“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” I Corinthians 15:55
Blackaby states, “The reality of the resurrection is that death has been defeated! (Christ) conquered death completely; now He assures His followers that we, too, will share in His victory. Death, our greatest enemy, is nothing more than the vehicle that enables believers to experience God’s glory.”
How often do you think of Heaven… of being with Jesus for all eternity? Being consumed with these thoughts would be unhealthy because it could easily prevent you from accomplishing God’s task for you now. Similarly, to never think of spending forever in God’s holy presence is equally unhealthy. As Christians, we should long for that time of holiness, that time of seeing our Savior face-to-face. As that old hymn states, “What a day of rejoicing that will be!”
There is something within us that desperately desires a place of holiness where there is peace from the stress of our daily lives. God’s inerrant Word identifies this “something” as the Holy Spirit. Donald Whitney states that, “(Growing Christians) ache to share in this holiness more than in Heaven’s rest, relief, or reunions.” Jonathon Edwards says it best, “But neither a …. longing to be in Heaven, nor longing to die, are in any measure so distinguishing marks of true saints, as longing after a more holy heart. The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.”
The battle between our flesh and the Holy Spirit will continue all of our days on this earth. Paul describes this struggle by saying in Romans 7:15,24-25, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. What a wretched man I am.” But he doesn’t stop here; he goes on to say, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Whitney concludes, “Resolving to devote some time on a regular basis to reflect upon the coming world and the coming One would encourage, embolden, strengthen, invigorate, illumine, ravish, and de-stress us. And anyone who cannot find time to meditate on Jesus and Heaven is either wasting time or busier than God intends.”
Robert Duvall
Elder
Blackaby states, “The reality of the resurrection is that death has been defeated! (Christ) conquered death completely; now He assures His followers that we, too, will share in His victory. Death, our greatest enemy, is nothing more than the vehicle that enables believers to experience God’s glory.”
How often do you think of Heaven… of being with Jesus for all eternity? Being consumed with these thoughts would be unhealthy because it could easily prevent you from accomplishing God’s task for you now. Similarly, to never think of spending forever in God’s holy presence is equally unhealthy. As Christians, we should long for that time of holiness, that time of seeing our Savior face-to-face. As that old hymn states, “What a day of rejoicing that will be!”
There is something within us that desperately desires a place of holiness where there is peace from the stress of our daily lives. God’s inerrant Word identifies this “something” as the Holy Spirit. Donald Whitney states that, “(Growing Christians) ache to share in this holiness more than in Heaven’s rest, relief, or reunions.” Jonathon Edwards says it best, “But neither a …. longing to be in Heaven, nor longing to die, are in any measure so distinguishing marks of true saints, as longing after a more holy heart. The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.”
The battle between our flesh and the Holy Spirit will continue all of our days on this earth. Paul describes this struggle by saying in Romans 7:15,24-25, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. What a wretched man I am.” But he doesn’t stop here; he goes on to say, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Whitney concludes, “Resolving to devote some time on a regular basis to reflect upon the coming world and the coming One would encourage, embolden, strengthen, invigorate, illumine, ravish, and de-stress us. And anyone who cannot find time to meditate on Jesus and Heaven is either wasting time or busier than God intends.”
Robert Duvall
Elder
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