{"id":2885,"date":"2014-05-31T09:19:58","date_gmt":"2014-05-31T09:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2885"},"modified":"2014-05-31T09:19:58","modified_gmt":"2014-05-31T09:19:58","slug":"hope-in-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2885","title":{"rendered":"Hope in Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hope in Heaven<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Smith, 1855
\nMany Christians have but little in\u00a0hand<\/em> \u2014 but they have much in\u00a0hope<\/em>. They have little on\u00a0earth<\/em>\u2014 but they have unsearchable wealth in\u00a0Heaven<\/em>. The present, is the worst state they will ever be in. All beyond death \u2014 is bright, beamy, and glorious. God has amply provided for them, and what he has provided is laid up securely in Heaven. Hence, Paul speaks of \u201cthe hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, whereof you heard before in the Word of the truth of the gospel\u201d (Colossians 1:5). The Christian\u2019s hope is a confident expectation of future good \u2014 but here\u00a0hope <\/em>is put for the\u00a0object hoped for<\/em>: the believer\u2019s hope is . . .
\nproduced by grace,
\nquickened by the promise, and
\ncenters in invisible blessedness!<\/p>\n

Let us notice \u2014<\/p>\n

First,\u00a0The Christian\u2019s hope<\/strong>. This consists in both\u00a0freedom <\/em>and\u00a0possession<\/em>. In\u00a0freedom <\/strong>from . . .
\nall the\u00a0pains <\/em>which we now experience, both in mind and body;
\nall the\u00a0hindrances <\/em>which are so thickly strewed in our way in this present world;
\nall the\u00a0fears <\/em>which now beset, agitate, and harass us, day by day;
\nall the\u00a0forebodings <\/em>which often make our lives bitter and gloomy;
\nall\u00a0sin <\/em>which is now our plague, disease, and torment;
\nall our\u00a0needs<\/em>, and all possibility of needing \u2014 for God will fully supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

Oh, what a mercy it will be to enjoy such\u00a0freedom<\/em>, and to possess the inward consciousness that it will be enjoyed forever!<\/p>\n

The Christian will not only be\u00a0free <\/em>from all that is painful and distressing \u2014 but he will alsopossess <\/strong>. . .
\nperfect, settled, and everlasting peace;
\nsinless faculties and immortal powers with which to serve and enjoy God forever;
\npermanent, perpetual, and uninterrupted joy;
\nthe presence and enjoyment of Jesus \u2014 we shall see Him, be with Him, and be like Him;
\nALL that we can consistently wish, desire, or pray for!<\/p>\n

O glorious hope! O blessed prospect! It leaves us nothing to long for, nothing to desire!<\/p>\n

Second,\u00a0The Christian\u2019s hope is laid up for him in Heaven<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It is laid up<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 that is, the substance of it is ready. It is laid up for us, therefore God appointed it for us. Jesus says it is a kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world. If it is laid up for us, there our hearts and our affections should be.<\/p>\n

It is laid up for us\u00a0in Heaven<\/em><\/strong>. This betokens . . .
\nits excellency, being kept in so excellent a place;
\nits certainty and security, no thieves can break through to steal;
\nits nature, it is spiritual, holy, Heavenly.<\/p>\n

It is laid up in Heaven\u00a0for you<\/em><\/strong>. This shows . . .
\nthat Jehovah knew all for whom he provided;
\nthat a man may know whether he has a hope laid up in Heaven or not;
\nthat well-instructed Christians do know and enjoy the fact.<\/p>\n

What rich grace has God displayed, in providing an inheritance in Heaven for us, and preparing us for that inheritance.<\/p>\n

Thirdly,\u00a0The means by which he becomes acquainted with it<\/strong>, is the gospel. God\u2019s gospel is the good news that he has given unto us eternal life. It contains the promise that all who believe in Jesus shall possess that life. It assures us, that all who sincerely desire it and earnestly seek for it \u2014 shall find it. It is called the\u00a0Word of truth <\/em>because it is the true Word, or every Word of it is truth; because Christ, who is the truth, is its author, object, and end.<\/p>\n

Have we received the gospel? Did we understand it as informing us that God had made glorious provision for us in Heaven? Did it beget hope in our hearts that we would possess the kingdom promised to believers? Do we feel satisfied that the gospel is the true Word, and that every\u00a0jot and tittle <\/em>of it must be accomplished?<\/p>\n

What a mercy it is . . .
\nwhen comforts run short,
\nwhen trials press sore,
\nwhen a dreary winter of affliction sets in<\/p>\n

\u2014 to remember that we have a priceless inheritance \u2014 an inheritance that is kept in heaven for us \u2014 pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay!<\/p>\n

How this blessed hope should . . .
\nquicken our zeal,
\nanimate our spirits, and
\nraise us above fear and despondency.<\/p>\n

It is not what we have now \u2014 but what we shall have in Heaven \u2014 which should affect us. The poor in this world, if rich in faith \u2014 are heirs of the kingdom which God has promised to those who love him. Oh, for clear views, bright evidences, and a steady hope of everlasting joys! Now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be \u2014 but when Jesus shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.<\/p>\n

Our glorious inheritance is\u00a0vast <\/em>beyond calculation, it is\u00a0safe <\/em>beyond the possibility of failure \u2014 but we must pass over\u00a0Jordan <\/em>to possess it. It is on the other side of the river, in the promised land. Let us, therefore, gird up the loins of our minds, he sober, and hope steadily for the grace that is to he brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ, The wilderness will soon be passed, the storms of life will soon subside \u2014 and then eternal calm and unclouded sunshine, will soon be our happy, endless portion. All glory to free grace!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hope in Heaven James Smith, 1855 Many Christians have but little in\u00a0hand \u2014 but they have much in\u00a0hope. They have little on\u00a0earth\u2014 but they have unsearchable wealth in\u00a0Heaven. The present, is the worst state they will ever be in. All beyond death \u2014 is bright, beamy, and glorious. God has amply provided for them, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-james-smith","category-believers-assurance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2886,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions\/2886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}