It can be easy to think of Heaven as far away, up in the clouds, or in another dimension. But the truth is totally different.
When Jesus was born, God became man and lived here on earth. Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed himself to die for the sins of all humanity - by dying on a cross.
While on the cross, Matthew 27:50-51 says, “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”
God tore that curtain as a symbol saying there’s no longer a barrier between us and him! Jesus filled the gap between us and him, between Heaven and Earth. Anyone who believes this, and trusts Jesus, understands their own sins in exchange for forgiveness and for Jesus' perfection - are no longer citizens of Earth, but of Heaven, living here on this physical Earth.
So how does this understanding of heaven on earth affect our lives? Why does this matter to us today?
Here are three truths to remember as we live as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven here on Earth
1. We work from victory, not for it!
Jesus sits on the throne of victory, evil has been defeated.
This means that God does not need us to defend him, engage in arguments for him or take back ground for him. He’s already won, he just needs us to be ambassadors for him.
Jesus died for everyone and loves all humans the same. He calls us to love like him because we have nothing to prove, he’s already won.
2. God does not remove suffering, he redeems it!
Jesus is the center of reality, and knows what suffering is like. Those of you who are suffering - Jesus gets it! He knows your pain. He embodied your pain on the cross and feels it with you; you are not alone in your suffering!
In Acts 14:22 it says “where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.”
As followers of Jesus, there are times when we must go through hardships to go to the kingdom of God. Following Jesus does not remove your suffering. In fact, God does not remove suffering; he redeems it. He redeems it for the good of the world and for our good. God desires for you to let him redeem it in ways bigger than you might ever imagine.
The closer we get to the heart of Jesus, the closer we get to the heart that aches for the suffering in the world!
We don’t follow Jesus to get out of suffering, we follow him through it.
3. God is not angry; he's covered in grace!
Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.”
At the center of this whole story is grace! Never forget God is not mad at you; he loves you, he poured his heart out for you, and he made a way for you to come back to him.
He sent his own son to tear the barrier apart and invited each of us to step in and step close. There is not an angry God on a throne ready to throw down judgment, there’s a loving God, longing to be close to you.
In Matthew 6:10, Jesus reminds us to pray “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” As followers of Jesus, we remember these three truths and continue to be an ambassador of Heaven here on earth, sharing with others how much God loves them, and that his grace flows from Heaven.
For more information on this topic, check out our sermon series The End here.
Johnson, Darrell W. Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey through the Book of Revelation. Canadian Church Leaders Network, 2021.