In My Father’s House

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (Joh 14:2-3)

Journal,

While stationed in the Philippines Islands, I sometimes flew as a radioman aboard a P5M. These were seaplanes known as submarine chasers. Our role was to chart Soviet and Chinese shipping in the South China Sea, especially with regard to Vietnam.

When we reached a certain point I would send a coded message back to our home base, which said, ‘We have reached the point of no return.’ The message meant that in the event of problems, we would not return to base, but would need to go to a closer safety point.

The question I pose for this study is simple – Is there a point of no return for a true believer in Jesus Christ?

Let’s begin by talking about …

The Religious Struggle

One struggle some believers have is in trying to find the right religion. Thus they go from one group to another, seeking to find God’s perfect religion. The problem is that God’s blue print for life is not found in an earthly religion. Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world. 

Roman Catholics don’t have God’s blueprint. Neither do Southern Baptists, nor Pentecostals, nor any other group you could name. The blueprint of heaven is found in only one place. It is a matter of an encoding of the heart. 

Jesus said,

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

This is not to say that some Christian groups don’t have a better foundation of Biblical teachings than other groups. But the matter never changes. There is no institution or religious order on earth that can say, ‘We are the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through us.’ 

Of course no one would dare admit to making such a statement. But is this not the premise of many sectarian groups? They may not say it that way, but they certainly believe it.

Where is the Encoding to be Found

It needs to be understood that the encoding of the heart is found in only one way.

Listen carefully:

Moses – ‘It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?”‘

“Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?”‘

“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity.'” (Deu 30:12-15)

 

Paul – “But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows:

“‘DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, “WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?” (that is, to bring Christ down), or “WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).’

“But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, …

“… that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

“For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.'” (Rom 10:6-11)

Did you catch it? Read those Scriptures carefully. Let the Lord minister to your heart.

There is no disappointment for the person who believes in and has received into their own heart, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is in this event that the heavenly encode is sealed in the believer’s heart. The Bible calls this, ‘the seal of redemption.’ 

And so, Moses laid down where life and death is to be found. This great servant of God, had the Lord God and His promised Messiah in view. This is also where the term, ‘word of faith’, needs to be understood.

As a sub note – Some ‘word of faith’ teachings tend to obscure what this term means. We are not little gods on planet earth, who have the god-like ability to create things by simply speaking them into existence. That form of teaching belongs to the category of occultism.

[Occult defined – A belief in supernatural powers and the possibility of bringing them under human control. This is the underlying basis of witchcraft and spiritism of other sorts.]

You may want to view this study that I shared over three years ago. It is still relevant. Titled, ‘Beware of the Lie’

http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/04/beware-of-the-lie/

Living Life With the Encoding

Most believers today are spiritually mature enough to realize that God has people throughout the varied Christian groupings. We know full well where the encoding of heaven comes from.

The apostle said it well enough –

… the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 “We proclaim Him [Christ], admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Col 1:26-28)

The Bible says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And God wants all believers to discover this truth for themselves. It really isn’t a matter so much of where you attend church. This is no question that God does place His people into flocks. Simply be where the Lord wants you to be.

What is important, however, is that believers understand the essence of God’s heavenly covenant. The new covenant is an eternal covenant that gives us eternal life.

The people of the new covenant are a heavenly people. They are a people born of heaven. They are given a heavenly directed heart. (That is what being born again actually means.)

Jesus is the heart and soul of the new eternal covenant. His life is our life. This means that new covenant life is under the tutorship of the Spirit of Christ.

Listen very carefully once again:

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13:20-21)

Paul explains this very well when he says,

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)

And now let’s talk a bit about…

The Father’s House

Folk sometimes wonder what specific role does the Holy Spirit have in a believer’s life. There are many specifics to be had but the one most important to our walk of faith is how the Holy Spirit acts as our guide in our journey from earth to heaven.

Listen to these Scriptures:

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (Joh 16:12-14)

The Greek term for ‘truth’ speaks of an unveiled reality, that is, the very essence of a matter. Here the Lord is calling attention to the matters of the kingdom.

Notice Jesus said, “Whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

How real is this? Most believers are familiar with what Jesus said about His sheep –

But you [nonbelievers] do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Joh 10:26-29)

This Scripture responds to the first question I provided –

Is there a point of no return for a true believer in Jesus Christ?

The point of no return is set in place the very moment we are made a child of God.

This means that God’s people have the capacity to hear the Spirit of Christ speaking in their own hearts, also in providence, also in other ways too many to mention.

When Jesus said that He was ‘the Way’, this term resounds with prophetic overtones. He was saying that He alone is the way to the Father’s house.

The disciples saw the connection. We need to see the connection. This is why the earliest believers often referred to their walk with Jesus as, ‘the Way.’

Listen to the Psalmist as he describes both God speaking and how the Messiah sets forth the way of God:

I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly.

“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

“Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” (Psa 85:8-13)

Do you see it? The footsteps of Jesus became our way to heaven.

And so, we are back to where we started. 

Here is your meditation song. ‘You Raise Me Up‘. (Why not relax and let Jesus minister to your heart.)

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