make ourselves ready. The same is true with getting ready for heaven. It is firstly our responsibility to make ourselves ready through getting to know God better through the daily use of Scripture, through daily prayers, through weekly Worship Services and Bible Studies … and through continually putting on the garments of heaven (holiness and intentional Christian living – the fruits of the Spirit). It is also necessary that we belong to a Bible Believing and Teaching Church. A place where we receive what God says not what we want to hear or some pastor’s hobby horse fantasies! Jesus said
Mat 28:20 “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We need to hear, understand and apply the “Whole Counsel of God”.
2) Waiting for glory. This could be exciting and challenging at the same time. The challenge is that we live in a world that is seen and felt. It is physical. Then we live in the sphere that is tarnished by sin. Wickedness and rebellion are all around us all the time. It is revealed and exposed on the TV, radio, at the work place, in our schools and universities, at the shops and gyms … wherever we go and whoever we meet up with … sin is evident and present. We can’t live in a dream world … this is our daily experience. So the challenge is to focus daily on what Glory will be like … and all we have is the Bible to follow for information. Be very careful … and in fact weary of people telling you what heaven will be like either because of their fantasies or their misinterpretation of images found in the Bible … especially in the Book of Revelation. May I suggest to you that the better way to focus on Heaven is to grasp the awesome fact that the center of heaven (glory) is God!
Rev 21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” …
7 “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
Rev 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. 3 The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city
Heaven is all about being with God … the most precious and most glorious One. He is Lord and we are His servants who have been saved by His grace for His pleasure and eternal glory. Look forward with passion to it.
Lord God Almighty, as we have review these seven precious blessings You have provided for us believers, we rejoice with thanksgiving and praise. You are good to us. We did not deserve such kindness and mercy but we are sincerely grateful to You for what You have done for us through Jesus’ Blood Sacrifice at Calvary. Amen.