Colossians 3:1-4; 1 John 2:25-3:3 – A Glorious Future
The one who has died with Christ and has been raised to a new life in Christ, has a glorious future to look forward to. The New Testament makes it very clear indeed that Jesus will come again in great power and glory, Acts 1:9 – 11, Matt.24:30. Those who are ‘in Christ will share in that great glory, for he will come to gather his elect people Matt. 24:31; they will be ‘caught up’ with Christ or will be the very first to be raised from the dead 1 Thess. 4:16,17, to be with their Saviour for ever.
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ will be manifested for all men to see, so the inner life of the believer ‘hidden in Christ’, will be manifested in the sight of all. During his life on earth the child of God has often found that his life does not match up to his profession, because of his daily struggles with indwelling sin and the temptations of the devil. As the apostle Paul said in Romans 7:19 ‘For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want’.
However, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, the true believer will not only be clearly shown to be what he has professed to be on earth, but will also enter into ‘joy of his Lord’. Jesus promised that there would be a place prepared for His people in heaven and that in due time He would return to take them to it, so that they would be for ever with Him in glory John 14:2,3.
What a glorious future awaits the faithful child of God, when sin and suffering, pain and temptation will be no more and he will bask in the fullness of the presence of God for ever.
Questions
- How much do you think about heaven?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that in Christ you have a glorious future.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.