Wednesday, July 15, 2015

now and forever

  Forever is the word and the concept that I can't stop thinking about.  But, I realized that we make a distinction between living here and living somewhere else forever.  I've come to realize that forever finds its starting point now...here...and continues in the eternal dimension.  We are created beings who also need a redeemer to make it possible to move from now to forever.
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The book of Colossians puts it this way in the first chapter (verses 12-14):
'giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.'
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The past tense of the action affirms that when we have placed our trust...our faith...in the work of Jesus on the Cross we have moved from here to eternity.  Jesus put it this way, as recorded in John's gospel in the 5th chapter, 24th verse: 'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.'
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In a sense the past is passed when we have come at last to an honest recognition of just who Jesus is and what He has done for us.  Forever starts with Him at that moment and the transition to Heaven becomes the ultimate change of location..but not a change of status.
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Forever starts now!
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blessings,
Rob Smith

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