n the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his followers about our future in heaven: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am” (John 14:1-3; NLT).
In this special, comforting passage, Jesus tells us of peace, a place and a promise. First, He tells us not to be “troubled.” The way to inner peace starts when we resist anxiety and worry by believing in God, His Word and His ways.
We can have inner peace, knowing where we are going after this life and who will be there. Our faith is in Father God and His only Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our redemption. They will be with us in heaven and are trustworthy enough to provide all we need for this life and our journey there (2 Pet. 1:3).
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Next, we can look forward to that place where we will have eternal fellowship and happiness with Jesus, our Lord. We can be encouraged to know we will always be with Him where He is (John 14:3). In The Message paraphrase of this verse, Jesus says, “I’m on my way to get your room ready.”
The Holy Spirit of God currently lives with believers and is in them (John 14:16-17). Scripture teaches that when we die on earth, our spirits are instantly transformed, given heavenly bodies that will never die (1 Cor. 15:51-55), and at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6b) in the paradise of God (2 Cor.12:2-5).
Finally, we have Jesus’ personal promise that “When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with Me where I am.” As we have received Him by faith, now He promises us He is coming again to receive us and all who have been “born again” from above by the Holy Spirit (John 3:2-5).
We Must Be Born Again
In John 3, Jesus explained to a Jewish religious leader the necessity of being born again: “Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, “You must be born again”‘” (John 3:5-6).
Since sin entered the world (Gen. 2:15-17, 3:1-7), we have been cut off from our intended spiritual connection with God, who is spirit. The Scripture says we are “dead” spiritually because of our disobedience and many sins (Eph. 2:1b).
By the renewing and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, natural, sinful humans can be reconnected to God and recharged from above by a spiritual rebirth of the Holy Spirit. We are not only given new power but a new destiny as well.
We must not be passive listeners in the crowds around Jesus but committed followers and disciples. His ways must become our ways. We must want to please Him in all we are and do.
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Gary Curtis served for 27 years as part of the pastoral staff of The Church on The Way, the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California. Since retirement in 2016, he has continued to blog at worshipontheway.wordpress.com. Gary and his wife live in Southern California and have two married daughters and five grandchildren.
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