I’m still celebrating our new brothers and sisters in Christ who bent the knee to the Savior this past Easter at GCC! That, my friends, never gets old! And I wish I could say that heaven starts now for the new believer, but I would be doing a disservice at best. Though you have been “saved” and adopted into the family of the living God (See, Ephesians 2:8-9 regarding this great salvation gift and 2 Corinthians 6:18, Ephesians 1:5 about adoption) our ultimate home coming will not be until we pass from this life to the next and see our Savior face to face.
Seem like a bait and switch to you? I hope not. God’s Word has always been crystal clear for those who choose to read it. No, it’s not that our salvation is defective or slow in coming about—it’s that our mission as believers is not complete at the moment of salvation. In fact, the day we come to faith in Christ Jesus is just day one of our mission for furthering His kingdom.
So, if we are truly “saved” at the moment of conversion, then why don’t we just beam up to heaven like they do on Star trek?
Well, much of the confusion has to do with our American mindset. Americans, you see, don’t like to wait for anything. We are a microwave people trying to understand a crock-pot God. We are in a hurry for just about everything other than to get to the last day of our vacations. Then, all of a sudden—at the moment of salvation—we have a saving encounter with our Creator and we expect Him to act like He’s created in our image rather than the other way around. We expect life to continue to revolve around us even though we just learned that it’s all about Him. So, when trials come just as fast and furious after the point of conversion as they did prior—we cast a suspicious gaze heavenward. And when our prayers (i.e. demands) aren’t responded to lickity split—we begin to wonder if God is perhaps stretched too thin with all the ‘running the universe’ type demands He has.
But here’s what’s actually happening…
Back in the Garden of Eden the Lord had one thing that the man and woman were not to do—eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. So, of course, they become obsessed with that one thing over all else. Soon Satan was able to fairly easily persuade them that the fruit of that particular tree would be better than everything else God had offered them—combined. He did this by painting God as a God who holds out on us. He did this by saying that God never wants the best for us—he always keeps all the good stuff for Himself—a truly warped and completely upside down portrayal of the King of Kings. But, they don’t call Satan the father of lies for nothing.
Truth is the exact opposite of what Satan portrays. God wants the very best for His children. However, He won’t force His love upon you. If you want to go it alone and refuse His love and mercy. You may do so. If you and I think Satan or the world have better offers despite thousands and thousands of years showing the contrary—he won’t take away your will to choose.
But He will still love you. And He will still come after you until your heart becomes to hardened to hear Him anymore. Then, in the end, if you could never bring yourself to say to Him, “They will be done” instead of “MY will be done!” Well, you’ll get what you asked for—He will leave you alone. And on that final day you all those who ran from Him their whole lives will get to hear the words they would never say to God said back to them…
“Thy will be done.”
Not a very rosy outcome, huh?
Thank God that for those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—their future is so very bright!! You now have a heavenly Father who loves you more than even the most gracious and tender earthly father in all of history. He makes Michael Landon from little house on the prairie look like a hateful task master!
So, back to the point…If you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior–you’re saved! You are immediately adopted into God’s own family and that adoption is sealed by the Holy Spirit Himself. Ephesians 1:13 says so,
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…”
But why then are we not beamed up to heaven immediately?! Beam me up Robby! Beam me up!!”
Sorry, no can do. Apart from the fact that I’m not there myself–I am still here for the same reason you are–we have a mission to fulfill. We are left here to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ and see them come to know Jesus just as you did! It’s a rescue mission of sorts.
And there’s no greater honor and no greater mission!
Now, for all those throughout the world who came to faith in Christ this past Easter…please, please, please do yourself an incredibly healthy favor and find a local church family to become a part of. These are your new brothers and sisters in God’s family and for you to grow as a new believer you will need to do life alongside others. You and I were made for community!
And if you were one of the 124 who came to faith in Christ at Grace Community Church and live anywhere near Centennial, Colorado…we’d love to have you. In fact, we are starting a brand new three week series with you in mind called, NEXT (The Best is Yet to Come!). I hope you will plan on being there all three weeks and bring a friend!