“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
The disciples were rejoicing that they were able, through Jesus, to see people healed, etc. Jesus told them that this is not the reason to rejoice, but that they should rejoice because their “names are written in heaven.” This is also a reason for us to rejoice. This statement of Jesus has a wider meaning, and I want to share that wider meaning with you. If our names are written in heaven, it means that we have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This means that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us. We do not have to walk through the maze of life without guidance from the Lord. Jesus gave a promise of this in John 16:13: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and will show you things to come.” A relationship with Jesus means that we have divine guidance in understanding scripture, doing the right thing in decisions that we make in life and we have the power to help us live victoriously and witness effectively. Because of this relationship with Jesus, we can have daily fellowship with Him, and we can call on Him in prayer all day every day. Because of this relationship with Jesus, we have said yes to God’s eternal plan of salvation. If our names are written in heaven, it means that we have fellowship with others who have their names written in heaven. It is a shame that we have come to see Christian fellowship as having a party after church on Sunday night. This is one example of the misunderstanding of Christian fellowship. Real Christian fellowship is not a matter of just attending church together, although that is certainly part of it. As I have grown older and have been through a real crisis in my life in the past three years, I see Christian fellowship as having people praying for you on a daily basis. There is nothing to take the place of knowing that people are praying for you, and that they really care about you. This kind of Christian fellowship reaches far beyond the local church. But I do not want to demean fellowship in the local church, because that is an important part of Christian fellowship. In the local church fellowship, we study the Bible together, we pray together and we worship God together through singing, giving, preaching and responding to the message. We also minister to each other and encourage each other during trying times in life. I thank God that I am part of a local fellowship of Christian people. If our names are written in heaven, it means that we have assurance of eternal life. We need to remember that eternal life does not begin when we die and go to heaven. Eternal life begins when Jesus indwells us with His Spirit and gives us the divine resources that only He can give. Eternal life is the gift that God gives us for putting our faith and trust in His Son. It is an invitation to never-ending life. Jesus made a promise to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, in John 11:25-26 that applies to us as well: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. 26. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die…” That is an amazing promise. It means that death is not the end of life, but the beginning of a greater life than we could ever know on this earth. My prayer for you today is that your name is written in heaven because of your belief in Jesus Christ. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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