TEXT: Revelation 21:1-7
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
The Free State of Glory (Part 4)
People, today, of all walks of life, are fascinated by the afterlife and Heaven. Over the past decade, a handful of books by and about people who have died, gone to Heaven, and come back to tell about it have repeatedly topped bestsellers lists. Movies have been made out of two of those accounts. Some Christians point to these stories as proof that Heaven exists and that it is as wonderful as the Bible states. Skeptics attack these stories as either illusions that a person endured while close to death or outright lies meant to deceive the gullible. If we want certainty about Heaven, where can we look? It is not to a book written by a human being, but to the Bible and to Jesus Christ. Notice three key attributes of our beliefs about Heaven.
First, we can have certainty about Heaven because of Jesus Christ. John tells us that Jesus told him to “Write: for these words are true and faithful…. It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” John did not dream about Heaven. He did not make up what he thought Heaven would be like. He was ‘caught up in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day’ and received a vision about Heaven and an explanation about Heaven from none other than Jesus Christ who cannot lie. Jesus’ words are true and faithful. We can trust them. But not only can we trust that we have the truth about Heaven because of Jesus’ words, but we can trust that we have the truth about Heaven because of Jesus’ person. The Lord states that He is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. All of the books in the New Testament were written with just the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. There is nothing outside of Alpha and Omega; Jesus uses this comparison to emphasize that there is nothing outside of Himself. He is the beginning and the end. All of time, history, and eternity are wrapped up in Him. He is the consummator of all things. We can have certainty about Heaven because Jesus is the One who revealed Heaven to John and to us.
Not only can we have certainty about Heaven, but notice that we should have a thirst for Heaven. Jesus says, “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Dr. John Walvoord and Dr. Roy Zuck state that this “apparently refers not to physical thirst, but to a desire for spiritual blessings.” Do you desire to receive all of the benefits of a home in Heaven? Are you tired of this old world and the mock pleasures that it has to offer? Have you begun already to say, ‘this world is not my home’? While we are down here on this earth, it is okay to have a desire for Heaven. That desire should remind us that Jesus is preparing a place for us in His eternal kingdom — a place where there will be no more sin and no more suffering. If you are hungry for that place and the spiritual blessings that come with it, you can rest assured that you will be satisfied when you get there. Jesus Christ Himself has promised to allow you to drink freely of the water of life.
Finally, not only can we be certain about Heaven and not only should we have a thirst for Heaven, but we ought to keep in mind the inheritance that awaits us in Heaven. Jesus continues, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Who is “he that overcometh”? First John 5:5 answers, it is “he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” No matter how downtrodden we may be in life, all believers will eventually overcome because Jesus Christ overcame. Nothing could hold Jesus down; He rose from the grave, from death, and from hell. And because we are in Him, we will also rise. Because we are in Him, we will take part in the inheritance of Heaven — an inheritance that includes “all things.” All of the spiritual and physical blessings of Heaven will one day belong to us because we are overcomers in Christ and we are a part of God’s family through Jesus’ shed blood.
As we go through life with so much sin and death around us (and unfortunately within us), we can be certain about where we are going at the end of our life. We are going to Heaven not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of Jesus Christ who is the beginning and the end of all things. Through Him, our thirst for things that are not of this world will be satisfied and we will overcome everything that is in this world and enjoy our inheritance in Heaven for eternity.
C.A. Tindley wrote:
This world is one great battlefield,
With forces all arrayed;
If in my heart I do not yield
I’ll overcome someday.
Both seen and unseen powers join
To drive my soul astray,
But with God’s Word a sword of mine,
I’ll overcome someday.
A thousand snares are set for me,
And mountains in my way;
If Jesus will my leader be,
I’ll overcome someday.
Tho’ many a time no signs appear,
Of answer when I pray;
My Jesus says I need not fear,
I’ll overcome someday.
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Dear friend, wouldn’t you like to enjoy that glorious day — a day where there will be no more tears, no more crying, no more death, no more pain, and no more sorrow? Yes, you can have a home in the new heaven and the new earth if you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin and the consequences of sin. Allow me to share with you how you can do that today so that you can be ready for His return.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 