A FRIEND of the writer's was visiting a dying woman who was happy in the Lord, and in the thought of being with Him forever when the tenderest ties of earth would be snapped and she had fallen asleep. The Christian friend was an honored preacher of the Gospel, and doubtless was speaking to the sick one of Christ in heaven, and it may be His coming again; of His having accomplished redemption, and gone to prepare a place for us in the Father's house. But whatever were the exact words he uttered, the impression conveyed to the mind of a little child who was present, was that the speaker came from heaven; and after a while she looked up in the gentleman's face and said, "Is your home in heaven?”
What a question? But surely if we heard one speaking of France, and of the wonderful things in it with which he seemed familiar, it would not be unreasonable to inquire if his home were in France.
The truth is that the believer, though bodily on earth, is a "partaker of the heavenly calling," is “not in the flesh," though the flesh is in him, but “in the spirit; not in Adam," as he once was, but “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." He is a heavenly person, for “as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." By divine grace, and divine power, and according to divine righteousness, he is in a new place before God. He is sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He is complete, or filled full in Him, so that he has no other position before God than in Christ Jesus. His place is inside the veil, and the favor of God rests upon him in the Beloved; in whom he has redemption through His blood, and is blessed with all spiritual blessings. Christ is his life, Christ is also the measure of his acceptance and sanctification and nearness to the Father, so that he is enjoined to have his affection or mind set on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
He is bound up with Christ Jesus in life, righteousness, and peace, as well as relationships and offices.
He is born from above, and his inheritance, relationships, possessions, resources for strength, wisdom, and fruit-bearing are all there; so that “our citizenship is in heaven." And, in sweet accordance with these wonders of divine grace, after our Lord had atoned for our sins on the cross, and was raised again for our justification, He made known to His disciples that they were not only to enjoy the peace He had made, but they were also to know the new relationships they were now brought into as His "brethren" and as children of God—" My Father and your Father, my God and your God.”
Being this brought into these new and unchanging relationships, He added, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." When our Lord made this gracious announcement He was risen from among the dead, but after that He ascended, and as man went into the glory that He had from the Father before the world was. From thence He has sent down the Holy Ghost, not only to announce the glad tidings of divine grace, but to unite all believers on earth to Himself in heaven. Having led captivity captive, He also received gifts for men; and all our endowments, ministries, gifts, and grace for service flow from Him there, so that our mission into this world day by day is from there.
“To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
Thus every believer has a mission; he is sent into the world as God's child to do the will of Him that sent him. His life, resources, and inheritance being in heaven, and his new position there in Christ, he is sent from thence into this world day by day to do the will of our Lord. And surely there is all the difference between looking at ourselves as on earth and going to heaven (though great here in some respects), and the taking of our place and abiding in it continually as there now in Christ Jesus, and coming down here as sent out to do the will of another. We are then not of the world. “If ye were of the world," said our Lord," the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19; 20:19-2119If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19)
19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:19‑21)).
We can then understand what another meant when he said, “During my pilgrimage I have met with a great many who were going to heaven, but I have met with very few who have come from heaven." Oh, that we might have our minds on things above, and not on things on the earth, for we have died, and our life is hid with Christ in God! When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
Precious prospect! But we are persuaded that the point of such moment for the present time is, whether heaven is our home, whether the coming of the Lord Himself for us, the Father's home, the reign with Christ, and sharing glory with Him outweigh with us the value of all the best things of this earth; then surely our minds will be set on things above and not on things on the earth.
What we have to fear is, lest, like the two tribes and a half, we should be showing interest in the land of promise, and help others to enter into the inheritance, while like them we deliberately choose to settle down on this side of Jordan. May God awaken our consciences as to this; so that heavenly ways and heavenly-mindedness may manifest, without our speaking of it, that we are “partakers of the heavenly calling," and enjoy the unspeakably precious truth that "our citizenship is in heaven,” and that we are therefore looking for the Savior to take us bodily there in a changed body of glory like His own (Phil. 3:20, 2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21)).
H. H. S