Living With Heaven In View
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
For those of us that have “put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27) and have been made new (2 Corinthians 5:17) to walk in a newness of life (Romans 6:3-5), there should be a focus in our lives.
As one faithful preacher put it, “I’m living in this world, but this world does NOT live in me!”
Why is that the case for the faithful though?
Because we are “Living With Heaven In View” not this old sinful world.
In Romans 8:37-39 Paul reminds us of how to keep our focus true and where it ought to be always.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
With this in mind what mindset is necessary to keep fighting for that victory in Jesus?
Victory, based in a focus on heaven needs…
A Present State Of Mind
A Present State Of Mind
We Are More Than Conquerors.
We Are More Than Conquerors.
Again, Paul writes in Romans 8:37…
Romans 8:37 (ESV)
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors…
As Christians who are keeping our minds on the prize ahead, we must always remember we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
Before Paul writes those powerful words, he discusses what cannot separate us from the love of God.
Not tribulations, distress, persecutions, famine, nakedness, danger, death, etc., nothing, why, because we are more than conquerors because God is on our side “at this very moment.”
Summary
Summary
We must stay ever present remembering we there is nothing in this life that can keep our focus off of our goal of heaven.
This is only possible if we are constantly remember…
A Past Sacrifice
A Past Sacrifice
He Loved Us.
He Loved Us.
Romans 8:37 ends with this…
Romans 8:37 (ESV)
37 …we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
We have often read “John 3:16” as…
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…
This lends to the idea that God was so moved by his love that he gave us his son and though that is true the actual meaning of the verse is…
John 3:16 (CSB)
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only begotten Son…
My point is this, when we focus on “Living with heaven in View” within our daily lives we must also stay focused on what God was willing to do for us in order to be able to presently be “more than conquerors.”
Summary
Summary
A victory in Christ only happens if we are currently focused on the fact that “if God is for us who can be against us.”
This focus is possible, only if we keep in mind that past sacrifice made on our behalf wherein God “demonstrated his love for us.”
Lastly, if we want live with heaven in view and a victory at hand, we must focus on our…
Future Stability
Future Stability
Nothing Can Separate Us From God.
Nothing Can Separate Us From God.
Romans 8.38-39…
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s promises are sure and true and there is nothing anyone can do to us to get us to lose our “future stability” but us.
God has promised those that keep their eye on the prize, their view on heaven and an eternity with him we will receive a victorious crown.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Summary
Summary
Our future stability is cemented in God’s promises.
We need only run the race with endurance and remain steadfast under trial.
Conclusion
Conclusion
If our focus is on “Living With Heaven In View” then our reward will be an eternal victory in Christ.
Victory comes to those who…
Keep a “present state of mind.”
Remember that all important “past sacrifice.”
Hold fast to the “future stability” offered by our God.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.