2 Corinthians 5:1

2 Corinthians 5:1 “ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

There is not one iota of doubt in my mind that there is a destiny of my soul, the grandeur of which no words of human wisdom can adequately describe (Rev. 21:2-4, 16-21, 22:5).  My eyes have been privileged to see many beautiful things and places but not one of those sights can begin to compare to the beauty of heaven.  How beautiful heaven must be.

I love to read the words of Hebrews 11:13 and 1 Peter 2:11 in which we are made to realize that we are but strangers and pilgrims on this earth and one day this frail, weak, corruptible human frame is going to be changed into a glorious, incorruptible body (1 Cor. 15:51-57). What a glorious day that will be for those who obeyed the Lord and lived faithfully for him (Rev. 14:13).

 Before the Lord came forth from the grave (1 Cor. 15:3-40), death was a blind alley but after his resurrection death became a thoroughfare that leads us out into eternity. Now, we look not at the grave but we look beyond it (1 Cor. 15:55-57, Phil. 1:21, 23). As we arise each morning to go about our daily activities, the words of Paul in Phil. 3:14 should be our battle cry, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. We must make the heavenly home the one supreme end of our life. I want to come to the end of this earthly journey and be able to say as Paul said, “I am ready, I’ve fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). How about you?

I think often of that land where we will never grow old. I dream of that pearly white city of God and think about how wonderful it will be there. I am convinced that in order to go to that wonderful city of God, I must decide that I want to go  more than I want anything else and so must you if you want to go. There must be an all consuming desire that overshadows everything and embraces every moment, every day of our life. Understand this, God will not just reach down one day, pick us up and say “welcome home”. We must hear him (Rom. 10:17, Rev. 3:20), we must believe him (Mk. 16:16, 1 Tim. 1:16, we must repent (Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38, 17:30, we must confess (Rom. 10:10, Matt. 10:32, Acts 8:37), we must be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Pet. 3:21), and finally, we must remain faithful until we die (Rev. 2:10). Because this plan comes not from the heart of man but  comes from the heart of God, we do not have the option of choosing which one(s) we will or will not do. With love in my heart for all, I must say that if I, if you are not willing to comply fully, completely with God’s plan, then we will never see the inside of that pearly white city of God.

Charles Hicks