An Amazing Inheritance!

Romans 4:13 - It is clear, then, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God's law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith. NLT
Are you ready to inherit the earth? Are you ready to be a steward of this creation of God? Are you ready to live now as if everything around you will one day belong to you? Many of the followers of Jesus who have set their future hopes on heaven are going to be surprised to find out that the ultimate purpose of God includes redeeming and restoring this fallen planet for the children of God! The fact is, the way we currently live and work during this vapor of time called “life” will have eternal ramifications for all of us in the world to come.

The “eternal state” of we human creatures is not to be taken up with being chubby babies floating about on clouds playing harps! Neither are we to be phantoms or wisps flitting about in some eternal state of nothingness. We are to be “ourselves”, but more so! We will be eternally strong and youthful in body, but unimaginably wise, creative and intelligent. Our celestial bodies will never get sick, experience weakness or grow weary! We will work in a labor of love, employing our gifts, talents and abilities without toil, sweat or the curse of “burnout!” Work will be play, and play will be work! Nothing will be meaningless or fruitless! We will enjoy the wonders of God’s creation as they were meant to be from the beginning of time. All of the curse of sin, sickness, death, natural disasters, war, famine, corrupt governments, etc…, will be cleansed from creation and we will be put in charge of this new earth to govern in love and justice.

These Biblical truths and more are why it is so important for us to live today as if every word and deed counts for eternity. All of these amazing realities are based upon this new relationship we can have with God through simple faith! We can truly have it all, some now, most later! Now, we are called to enjoy what God gives, while giving much of it away for the purpose of advancing the gospel of the kingdom of God in all the nations of the earth. We are charged to pray for the kingdom to come now and to work toward that end, while understanding that much may not reveal itself till later in the new order to come. We are called to pray, share, serve, love, reach, help, proclaim and give so that others may be benefited and experience the tangible love of Jesus the Christ. We are also called to take care of the creation of God and steward the earth in such a way as to advance humanity and care for the environment and creatures of God. What we do with what we’ve got now, will determine what we receive in the new heaven and the new earth later!

As I have sat on the beach here in Mazatlan and enjoyed the beauty around me, I have been reminded that this current world is only “The Shadowlands” of a lasting reality within the reach of those who have been given the faith to believe. If the “Shadowlands” can be so captivating and glorious, what must the “True Land” of the new heaven and new earth be like? I can only imagine!

Revelation 21:1-5 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." NLT