Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon. Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer 2008.
“… the hope that is stored up for you in heaven …†Colossians 1:5
Our hope in Christ for the future is the ultimate source of our joy here and now. This joy will set our hearts on fire to think of heaven, since all that we could ever want is promised there.
Here we are tired and run-down, but there lies the land of rest where the worker will no longer sweat with work, and fatigue will forever be banished. To those who are weary and spent, the word “rest†is full of heaven. We are always in the field of battle; we are so tempted within, and so tormented by enemies without, that we have little or no peace. But in heaven we will enjoy the victory, when the flag shall be waved high in triumph. The sword will be sheathed, and we shall hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.â€
Here we may suffer sorrow after sorrow, but we are going to the land of the immortal where graves are unknown things. Here sin is a constant discouragement to us, but there we will be perfectly holy, for there will be no way for any impurity to enter into the kingdom. Death cannot flower among the heavenly fields.
Isn’t it a wonderful truth that you are not to be banished forever, that you will not live eternally in the wilderness, but instead will soon inherit the beautiful promised land? Nevertheless, never think that we are dreaming about the future and forgetting the present! In fact, we should let our hope for the future help us to focus on the present.
Through the Spirit of God the hope of heaven is the most powerful force for development of virtue. It is a fountain of joyous effort and the cornerstone of cheerful holiness. Anyone who has this hope in them does their work with vigor, for the joy of the Lord is their strength. Such a person fights against temptation, for the hope of the next world repels the fiery darts of the devil. We can therefore labor even when we do not see immediate rewards, for we look forward to a reward in the world to come.
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