Eternity Now, Heaven Today

 I can't count how many times in my life I've heard the line in prayer; "help us to live so that one day we can have a home in heaven". It's an easy line to use, and should be the desire of every Christian, but doesn't resonate as a reliable source of motivation in my (pedantic) mind

The hope of heaven and the fear of hell are justifiable human sentiments. We want to go to heaven and we want to avoid hell. Both outcomes are possible. But realistically, what role can they have in our daily thought life and motivations? They seem rather vague and distant, especially for those of us closer to the beginning than end of life.

We are told often of eternal life and the kingdom of heaven in the New Testament. The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit (Mt 5:3), and whoever eats Jesus's flesh and drinks His blood hath eternal life (Joh 6:54). 

The statements are made in the present tense. These are not merely mysterious predictions—although there is plenty of mystery—they are the current reality. In my opinion, both these verses contain far better motivations for living a sanctified life than the desire to gain heaven or avoid hell at life's end. Allow me to extract some truths from these verses that explain what I mean. (Try and stop me!)

I'll start by trying to define what it means to be poor in spirit. King David referred to himself as a dead dog, a flea, and a worm. We are supposed to esteem each other as better than ourselves (Php 2:3). David's self abasement and our estimation of others superiority is part of a poor spirit.

On the occasions when David called himself a dead dog and a flea, it was a self assessment done during his flight from king Saul. He questioned why Saul would waste his time hunting down something of so little value. I do not think that David's belittlement of himself was an arbitrary thing to curry favor with the king, but rather that he recognized that Saul was the anointed of the Lord.

When we esteem others as better than us, this is not done on a skill by skill basis, although few possess talents that are not surpassed by someone else. Instead, it is done in the same spirit that David esteemed Saul.

This writing contains my perspective and I believe what I'm saying to be true, but that does not mean I will ever cover all the bases. As Christians with the infilling of the Holy Spirit, you will have the truth in you too. You will read this and accept it, but that does not mean you don't have the vision to add to it or correct me.

The truth is not the domain of anyone but God. We all are grounded in this truth, but just as we have our individual gifts, we have individual limitations. What I can see, I say. When you speak up, I have to give way with the realization that I don't see perfectly; and need to not only accommodate, but seek out and buttress your vision on the matter.

God chose Saul to be king, and David abased himself before him because of Saul's status with God. God also chose you and I, and we need to humble ourselves before each other because of the working of the Holy Spirit in each of us. It is not in the fear of man that we humble ourselves, but an acknowledgment of God's working in man.

Beyond the esteem that we hold each other in as brethren in Christ, there is a more general truth that should be acknowledged. Even in the absence of the Holy Spirit, mankind bears God's image and embodies God's truth. Every fiber of our being is His specific design and points toward His magnificence and perfection. In every encounter with humanity, we are encountering an aspect of God through His creation.

Being poor in spirit means we will be receptive to all. We can learn something from anyone, whether Christian or not. If I can be poor in spirit, I will be a sponge for God's truth wherever I can find it. I will never be knowledgeable enough to simply coast, but will acknowledge that God possesses all knowledge and I am incapable of telling by what method or vehicle He will deliver to me what He needs to communicate.

The poor in spirit possess the kingdom of heaven because they are constantly ready to receive. They are those who truly realize their status in the face of a magnificent God. As they grow and receive more of these gifts, they see more and more of God. The more they come to know God, the more they realize they are in His kingdom right here, right now.

Next up, some commentary on John 6:54, which reads: Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Jesus told this to the crowd a short time after He miraculously fed thousands of them with a bit of bread and fish. He recognized that they followed Him because their bellies had been filled, and wanted to draw their attention to the real reason He was there.

Partaking in the body and blood of Christ is something we can only get a taste of. We are not perfect enough to be a sacrifice on our own behalf, and need Christ to be that for us. The symbolic eating of His flesh and drinking His blood is the faith by which we believe in His purchase of our salvation, and in the blood which covers our sin.

This concept is to the Jews a stumbling block (1 Cor 1:23). They never realized the law would culminate in Christ's sacrifice on their behalf, but thought they justified themselves by keeping the commandments. They didn't grasp that the rituals and sacrifices were only a type, a foreshadowing of what was to happen in Christ's death; and that these things only served to justify them before God because of what Jesus would eventually do.

For us to eat Jesus's flesh and drink His blood is also a type. The cup of which he partook—which He pled would pass from Him—cannot be partaken of by us except through Him. The best we can do is to crucify the deeds of our flesh in acknowledgment of Christ's crucifixion. There is no good we can do in the eyes of God except the goodness of Christ on our behalf.

Just as the sacrifices prepared under Mosaic law pointed ahead to Christ, presenting our bodies a living sacrifice points back to Him. Giving up our selfish desires, lust, and pride; are battles against the flesh that we fight in order to make the sacrifice holy and acceptable. We cannot attain goodness, only fight our own desire for sin.

As hard a pill as it can be to swallow, when we accept that Christ bought our righteousness and that we are just to be recipients and prepare our vessels to receive, we are in possession of eternal life. We are on the path to heaven. The only thing we can really do by our actions is sabotage that walk by inviting sin into our vessel. Salvation is ours to lose.

While living so that we can one day be home in heaven is the desired outcome, inviting the Lord to help us win the battle against the flesh on a daily basis will bring a piece of heaven to earth. As we hold our life up to the light and refining fire, and as we make a daily sacrifice of our own flesh; things will happen in our lives that have no earthly explanation. This is a lifestyle that will plant us firmly in possession of God's kingdom and life that is eternal. Eternity is now, and the blessings of it cannot be overstated.