AT HOME WITH GOD
 
I’ve had a lot of questions over the years of what I think Heaven would be like. I would like to have the answers, especially in the last little while. And I’m content to wait for God to show us in his time. But what I’m going to talk about today is something that has been on my heart for some time and I’ve felt a deeper understanding of what Jesus was teaching us about his hope and faith and love for our lives here on earth that will continue on in Heaven. 
We know we will get a new supernatural body at the time of the Final Resurrection when Jesus comes back. But there is still a time in between - being with the Lord in Heaven before that Final Resurrection that I’m going to look at here, and it is clear that we will have a recognisable resurrected body just as Jesus had when he walked the earth for forty days after his resurrection. But other than that, we cannot be specific It has not yet been revealed what we shall be (1 John 3:2).
I’m speaking today about being at home with God in our inner being whether we are on earth, or whether we are at home with him in Heaven.
Jesus tried to explain to his disciples about how he was leaving them to go and be at home with his Father and he said he was going to prepare a home for them also. He used the word ‘mansion’ to describe that home (mone – abiding with, making a home. God being at home with us and us being at home with God.
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am, there you may be also. Jesus went on to say If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home (mansion – mone) with him.
So I have two questions.
How do we build that house so that we can be at home with God and he can be at home with him?
And how do we live in that house?
We will look first at how Paul tells us how to start to build the house.
1Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
The foundation is the work of Jesus Christ, the foundation stone that gave his life for us that we could become partakers of the Divine nature through the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit in us burns off the dead wood of dead works of wood and hay and stubble, such as ego and ambition and superficial superspiritual success. He transforms us into the likeness of Jesus. The likeness of Jesus is the silver and the gold. The silver represents his redeeming mercy and forgiveness, and the gold represents the nature of God. The fire represents the trials of faith spoken of by Peter.
1Peter 1: 7,9 For a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, or a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with unspeakable joy and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls
We will now look at how to live in the house by looking at some things we have mentioned that Jesus has said. Jesus said in my Father’s house there are many mansions (mone – at home with God). I go to prepare a place for you.(John 14:2). There is a unique individual mone for every person ever born – no two people build the same house for God. 
Jesus said My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home (mansion – mone) with him. (John 14:23).
The unique spiritual home (mone-mansion) that we build with God and for God becomes the dwelling place for The Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit who each have a role to play for us and with us in the building and the purpose and meaning to be expressed in that house that is our home. The Father is the designer and provider of the style, the furniture the decoration, the colour and the variety and character of the house. That lovely House of yours that the Father designed with you will draw people to meet Jesus in your unique and special way.  Just as he designed every little detail of  his creation here on earth. With such intention, beauty, and creativity and with its own personal nature – just look around you.
 Jesus is the word of truth and faith and love grace that creates the life and character of the conversation in the house. That becomes the expression of how we are in the world and in relationship with the people around us. When you work on building your HOUSE with good things, the right paint and furnishings and plan, burning off the deadwood of the ego and getting rid of as much junk as you can and making an inviting HOME with the Father, then Jesus, the WORD will speak through you naturally in His way, and You can trust in that and have Faith for it. 
The Holy Spirit is the one who transforms every person who is welcomed into our house. This transformation starts with us and touches the minds and hearts of all who come in. 
The Holy Spirit is the Translator and interpreter. You won’t have to try to get your point across, the Holy Spirit does that for you. 
You won’t need to strive in your opinions to make people believe what you say, or to “Get it” because they will supernaturally hear and understand by the grace of God it. That is his job and he does it well. We get caught up in thinking its our job.
That was always the way Christianity was meant to be. Jesus said once to his disciples You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (John 5:39). Jesus challenges the Church to hear those words and do them. Too often the Church seems to have had a better idea about knowing God – Just read about him and argue with one another about what the Bible says about him. 
 
We have 36,000 Christian denominations making too much room for everyone telling his neighbour about God and perhaps not enough room to let God be at home in us and us at home in him. That way we would share about who we know around a family table instead of debate about what we know from behind a pulpit. It is not too late to start and my hunger for spiritual fellowship is to bring Him whom we are getting to know to a living table in a living room in a spiritual home that he is dwelling in and that he is helping us to build. We are offered the opportunity to build that home in which we can be at home with God. 
Paul said I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) 
But Paul also tells us that even though a course on earth may be finished, there is more to come in Heaven. He even tells us that he experienced being taken to the third Heaven to see Heavenly mysteries that he was not permitted to utter on the earth (2Corinthians 12:2). 
He tells us that when all earthly things pass away faith and hope and love will continue to operate eternally.
1Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Only Jesus finished his eternal course completely on earth, but for everybody else there will be age to age learning of the unfolding of the revelation of the nature of God to us.
We are offered our course to be lived at home with him on the earth and then he brings us to our home in Heaven where a greater dimension of building that home with him continues to unfold. 
The more we dwell with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit – at home with God here on earth the more they unveil who they are to us, whether we are here on earth or in Heaven, because faith and hope and love are eternal and will remain from age to age for people to come to know and love God more and more. This becomes our age-to-age eternal destiny.
Paul OSullivan - [email protected].
 
 

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