Your dream house (1)

Few things in life compare to the excitement of moving into your dream house. But if you’re a redeemed child of God, here’s the score: No matter how beautiful your dream house on earth may be, it’s nothing compared to the one you will have in eter¬nity. That’s why Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2 NKJV). When it comes to the house we want to live in, certain questions arise. First, what’s the price? Answer: More than you could ever afford! In order to redeem you and take you to heaven, God gave “his only begotten Son” (John 3:16 KJV). Nobody in heaven will ever say, “Look what Jesus and I accomplished.” That would make you a co-redeemer with Christ. It would be an insult to the cross. You’d be guilty of a level of pride that would make it impossible for you to live there. Hymnist Horatius Bonar wrote, “Upon a life I have not lived, upon a death I did not die; Another’s life; another’s death, I stake my whole eternity.” The Bible speaks of “laboring” and “working” for God, but don’t get it mixed up. You don’t work to be saved; you work because you are saved. You don’t labor for your redemption; you labor for your reward. That’s so “God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us” (Ephesians 2:7 NLT).

Soul food: Amos 1:1-5:17; Luke 19:1-10; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 19:12-16