Heavenly Things And Our Response

Feature 3 – April 2014 — Grace & Truth Magazine

HEAVENLY Things
And Our Response

The first time the New Testament reports something about “heavenly things” is in our Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (Jn. 3:12 NKJV ). The Lord Jesus called Nicodemus “the teacher of Israel” (not just “a teacher” – v.10); yet this highly trained man was unaware of one of the most basic issues related to spiritual life: the need to be born again. With his Jewish background he thought that he was already born again. His bar-mitzvah at age 12, his marriage before his rabbinical training, his ordination as a rabbi and as the head of a rabbinical academy were supposedly means to be “born again.” As good as these things may have been they could not bring divine life, even though the Jewish leaders thought so. That is why Nicodemus asked the Lord how he, an older man, could be born again. The rest of John 3 shows more about this very important matter of which the Lord was, and still is, the most reliable Witness. He said, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven” (Jn 3:13). Yet He was rejected by many at the time (1:11) even though He was the One who brought life from heaven down here and was able to communicate it to those who would accept it in faith (1:12). What about you: are you already born again? And what is your attitude toward Him?

In His talk with Nicodemus the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel – spoke about “heavenly things” (3:12) and “eternal life” (3:15). In order to receive these things and understand them one “must be born again,” that is “from above.” This is what it means to be born of or through “water” – through the life-giving Word of God – and of or through the “Spirit” which implies a work of the Holy Spirit (see verse 8). Later in John’s gospel we learn that Nicodemus came to believe in the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior, and that he paid the price of following Him as he was rejected by his fellow Jews. Fear of man, probably, had been the reason for Nicodemus to come by night for his initial encounter with the Lord. But he overcame that fear and continued as an overcomer even though the Jewish leaders rejected him. What happened to the Master also happens to His followers. A few years later Saul of Tarsus, who became the apostle Paul, experienced a similar rejection. After Saul met Christ, who appeared to him from heaven (Acts 9:3), he became the one to speak much about heavenly things even though he had persecuted the Jewish believers. He saw the rejected Jesus of Nazareth in His magnificent glory (Heb. 2:9), and this encounter completely changed his life. If you receive Christ as your personal Savior today, this will be the beginning of a new life and it will mark the rest of your life on earth.

What Are These Heavenly Things?
Heavenly things (Jn. 3:12-13) are linked to the Lord Jesus Himself and they divide those who belong to Him from those who don’t. The Lord Jesus showed Nicodemus that a link exists between heavenly things and eternal life, or life everlasting. The rest of John 3, especially verses 31-36, makes this abundantly clear. Now we return to the apostle Paul who wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). Although Paul did not use the term “eternal life” as in John 3, it is implied in the language that he used as led by the Holy Spirit. The expression “in Christ Jesus” is typical for Paul’s writings and it is found seven times in Ephesians (1:1, 2:6,10,13, 3:11,21 – and probably 49 times in all of Paul’s writings). It points to the rejected Jesus of Nazareth who is the Messiah – which is His title in Hebrew; “Christ” in Greek; “Anointed” in English – even though He is now in heaven. “In Him” we received eternal life when we repented and came to believe in Christ. In doing so we received every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. Heavenly things are very real and are linked to the exalted Christ and communicated to us by the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Things Belong To A Heavenly Realm
The term “eternal life” has two aspects: the life which we have received through believing in Him (Jn. 3:16, 36) and the realm into which we will be received “unto eternal life.”

Christ Himself is “the eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:20), and we received Him when we believed. Eternal life is enjoyed by having fellowship with Him, and this is compared to fruit that lasts “unto eternal life” (Jn. 4:36) where we will be forever with the Lord. (This same expression “unto / into eternal life” also occurs in Mt. 25:46; Jn. 4:14, 6:27, 12:25; Acts 13:48; Rom. 5:21; 1 Tim. 1:16 and Jude 1:21. It has different perspectives depending on the context.) Just as the Father’s house has many mansions (Jn. 14:2), so it is with this realm called “the eternal life.” This sphere or realm has room for all believers from whatever period of time they are. Of course, this does not set aside the special position and relationship the believers have who belong to the present period of grace, which will be concluded when the Lord Jesus will come again and take us away to be with Himself (1 Th. 4:16-18; 1 Cor. 15:51) – He is our blessed hope (Ti. 2:13). Regarding His coming, differences of understanding exist between companies of believers. Yet there is something all believers have in common – eternal life – even though not all have it in the abundance we know it today (Jn. 10:10).

Some believe that the details given by Paul in Ephesians 1:4-14 are a summary of all the spiritual blessings mentioned in 1:3. However, this passage describes our new position as believers and our association with God, our Father. It outlines what was needed and what God has done to give us the position in which we are able to receive all these blessings as well as the relationship in which we enjoy them. The apostle prays in verses 15-19 that we may enter into the enjoyment of this new relationship and may understand, at least in a measure, what God has done with Christ (1:18-23) and with us (2:1-10). The heavenly things themselves are then summarized in 2:13-21, but again Paul emphasizes the new position and relationship in which we enjoy these heavenly things. Chapter 3 describes the present period – the dispensation of grace – in which the heavenly things that are “in Christ Jesus,” which we have received through faith and through a work of the Holy Spirit, have been revealed and communicated to us. Praise God! This chapter concludes with Paul’s prayer and worship and connects us, that is all the believers of the period of grace, with heavenly things that are eternal and that always will lead to a response to the Father throughout eternity (3:14-21).

Other Authors About Heavenly Things
Peter had been called by the Lord Jesus while He was on earth and was prominent among the Twelve. Having failed his Lord, Peter was restored by the resurrected Christ who, just before His ascension to heaven, gave him a special commission. On the other hand, Paul received his mission from the glorified Lord and from the region of heavenly things, sometimes called “the heavenlies” (both are exactly the same in the Greek). Peter, called by the Lord on earth, speaks about heavenly things and he does so to encourage the believers in difficult situations, distresses and persecutions. The apostle Peter had witnessed the Lord Jesus ascend to heaven (Lk. 24:45-53; Acts 1:9-11) not long after He had given him instructions (Jn. 21:15-22; Acts 1:1-8), some of which the other apostles received as well. In his two epistles Peter teaches and encourages the believers, drawing them to Christ who had been rejected by His people but showing that He had been welcomed in heaven and is seated at God’s right hand. He points the believers to whom he writes, including us today, to draw from the heavenly Christ what they need in order to persevere. Although under the enemy’s attacks, he wants them to realize that they were chosen (elected by God), sanctified (set apart for Him) and redeemed (delivered, set free) in view of “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). Peter concludes this wonderful passage with these words, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (v.8).

All this fits well with the teaching the Lord Jesus proclaimed while on earth. In the so-called Sermon on the Mount He instructed His disciples about a path of opposition and rejection. He knew that He would be rejected by His earthly people and by the human race in general. That is why He prepared His disciples – and us today – to consciously link themselves with heavenly things during the time their Lord would be rejected and absent from this scene. For this reason He also emphasized the need to seek the things above, heavenly things, to be kept in close communion with Him. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:19-21). This does not mean that we should neglect our earthly duties or despise earthly things – not at all. It means that we must see everything in perspective with the heavenly light we have received and, through faith, we may introduce the Lord into the scene where we are and into the earthly things we are occupied with. Doing so we will be strengthening ourselves in the grace which is in Christ Jesus as Paul instructed Timothy to do (2 Tim. 2:1).

An Ongoing Challenge
As long as we are on earth and deal with earthly things, we need to occupy ourselves with heavenly things: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). This quote does not suggest or promote a kind of dichotomy [split] as if we must divide our lives into two parts, one heavenly and one earthly. On the contrary, the Christian lives here on earth but at the same time draws his resources from above in constant communication with heaven. He does this in continuous prayer as if breathing in the heavenly atmosphere, drawing what he needs from Christ Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit.

An illustration in the realm of nature may help us grasp this point. A type of water-spider envelops itself in a bubble of air when it goes into the water to stay there, at least for a while. Without the air-bell it would not last. Similarly, a Christian envelops himself with the heavenly atmosphere where Christ is so that he can survive in this world that cast Him out. The only way to do so is by drawing our resources from Him who is seated at God’s right hand and who sustains us from there through His Spirit who dwells in us. God is able to sustain His children in a world that is totally opposed to Him. Our side is this: in the measure we lay up treasures in heaven, in that same measure we strengthen ourselves in the grace that is in Christ Jesus in order to survive as His disciples. By living for Him in this world, witnessing of Him and shining for Him, we seek the things that are above. Doing so, we will receive all that we need from Him who is at God’s right hand and who has all power in heaven and on earth. What more do we need?

The Matter Of Stewardship And Heavenly Things
There is another aspect to this subject: stewardship – a responsibility that should be practiced in accordance with Paul’s instructions to Timothy. Those who are rich in this world should not be proud or trust in their riches. Rather, Paul exhorts us to put our trust in the living God (1 Tim. 6:17). He gives all things richly for us to enjoy. All these earthly things belong to Him anyway but He lends them to us to enjoy them for the time being. He wants us to be good stewards of these temporary blessings which belong entirely to God. Yes, our body, health, talents, job, house, money, whatever earthly blessings we can think of, they all belong to Him, our Creator and Redeemer. Are we using these things as good stewards and for His glory? If so, then God can entrust to us our heavenly blessings, which really belong to us, as we have seen in Ephesians 1:3. These are our eternal portion which we may enjoy already now. But if we are not faithful stewards of the earthly things, how can He entrust us these heavenly things to enjoy? In other words: as far as our position in Christ is concerned the heavenly blessings belong to us, but to enjoy them we need to be good stewards of the earthly things. The parable of the unjust steward shows the need of the right balance, to be faithful and prudent in earthly things, and the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus shows what really counts with God (Lk. 16).

In Matthew the Lord often refers to the kingdom of heaven and He shows that what is true for heaven should also be true for His disciples on earth even in the context of adverse circumstances in which they represent the rejected King. He said, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). This is the challenge He leaves with us today, similar to what we saw in Matthew 6:19-21. The Lord summed it all up when He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (6:33). We have some homework to do, don’t we?

By Alfred Bouter