In this series, we have considered the journey of the child of God. We first spoke of God's Seeking Grace, of how God works in our lives before we are saved to draw us to Himself through faith in Christ.
We looked at how God provided for forgiveness and salvation from the penalty for sin by taking on human flesh in Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, died for the sins of the world, and was raised from the dead to prove sin's penalty had been paid. When we acknowledge this living Savior as our personal Savior, we experience God's Saving Grace.
God works in our lives to set us apart for His use by God's Sanctifying Grace. As we grow in our love relationship with God and surrender to His purpose for our lives, He can use every experience to make us more like Jesus. Especially when we use God's grace provisions for our growth: His word, prayer, and His family. And when we suffer in this world, we are strengthened by God's Sustaining Grace.
But our suffering will be over when Christ returns to complete the work of making us like Himself. He'll remove Satan, Satan's influence and Satan's people from this world; and suffering will be no more.
"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." - Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
One day, we'll be with Jesus and like Jesus, dwelling in a new heaven and new earth; and forever blessed by God's Surpassing Grace. Paul speaks of that day in our text. There are two truths he touches on here:
The basis of our acceptance in salvation - READ vs. 4-6
God accepts me because I've trusted Christ as my Savior and I'm now in union with Him. I am "in Christ." I've been made alive with Christ; been raised with Him; and seated with Him in the heavenly realms.
In the New Testament, “the word 'Christian' is found only three times. However, the New Testament letters associated with the apostle Paul use the phrase 'in Christ' around 165 times.” - John Ortberg
Why is this so important? Because, since I am now in Christ, when God looks at me, He sees me through "Christ
colored glasses" and accepts me on that basis. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
The basis of our assurance of salvation - READ v. 7
Paul speaks about life in eternity, when the newness God sees in us as He views us "in Christ" become a reality in our experience. One day, I'll be that new creation God now sees me as being in Christ.
In this world, our progress can often be described as one step forward, then two steps back. But God has decreed that one day, for eternity, I will be like Jesus. This is the basis of our assurance that once saved, I am saved eternally. God will complete what He has started in me! Christ is coming to make all things new; and He'll start by completing the work He started in every believer. We'll be like Christ in spirit, soul and body. He began the work in our spirit when we were born again through faith in Him. He continues the work those still in this world by making us new in our soul as we grow more like Jesus in our thoughts, feelings, and choices. He's already done this work in the souls of those who have passed on, who're waiting for the day of His return, when He'll complete the work by giving us all a glorified resurrection body.
"On that day, with a command that thunders into the world, with a voice of a chief heavenly messenger, and with a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven; and all those who died in the Anointed One, our Liberating King, will rise from the dead first. Then we who are alive and left behind will be snatched up together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is how we, the resurrected and the living, will be with Him forever. So comfort one another with this hope, and encourage one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (The Voice)
Let's think about experiencing God's Surpassing Grace, as a result of being like Jesus for all eternity. In eternity . . .
1. We will be like Jesus spiritually.
When we trust in Christ, He dwells within us by His Spirit; and His Spirit communes with our Spirit, making us spiritually alive.
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." - Romans 8:16 (NIV)
Every Child of God benefits from the Holy Spirit communing with our spirit; but we do not all benefit from our spirit communing with the Holy Spirit. Though we can always come to God in prayer and find assurance and peace, we too often do not do so in this life. But not so in the life to come. We will live in constant communion with God.
We can come before God's throne when we're in need (Hebrews 4:16). But sadly, we often don't. We let distractions disrupt our closeness with the Lord. That's why walking in communion with God is a constant learning process; and the reason life can often become joyless. But in eternity, communion with God will be constant.
"I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." - Revelation 7:9 (NIV)
Because communion with God will be constant, our joy will never end.
"There is no joy to be found in all this world like that of sweet communion with Christ. I would barter all else there is of heaven for that. Indeed, that is heaven." - Charles Spurgeon
2. We will be like Jesus intellectually.
"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)
Again, John speaks to this when he describes the saints in eternity:
"They will see his face." - Revelation 22:4a
In other words, we will understand things then what we can't now. It'll be a place where all questions are answered and all mysteries are solved. In fact, I believe that much of the joy we will know in eternity will result from our being able to look back upon our lives and with understanding see what God was doing and why.
But not only will we look back with understanding, we will also look forward. Heaven will be anything but boring. I
believe that some of mankind's greatest discoveries await us in eternity.
"I don't know about you, but the more I think about the new heaven and the new earth, the more excited I get! It is incredible to think that one day soon we will not only experience the resurrection of our carcasses, but the renewal of the cosmos and the return of the Creator. We will literally have heaven on earth. Eden lost will become Eden restored and a whole lot more! Not only will we experience God's fellowship as Adam did, but we will see our Savior face to face. God incarnate will live in our midst. And we will never come to the end of exploring the infinite, inexhaustible I AM or the grandeur and glory of his incomparable creation. " - Hank Hanegraaff
3. We will be like Jesus emotionally.
On earth, our affections are often divided between loving those things which God calls us to love and loving those things the world calls us to love. But there will be no divided affections in the hearts of God's people. We will love Christ supremely and one another selflessly.
Indeed, part of what God will make right in the world to come are many relationships that went wrong in this present world. Even among believers, relationships can go south. In this life, we may not feel we have it in us to be around that person or to risk a relationship with them. But in eternity, that will all be changed. For everyone will be completely transformed!
4. We will be like Jesus volitionally.
I will always desire and do that which pleases God! Never again will I make a wrong choice or a stupid decision. Concerning the believers in eternity, John says:
"No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. " - Revelation 14:5b (NIV)
Oh, how I look forward to never, ever have to take the blame for something I have said or done that is wrong. I will always make choices that are right and God honoring.
5. We will be like Jesus physically.
We will live forever as resurrected beings in a society of resurrected beings, on a resurrected earth, with our resurrected Lord. And what a life it promises to be! Life will become more rich and fulfilling and unimpaired in the world to come than it is ever been.
"In heaven we will be permitted to finish many of those worthy tasks which we had dreamed to do while on earth
but which neither time nor strength nor ability allowed us to achieve." - Wilber Smith, The Biblical Doctrine of Heaven
Conclusion: Our journey with God begins by grace and ends in glory.
"Grace is but glory begun and glory is but grace perfected." - Jonathan Edwards
Today I may not be walking in perfection, but by God's grace, I know I am heading in that direction. And that is what makes God's Grace so Amazing!
