Contents
I. Introduction
II. The Way Home
III. The Children of God
Figure 1 A Child of the Resurrection
Jehovah God is our Father; He is our Papa. Who are His children but the children of the Resurrection: All the saints of God; there are no others [1]. Children of the Resurrection, by their very title, are particularly privileged eternal beings. We use that word privileged without any qualms whatsoever because their resurrection bespeaks not just of immortality, but an immortality defined by the First to be so resurrected—the Son of God Himself. Children of the Resurrection are immortals like unto the resurrected Son of God (Psa 16:11, 17:15, Luk 20:34-36). This is tremendous; try to imagine the various implications of that.
This pulpit will Scripturally illustrate:
The way home.
The children of God.
The citizenry of heaven.
Our glorious heavenly home.
“Jesus said to him 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me'” (Jhn 14:6 NASB; see also Jhn 14:1-5).
Home is where our Father is, and Jesus is the only way to attain to that blessed home. Our “A Letter of Invitation” discusses the mechanics of this “Way” at length, so we will not repeat those important details here (but consider also: Zec 3:7, Mat 5:3, 5:8-10, 19:28, Rev 2:26-28, 3:21). Physical death is the portal through which a believer in Jesus Christ must pass to finally enter that home. “The way home” is realized in two steps then: A person comes to grateful, saving faith in Jesus Christ, and then upon that person's death they transition to their eternal home, forever to be in the presence of our eternal Father Jehovah God.
To seek to attain to this home is to seek to attain to Jehovah God, and this is clearly the best; is clearly the wisest human ambition, because all of the enduring, and meaningful, and worthy aspects of existence per se, whether temporal or eternal, are preeminently qualified by the truth and life found in Jehovah our God. This bold and sweeping claim concerning existence needs no proof, it is self-evident. Be that as it may, its self-evidence does not suggest its attainability—but the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God does, itself showing this blessed existence in God's presence to be attainable (1 Cr 15:20). The claim can be put forth because it is self-evident, and because Jesus was resurrected to the right hand of God; we note that His resurrection is itself borne out by primary source testimony (1Cr 15:3-8, 15:12-20; “New Testament Canon”).
One understands from Jesus through Jhn 14:6 that at this home is found quintessential truth (God's reality), as also quintessential life (eternal, intimate fellowship with God, which in our understanding is Salvation). How can the truth and life of which Jesus here speaks be anything less than their respective quintessence? Because Jesus is one with the Father (Jhn 10:30, Col 2:9, Hbr 1:3), He is necessarily this very truth and life (Jhn 1:14, 1:17), as He claims to be, and it naturally follows that it would be He, the God-Man, that imparts the same to humankind (Jhn 10:28, Jhn 18:37—He is the way to the same). So we see that the way home, as also the excellent existence at that home, are both mapped out by Jesus Christ, and His resurrection is the feasibility dynamic behind both.
The children of God are His by adoption (Rom 8:15, 8:23, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5), as a consequence of their belief and attendant faith in God's Son, Jesus Christ. Belief in God's Son makes the believer a son/daughter of God (Jhn 1:12-13). Therein lies the kinship connection—a Son for a son/daughter relationship. Jesus Christ, God's Son, is the linchpin about which this adoption process turns. Moreover, as adopted children of God, believers are joint-heirs with Jesus to God's kingdom (Mat 25:31-34, Rom 8:16-17), and surely the greatest inheritance in that respect bestowed to His adopted children is eternal life in the presence of God (Salvation). It is hard for the mind to appreciate these beautiful things aright—the heart does better here.
It is noteworthy that Jesus, The Son, specifically identifies His brothers and sisters as peacemakers (Mat 5:9). This is a very important consideration: Children of God are peacemakers. To be a peacemaker presupposes strife; generally speaking, strife is more the norm in life than is peacemaking in the midst of said strife, but not for a child of God. Peacemaking also presupposes a nobler dynamic—love; it is the love of God (AGAPH love-see character map) resident in a child of God that motivates peacemaking in them (and they must act on His motivations), for without this love there can be no genuine peacemaking (Mat 5:43-44, Mat 18:21-22, Luk 6:27-36, Eph 4:29-32, Jhn 13:34-35, 1Jo 3:10-11, 4:7-8, 4:16, Jas 3:17, et al.). Small wonder that peacemakers are identified specifically by God as His children, for at the heart of peacemaking is the heart of God; at the heart of peacemaking is a heart of love. Here is a beautiful example of the consistency in God's Word—Jesus as God scripted this Word in fellowship with the Godhead and simply reiterates one aspect of that Word in Mat 5:9 (compare, for example, Exd 23:4-5, Lev 19:18); notwithstanding, this particular aspect (love ↔ peacemaking) is central to Christianity, for in His great love for us, while we were yet His enemies, God loved us to the extent that He condescended to die for us to make peace between Himself and us (Jhn 3:16). Jesus in Mat 5:9 is asking us to consider peacemaking from this same sort of love-motivated perspective, thereby bearing out His and our solidarity in spirit in this (=a familial tie). Extrapolating, one can imagine that heaven must be a very peaceful place indeed, for heaven is populated by none other than love-motivated peacemakers, let alone by the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6, Luk 6:27, Jhn 14:27 , Act 10:36, Rom 5:1, Phl 4:6-7, Col 3:15).
It would seem that the citizenry of heaven has a semblance of order or ranking to it (Mat 5:19, 11:11, 20:23). At the head is Jesus Christ, who holds the place of preeminence at the right hand of our Father God (Mrk 16:19, Act 7:52-56, 1Pe 3:21-22). Scripture makes it clear that this order is in place presently, probably anticipating the Judgment of Rewards concerning exclusively God's children; Jesus will adjudicate these proceedings (Mat 16:27, Rom 14:9-10, 2Cr 5:10). We suppose that the Judgment of Rewards is intimately connected with this order.
All the saints of God, and those angels that glorify Him; that honor Him and love Him, comprise this citizenry of heaven. We have tried to work out some rough numbers concerning just the saintly contingent accruing over the past two-thousand years, and the result we ended up with was quite large, and became vastly larger going forward (such growth is exponential), even though we tried hard to discipline ourselves to be conservative in our estimations along the way. The point we wish to make here is that in the aggregate, considering all the saints that are there (going back to Adam), and the untold number of angels, the position one ends up holding in heaven will be a highly significant reward: The nearer to Jesus Christ the better. Now is the time to do the work of God that will be rewarded later (1Cr 3:10-15). This begs the question: Does the citizenry of heaven have access to Jesus Christ (to God) despite their respective places in heaven? No doubt; we in no way mean to suggest that they individually do not, but the order just mentioned itself must have great value, and be a thing to be sought after therefore, for why else would Scripture make it so obvious that some kind of order exists there. One thing is certain, whatever position a citizen ends up with will be considerate and fair; indeed, just, and will be an eternal blessing and joy.
"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (Jhn 14:1-3, NASB).
To us, this is the surpassing joy of heaven—that where He is, we may be also...forever. Sure, as Christians He presently abides in us and we in Him, and that is so wonderful, but as great as that is, it cannot compare with the intimate connectedness with Him we shall enjoy in that blessed day—our heightened awareness and appreciation of Him in that day is the difference.
In that day, our God promises His children that there will be no more death, no more tears and crying, no more pain; these things will have passed away in the Reconstitution (Rev 21:1-4). Sooner, or later, every person who has ever lived, or is alive presently, has desperately longed or will desperately long for such things—and here they are, within easy grasp of everyone through Jesus Christ. It is a testimony to the thoroughly blinding deception of sin (“A Threefold Test”) that hardly everyone, neither sooner, nor later, embraces Jesus to attain to the same (“Jesus' Eternal Heartbeat”). We close looking ahead to the New Jerusalem: Rev 21:10-13, 14-18, 19-21, 22-27, 22:1-5.
Jesus Christ is the way home, and home is where our Father God is. Physical death is the portal through which a believer in Jesus Christ must pass to finally enter that home. Such a one, as a believer, is a child of the Resurrection; a child of God (Fig. 1), and therefore an immortal being like unto their resurrected Lord.
Children of the Resurrection are love-motivated peacemakers. This is their salient identity, for it identifies them most closely with their Lord—The love-motivated Prince of [even our] Peace. The same are joint-heirs with Him to the Kingdom of God, and eternal, intimate fellowship with Jehovah God is undoubtedly their greatest inheritance in that respect.
Why should the citizenry of heaven have any ranking except that it be connected with their rewards. It follows that this ranking will probably have tremendous significance for each individual citizen of heaven as eternity unfolds. Christian friend, now is the time to invest in that future. Still, the ambiance of heaven, what with our God in its midst, undoubtedly outshines that significance, and each citizen is/will be satisfied, and grateful that their just reward was averted by their Savior. Nonetheless, one cannot help but reckon that there will be some who regret not having worked harder for our Lord while the opportunity presented itself; this is the point we are trying to make here.
No more death; no more tears and crying; no more pain; and eternal life suffused thoroughly with the quintessential holiness of our Father God—such is the loving grace that has been offered to any who will accept it; in and through Jesus Christ is found that loving grace. O what a tremendous Savior He is; thank you Lord Jesus Christ.
Praised be your Name great savior God.
“A Letter of Invitation.”
Jesus, Amen.
< http://jesusamen.org/aletterofinvitation.html >
“A Threefold Test.”
Jesus, Amen.
< http://jesusamen.org/athreefoldtest.html >
“Fountainhead.”
Jesus, Amen.
< http://jesusamen.org/fountainhead >
“Jesus' Eternal Heartbeat.”
Jesus, Amen.
< http://jesusamen.org/jesuseternalheartbeat.html >
“New Testament Canon.”
Jesus, Amen.
<http://jesusamen.org/newtestamentcanon.html >
“Psalm Sixteen Commentary.”
Jesus, Amen.
< http://jesusamen.org/commentarypsa16.html >
Rinella, Maureen.
Be With Me: A Book of Prayers to Comfort Dying Persons and Their Loved Ones.
One Caring Place, St. Meinrad, IN: Abbey Press, 1997. 0-87029-304-4.
We came across this book long after the pulpit was written, and sure would like to have used it as a source here and there at the time of the writing. We thought it a good idea to list it here for the reader's benefit, even though it wasn't utilized above. We recommend this little book.
“The Alpha and the Omega.”
Jesus, Amen.
<http://jesusamen.org/thealphaandtheomega.html >
Adam's fall introduced sin into the human bloodline, and from that instant forward to the present not every soul that has been born is necessarily a child of Jehovah God. We have addressed this more thoroughly elsewhere (A Letter of Invitation: II Original Sin and Attendant Separation). It is clear that the Old Testament saints found on the pages of Scripture are children of God (the named and the nameless); and there are many to consider here for one must begin with the house of Adam and move toward the house of Israel, and then Judah up to the advent of our Lord. Where appropriate (and much could be said as to what is meant by “appropriate”), these are the first saints to populate heaven as children of God. That these are children of the Resurrection is not quite as straightforward but clearly still follows because the advent of Jesus Christ finds its underpinnings in the Old Testament and is intimately wrapped up with these saints' ministries on behalf of Messiah Jesus. Since the advent of Jesus Christ and forward heaven is being populated by followers of Jesus Christ (New Testament saints=Christians), all of whom pin their eternal future on the resurrection of Jesus Christ as being a hard fact. Every Christian understands that because Jesus was raised from the dead, they too as His followers will ultimately be bodily raised from the dead in wholeness (1Cr 15:42-44, 1Cr 15:52, 2 Cr 4:14, 1Th 4:13-18), because He said He would return to gather them unto Himself; (Jhn 14:1-3; but note the interim: 2Cr 5:6-8; all this is the great consolation of Christianity). In accord with the mandate of Scripture, only Old Testament saints as described, or New Testament saints, could possibly be children of the Resurrection, and therefore children of God. Only children of the Resurrection can be children of God, and children of God are necessarily children of the Resurrection.
|
A->ALPHA |
B->BETA |
C->CHI |
D->DELTA |
E->EPSILON |
F->PHI |
G->GAMMA |
|
H->ETA |
I->IOTA |
K->KAPPA |
L->LAMBDA |
M->MU |
N->NU |
O->OMICRON |
|
P->PI |
Q->THETA |
R->RHO |
S->SIGMA |
T->TAU |
U->UPSILON |
W->OMEGA |
|
X->XI |
Y->PSI |
Z->ZETA |
; or :-> . (ano teleia) |
|