The Blessing And Curse, A Blog Series
The Hope of Heaven
Colossians 1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
Hopefully, you’ve been enjoying our new series, ‘The Blessing and The Cursing’. Our hope for heaven is the ultimate blessing. We’ve discovered more and more; our Lord plans us to live a blessed life as well.
Where are you headed, heaven or hell? It’s a good question. Because whether you believe in either place, one day the decision will be evident. For man is appointed once to die then the judgment. —Hebrews 9:27
We live only once, then if Jesus tarries, we all leave the land of the living, by way of death.
Wait! Before you tune me out for the doom and gloom, there’s good news! This really is a good news message. It’s the story of God’s recompense.
You see, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus. He essentially purchased the world back, therefore he redeemed the world through the sacrificial death of His son.
But let me back up a little, to tell the story of God’s Recompense.
It began in the Garden of Eden. In the beginning, with Adam and Eve. They were blessed and commanded to multiply, replenish and given authority over the earth. Adam and Eve sinned and unwittingly gave their authority away. Eve was deceived by the Serpent and Adam who knew better gave in to Eve’s invitation to eat from the tree they had been commanded not to eat from.
After their mistakes, there was a fallen earth (world). judgment was rendered to all parties involved. As you may know, they each received a portion of the curse. Through the sin of the first couple, the authority over the earth was relinquished to the Serpent, now called Satan.
Our ability to receive the blessing, multiply and replenish was hindered.
The good news is Father God had a plan to redeem the world. Yet, I did say HAD. His redemption plan, also began in the Garden of Eden when he prophesied, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Therefore, we have in Genesis 3:15, the first promise of a Redeemer. It became a long line of prophecies concerning the coming Savior and Redeemer of the world. The Seed, the Promised One would be from the woman’s seed a sign of the eventual virgin birth of Christ.
His ultimate plan stretched down through the ages, slipped under the radar of the enemy, who inspired the Romans and the Jews of that day to crucify Jesus on the cross, unwittingly killing, and sacrificing the innocent lamb. The one that had been prophesied and foretold since the beginning of time. In the fullness of time, through God’s foreordained plan the Redeemer was born.
Let me be clear, the simple truth, there is only one way to get to heaven. That one way is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.— Romans 10:10
On with the story, because of the Fall, every human being is by nature a sinful being. The Bible says that our efforts at doing ‘good deeds’ are not acceptable in the sight of God. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9
So we can say, God alone is holy. He alone is good. Yet, God has made a way for sinful human beings to enter into heaven. Although, he alone is holy. He commands us to be holy as well. How can we, sinful humans that we are be holy and righteous before a holy God?
A Call to Be Holy
…but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth -1 Peter 1:16,17
Let’s continue, the answer to that question can be found in God’s story of recompense. As we discussed earlier, Father God had a redemption plan back in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve first sinned. Over 2000 years ago, this plan came to fruition. He sent his son, Jesus as the redeemer. Remember, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
His mother Mary was a virgin. She was impregnated by the Holy Spirit of the Living God. She gave birth to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s laws required that a life be taken to save a life. In essence that blood be shed to ratify a covenant. For a time, an appointed Jewish priest offered animal sacrifices annually to cover the chosen people’s sin. But God had a better and permanent solution that would settle it once and for ALL. It doesn’t have to be renewed and redone year after year.
The New Covenant is a better covenant. As it was revealed that ALL included the whole world. So, God sacrificed His only son, through the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that our sins could be forgiven and cleansed through his blood. During His time on earth, Jesus led a perfect, sinless life and the ultimate price for the sin of the world. Now, let’s take a look at what the Bible says about our hope of heaven.
What The Bible Says About The Hope of Heaven
Heaven IS and WILL BE:
- An Inheritance For The Children Of God:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
“Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him” (Daniel 7:27).
- A Heavenly Home for Each Believer:
Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).
The Apostle Paul wrote “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
- A Place Believers Can Live Forever:
Jesus said, “Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. … Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:45, 47, 48, 51).
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God “(Revelation 2:11).
Jesus Christ died on the cross at Skull Hill, Golgotha. He was buried in the tomb, Joseph Arimathea for three days and, on the third day, He was raised from the dead. After forty days, He returned to heaven, where He currently reigns, sitting at the right hand of the Father. And He will return to earth a second time to claim those who have confessed their belief in Him.
Make we be ready, for the Hope of Heaven. Jesus will return again!
For the full teaching of ‘The Hope Of Heaven’ inside WOW! Women of Destiny book, visit the WOW! Women Shop http://www.wowontheweb.com/shop/ To receive each new book free when available, join the WOW! Women Global Membership at bottom of shop page.
Earma Brown, twelve book Christian author and founder of WOW! Women Global inspires women around the world to become women of destiny, purpose, and victory through speaking engagements, her books, Bible curriculum and studies. She is author of the trilogy of Wow! Women books: Women of Worth, Women of Destiny and Women of Legacy, the Armorbearer Training Series, Prayer Fulfilled Life book set and Writing A Book God’s Way book and course. She currently lives in Arkansas.