The Bible educates and prepares us for living now and continues in preparation for eternity. I’m thankful for the bottomless well of the Word of God.
We would love a glimpse of heaven or would like to know what it feels like, but we have in our hands the Word. It’s the most talked about book and is despised by the world. People’s treatment of God’s Word is why the world is in the shape it’s in. It was not intended to divide but pull together. It gives us a sense of life. This verse is a central truth. Why doth it not yet appear? Why can’t we have a glimpse? Truth be told, sometimes we get a taste of heaven and we don’t even recognize it.
I John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Have you ever asked the Lord “why not?” Peter, James, and John got a glimpse many times and got an actual glimpse on the mountain of transfiguration. When it was over, Peter made the mistake of wanting to build a tabernacle to Moses and Elijah; he equated them with Jesus. He didn’t get it. Soon he would deny knowing the Lord. They would all run from him in fear. Even after the resurrection, some of the disciples decided to go fishing. Peter, James, and John were in that bunch. You would think that the glimpse they had would have been enough. It is not sufficient in this world.
If you could see the Lord right now and have one moment in your glorified body it would annul the effectiveness of your faith. What keeps us saved is our continuing, on-going faith. Faith is trusting in what you cannot see. We trust him because of his Word. If we got that glimpse, it would no longer be faith but sight. That will certainly come for us in the future, but if it came now in the midst of our living in this world, it would be different. We’re blessed because we have not seen yet believe.
We know that we can’t always trust what we think we see, but we can always trust what Jesus said. His Word pulls back a vista that we can see with our soul not our eyes. The effect of sight lasts only a little while. The power of faith is underestimated. That power is ours because verse 2 says we are NOW the children of God. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to be recognized as a child of God. He is Father to all who trust him. With all the imperfections of our body, we live in a state of honor to be considered a child of God. It’s all because we trust in Jesus. We won’t be children when we get to heaven or just after the rapture. We are now! That knowledge will get us through. God’s kingdom is not of this world, but we’re part of the kingdom while in this world. God loves us as a father loves his children. We should return that love and look to him for protection, for fellowship, and for comfort. We always have a friend in Jesus. He is real now. Rejoice in it. Feed on it. Paul said he had enough and was content. Hold onto Jesus and live accordingly.
Our existence is not a life that we want to continue here forever. We don’t belong in this world but the world to come. We’re pilgrims on a journey. We’re sailors on a ship headed to the other side. Jesus has prepared a place for us. He saved us for heaven. He will take us out of this world. Every soldier wants the war to be over so he can go home. We don’t want heaven here. This is the road to our destination. We can’t have what is on the other side until we get there. It doesn’t appear here because we’re not suited for it.
When Jesus was here, his deity was veiled in flesh. To be our Savior he had to be born like us. He limited himself purposely. He concealed his power behind sorrow and weakness. He didn’t disguise himself as poor. He was poor. He was born in a stable in a nowhere town. The prophet Micah said as much when he said “but thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (5:2) The Bible says “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” We who are hell deserving souls now have the opportunity to go to heaven.
Do we need to appear now as we will then? Do we need a portion of heaven now? We don’t. We have something better. We have Jesus! Does a new body mean more than Jesus? Does the glory mean more than Jesus? Having Jesus is the greater blessing. Christ is “in you, the hope of glory.” Even though we struggle in this body, even though we must deny ourselves, we are in the light. We have something better than anything in this world. I’m thankful for the Excellency of knowing Jesus as Savior.
We can make it until he appears. We don’t want to jump ahead of him. He must appear before we can appear. Heaven won’t happen on earth. Twenty centuries in the Age of Grace have come and gone. The world at large hasn’t been saved. More go out of this world lost than go saved. God has not failed. The cross has not failed. Our mission is not to change the world because flesh and blood can’t enter into heaven. Our goal is to reach lost souls.
The trash around us will be removed forever one day. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father now. As soon as he appears, the dead in Christ will rise first and we who are alive will meet them in the air with Jesus in a moment’s time. We’ll shake off ourselves one last time and appear in glory with him. I want Jesus to go first. My desire to have glory can wait. We’re next. In our present state it won’t work.
When he shall appear, we shall be like him. Not if he appears, but WHEN he appears, all things will change. We believe and because we do, we know he will appear. There is no doubt about it. When he does, we’ll be like him.
We know he will appear. We know he’s the Savior. We know he’s on the throne. Portions of every generation have been born again and gone on to be with the Lord. By faith, we are saved and when he appears we’ll be with him; we’ll be like him. That’s sufficient. One day we’ll have it all and share it with him. Our prayer in our current situation should be to be more like Jesus in character, in conduct, and in service. We should desire to be more Christ like.
For now, we can enjoy the tastes of heaven that we get and pray for a closer walk. The time will come—when he appears—that everything will change.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 