Be Assured: We have Forever with Christ

Last time, we focused on the promise of being adopted into God’s family. Here, we’re looking at the promise of eternity with God. The aim is to replace unhelpful, inward-facing negative thoughts with thoughts of the hope of eternity with Christ. It is much better to fill our minds with thoughts of Christ!

It feels almost a cliché when people tell you, “don’t look to your suffering, look to Jesus”. Or “focus your heart on heaven and your suffering will seem smaller now.” It can be difficult to hear.

It’s also true.

Looking forward to eternity can and should change our perspective on the here and now. Here are 3 things to remember, 3 things to look forward to, and one thing to both remember and look forward to as we meditate on eternity.

Remember: suffering is temporary

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4

Keep going, remembering there is an end-point. It will not always be this way. Things might improve in this life. Pain and suffering will be swept away in the life to come.

Remember: there is purpose to suffering for Christ

 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Matthew 10:22

Are you suffering because of your faith? God knows. Keep fighting the good fight for the good Lord. He sees your sacrifice and will bless you.

Remember: there is purpose to any suffering

We may not know what it is now. Refining, consequence of a sin, equipping us to support others, pointing us to Christ, and growing our longing for heaven.

 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

The Apostle Paul (who wrote the book of Romans) suffered terribly. His sufferings included multiple shipwrecks, imprisonment, death threats and losing friends. Yet, could say the above words, because he knew the suffering was relatively small when compared to the glory of eternity. This gave him the strength to keep going.

Look: Eternity is beautiful

I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2

Eternity is worth the wait. Like a groom waits with eager expectation for the bride, so we can wait with hope and joy for eternity.

Look: Sin is no more

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Revelation 21:1

I can’t wait! No more battles within my heart or within the world. we will be at peace within ourselves, with the Lord and with the world. That’s incredible!

Look: Eternity is with God

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.

Revelation 21:4

We will be with God and we will completely, perfectly belong with Him.

Remember and Look: Christ has won

Looking to the promise of heaven is also a reminder that Christ has won. Jesus says:

“You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I [Jesus] have conquered the world.”

John 16:33

Jesus has conquered the world. Jesus has defeated death. He has defeated evil. He has defeated all pain, suffering and sin.

While we wait

When Jesus returns, we shall see this promise fulfilled and the completion of the work that began on the cross. We’re in the part of history where we have to wait for the second coming. We are, however, waiting with a certain hope. Jesus said, “I have conquered the world”, in the past tense, even though He hadn’t even gone to the cross at that point. He was that certain of the outcome. We can be certain of that outcome too.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

1 Peter 5:10

So now run the race, looking to Jesus. Yes there are trials, yes there will be difficulties, but Jesus is worth fighting for – and Jesus will fight for you.