Future Glory’s Influence on Today

For the believer in Jesus Christ, the promise of His imminent return encourages us to right living.   We’ve been studying Heaven the last few weeks in our life group, (I’m loving team-teaching with Brenda!) and the question came to mind as we prepared for this week:

All this study of things future could get heady and intellectual if we’re not careful … what influence could future glory have on my outlook today?

We looked at the physical descriptions of the New Heavens, New Earth, New Jerusalem today and then we “brought it home”.  What does all this future-information mean for us  today?  Now?

Here’s where we landed:
Studying the future glory affects my Theology (my study of God), my understanding of Him.

God’s plan for the ages will be completed despite the Enemy’s attempts through the ages to thwart that plan.

On a personal level, my sin -my failure- will cost me (pain, heartache, time, fruits, rewards)
But God forgives. Heals. Restores through the Blood of His Son.

Proper response to sin (confession, humility, repentance) will bring a person back into useful service.  God will see to it.

God is not surprised by today’s news in our country – in our world.  It’s not even “news” to Him.
He knows what He’s doing – and when.

Which means I Can Trust Him
–  job
–  marriage
–  kids
–  aging parents
–  health
–  finances

Heaven, eternity together with God, will be SO rich. So sweet.
It will definitely be worth today’s pain and hardship.

I will worship Him unencumbered one day.
Forever!

There will be no pain, sorrow, no testing then,
But there is now.  They test and strengthen, try and prove me.
I can’t afford to waste today’s sorrows.

We’re going to talk more about those last two in our two remaining sessions, but I was encouraged today as I heard our people pray with depth and sincerity for others in the class going through some of those trials and sorrows right now.

I can’t imagine trying to live without God in my life, can you??