Unveiling the Unseen: Embrace Your Heavenly Citizenship Now
Jonah 3-4; Hebrews 12; Ecclesiastes 8
Because the New Covenant often gets preached as an extension of the Old, it can take us years, maybe even a lifetime, to discern that the Good News is actually really good news.
If the Gospel has ceased to be good news to you, then let’s look at this together. God is about to upgrade your theology, and suddenly, you will come once again, or maybe even for the first time, to the Man who says, “Come to Me, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Hebrews 12: 18 For we are not coming, as Moses did, to a physical mountain with its burning fire, thick clouds of darkness and gloom, and with a raging whirlwind. 19 We are not those who are being warned by the jarring blast of a trumpet and the thundering voice; the fearful voice that they begged to be silenced. 20 They couldn’t handle God’s command that said, “If so much as an animal approaches the mountain it is to be stoned to death!” 21 The astounding phenomena Moses witnessed caused him to shudder with fear and he could only say, “I am trembling in terror!”
We are NOT coming to this. Jesus has made a way, and we are invited into something else altogether. Let’s keep looking…
22 By contrast, we have already come near to God in a totally different realm, the Zion-realm, for we have entered the city of the Living God, which is the New Jerusalem in heaven! We have joined the festal gathering of myriads of angels in their joyous celebration!
By contrast! Hallelujah!! By contrast!!
We don’t stand aloof from an unapproachable light. No! Look at how this is phrased: “we have already come near to God in a totally different realm.”
We have ALREADY come near to God. There’s no distance for you to cover here. You are IN Christ. You stand presently before your Father. It’s done. “It is finished.”
Friends, it’s time to experience what you already have. You already have access. You already have acceptance.
When I share the Gospel, many say, “I believe it, but I’m not experiencing it.” They ask, “How do I begin to experience this truth?” Maybe that’s your question too.
It’s easier than you think. Get alone. Come into the quiet. Hush your own soul, and begin to meditate on these simple truths. Today, as I press in, I will meditate on the very verse I referenced above. I will dwell upon this: “we have already come near to God in a totally different realm.” As I do, as I allow myself to rest there, I find that I am entering into it as my reality.
The hard part isn’t getting “there.” We are there. We are already there! The difficulty can be in making time to get alone. The hardship can be in bringing my soul into the quiet. The demands of life never cease, as you well know, and there is always an excuse for not keeping this heavenly appointment. But! But oh, how being with Him like this, experiencing Him like this, is the only thing that meets every longing of my heart. And it will meet every longing of yours.
Let’s peer in just a bit more to Hebrews 12:
23 And as members of the church of the Firstborn all our names have been legally registered as citizens of heaven! And we have come before God who judges all, and who lives among the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect in his eyes!
More good news!
“all our names have been legally registered as citizens of heaven!”
Have been! Have been registered. Not will be registered. There is no hoop here. They have been registered!! Come on! It’s just so, so good.
“(He) lives among the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect in his eyes!”
It gets better! Have been made perfect in His eyes. Have been. Not will be. We already have been made perfect in His eyes. How? How is this possible? Beloved, it’s this. We are there IN Christ. We appear IN Christ. He has done the work. Because of this, this finished work of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we are made perfect.
Do you see it?
The Gospel is so, so good. And it’s time we experienced it. It’s time we lived it.
Don’t waste another day living under the curse of the law. Come into what is yours. Get alone. Quiet your soul, and come in to what is already yours.
Deepening Faith: Reflective Journal Prompts
- Exploring the Concept of Rest: Reflect on your current understanding of “rest” in the context of your faith. How does this align with the idea of rest described in Hebrews, where we cease from our own works and enter into God’s finished work?
- Personal Burdens and Yokes: Identify any burdens or yokes you feel you are carrying that make your walk with God feel heavy or burdensome. Consider what it would mean to fully embrace the truth that Jesus’s yoke is easy and His burden is light.
- Experiencing the Invisible Realm: Meditate on Hebrews 11:3, which talks about understanding the invisible through faith. What are some aspects of God’s kingdom that you struggle to see or experience in your daily life? How can you shift your perspective to be more faith-oriented?
- Entering God’s Rest: Think about the last time you truly felt you entered into God’s rest. What were the circumstances? Reflect on how you can more regularly enter this rest despite the chaos or demands of daily life.
- The Reality of Heaven Here and Now: How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of Heaven’s reality in your everyday life? Describe practical steps you can take to live “as those who belong to another realm,” as mentioned in Hebrews 12.
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