Heaven Didn’t Wait
One of the things God encourages Christians to embrace is the fact that we are already citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). It’s very cool that it says in Colossians 1:13 that “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” A synonym for “transferred” is “transported.” When we get saved, it’s like we say, “Jesus, beam me up!” Instantly, upon accepting Jesus as our Savior, we have already entered heaven, even while on earth. It’s probably safe to say that most of us Christians don’t think about how cool this is. If we did, there would probably be clubs about it, at least. The blessings to come when our bodies leave earth and go to heaven are incredible.
A Forever Inheritance
If your parents didn’t leave you an inheritance, no worries. As a Christian “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3b), you will “obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,” as it says in 1 Peter 1:4. This wonderful promise makes heaven something very much worth looking forward to. On earth, God gives and takes away. In heaven, though, we are assured that our inheritance will last forever.
An Incredible Kingdom
When you look at the jaw-dropping beauty that exists on the earth and then remember that God spoke or shaped everything into existence in under a week, it’s even more incredible. But the kingdom of heaven is something God is working on and preparing and has been at least since the words in the Bible saying so were written (John 14:2). Of course, a thousand years is a day and a day as a thousand years to God (2 Peter 3:8), but I happen to think heaven will make the most beautiful things on earth like a version of a slum, by heaven’s standards. Here is what John, the disciple, saw, in Revelation 21:2: “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”
Our Minds Set on Heaven
In Colossians 3:2, scripture says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” If we direct most of our thoughts toward the earth and things in it, we are missing out on the part of heaven we can claim right now. If we are to be followers of Jesus, we must tend to the business of the kingdom above, not the earth below. Like it says on this inspirational t-shirt, “Walk the road to heaven,” we must take the right path. But also remember, you’ve already been transported to the place where angels surround God’s throne. Heaven didn’t wait for you. It came to where you are till you one day leave earth for eternal heaven.
