CassieI’ve written a lot about heaven recently.
The Bible tells us that believers are “born from above,” and that we’re a lot more related to Heaven than we often think we are.
It’s easiest to look around and see what’s right in front of us rather than seeing Truth beyond that; the Truth that “our Father is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9), and that we as Christians should desire “a better country… a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16).
This brings me to the purpose for which we are here in this broken world. “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
On Earth, we are supposed to experience Heaven by allowing the Holy Spirit of Jesus to live His life through us. Heaven is Jesus. It is only Heavenly because of Jesus. Not because of angels or white colouring or clouds… we don’t even know if those things are part of Heaven’s “aesthetic.” But because of Jesus alone.
I don’t write about Heaven to try to convince you of why it’s so important to come to know Him, believe in Him, give your life to Him and live it submitted to Him (although that is the most important thing you will ever do). I’m writing about it because we forget that the Father’s will is that Heaven comes here and now.
If my daily, moment-by-moment prayer is, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be be done, here AS IT IS in Heaven,” then my thought life through the Spirit becomes, “Jesus, be all in all in and through my life. Holy Spirit, make me so sensitive to the needs of those around me. Jesus, live through me. Jesus, I submit my soul and my flesh to You. Jesus, help me with my doubt and my sin. Jesus, I know that you are the only Way. I know that you are the only Eternal. Oh, Jesus, make me urgent in my anguish but dead to myself and alive in You.”
This kind of prayer comes from the Holy Spirit. Not from anything that we can do.
If you haven’t “confessed with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,” (Romans 10:9) but God is calling on you right now to do so, respond to the call here and now. This doesn’t have to be anything special, just a simple, honest prayer. When you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and start to live in and through His Spirit and His Word, He will equip you in all Truth and Grace.
Now, if you are a Believer, the Bible tells us that our education, our Spirit, is not only headed TOWARD Heaven, but is FROM Heaven. That is why this matter is so important. We are “born from above”, not to boast in this or to think high of ourselves, but purposed to glorify Christ, for only He could bring this to pass. Remember – He is the sole reason a place such as Heaven exists. A place that is perfect. A place in which mourning, sin, shame, temptation, malice, dishonesty, and anything else you could imagine cannot exist.
Remember our prayer, that Jesus taught us? “Thy will be done, on earth AS IT IS in Heaven.” Jesus’ will is that this perfection does exist on Earth!
Are we perfect? No. Not by any means. My flesh is sinful, self-seeking, prideful, messed up. But Jesus is fully capable of living a perfect life through me. More of Jesus that is in us – which we will see the fruits of as we walk with me – is the goal. “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30).
I am constantly convicted that I must decrease. More of me must be His. The call is that I submit my sinful soul to the Spirit within me, that I am masked by His goodness, and that others may see Him in me. “Oh, LORD, this is all that I want.”
The more of us that choose Him, that choose to die to ourselves, that allow Jesus to live His life through us, the more of Jesus is covering this world and therefore transforming it more and more into Heaven. This is our Heavenly, eternal, all-encompassing purpose. This is the will of the perfect Father. This is the only way to life.
I pray, Friend, that you would taste Heaven today. Feel His hand holding yours, and the warm embrace of His loving arms.
