Setting Our Hearts on Home

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). This is not poetry but reality. In Christ, our papers are stamped, our identity fixed, our destiny set.

The faithful before us lived this way. “They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16). So we gladly live as pilgrims, rejoicing that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).

What Heaven Is and Why It Matters

Heaven is first the dwelling of God, and to be there is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). It is the promised place Christ has prepared for His own. “In My Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2).

Scripture points us both to immediate presence with Christ and to the coming fullness in the new heavens and new earth. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

- With Christ at death (Luke 23:43; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8)

- With Christ in the renewed creation forever (Revelation 21:1–5; 2 Peter 3:13; 1 Peter 1:4)

Heaven Is Christ Himself

The center of heaven is Jesus. “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see My glory” (John 17:24). Heaven is beholding Him, unhindered and unending.

“And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). “Whom have I in heaven but You?” (Psalm 73:25). This is our joy and rest.

- Seeing His glory (John 17:24)

- Fullness of joy in His presence (Psalm 16:11)

- Undivided worship (Revelation 5:9)

- Fellowship of a blood-bought multitude (Revelation 7:9)

The Present Pilgrimage and the Coming Resurrection

To die in Christ is immediate gain. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). We are “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8) while we await the resurrection of the body.

Our Lord will return in glory. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

- Immediate presence with Christ is gain (Philippians 1:21–23)

- Bodily resurrection is our great hope (1 Corinthians 15:42–49, 52–53)

- Our forever home is the new creation (Revelation 21:1–4)

Living Now as Citizens of Heaven

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). Eyes up, hearts steady, hands faithful.

We invest where moth and rust cannot touch. “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20–21). Our inheritance is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

- Worship and the Word daily (Psalm 16:8–11; Hebrews 12:22–24)

- Holiness and repentance (1 John 3:2–3)

- Generosity that follows us into eternity (Matthew 6:20; Revelation 14:13)

- Courageous witness (Acts 1:8)

- Perseverance in suffering (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17)

- Mutual encouragement (Hebrews 10:24–25)

Rewards, Crowns, and Kingdom Responsibilities

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). This is not condemnation for believers but evaluation and reward from our righteous Judge.

Reward is grace crowning grace. “From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). Faithfulness now signals stewardship then (Luke 19:11–19).

- Crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)

- Crown of life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)

- Crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4)

- Greater trust for proven servants (Luke 19:17)

Comfort in Grief, Courage in Suffering

This hope steadies grieving hearts. “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). We bury in faith and wait for the trumpet.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “He will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4). Victory belongs to Christ. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

- Christ shares our sorrows and sustains us (Hebrews 4:15–16)

- Afflictions produce an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17)

- Death’s sting is broken by the risen Lord (1 Corinthians 15:54–57)

Mission Fueled by Heaven’s Hope

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). Therefore we go, make disciples, teach, and baptize—confident of His presence. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Our labors aim toward a worshiping multitude—“a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue” (Revelation 7:9).

- Urgency shaped by eternity (2 Corinthians 5:11)

- Confidence shaped by Christ’s authority (Matthew 28:18)

- Joy shaped by the sure outcome (Revelation 7:9–10)

Anticipating the New Creation

“In keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Creation groans now, but glory is coming.

“No longer will there be any curse... They will see His face” (Revelation 22:3–4). Life will be worship, service, and unbroken communion under the Lamb.

- Righteousness at home forever (2 Peter 3:13)

- Holy service as joy (Revelation 22:3)

- Nations healed and flourishing (Revelation 22:2)

- God with His people without veil (Revelation 21:3–4; 22:4)

Holding Fast, Pressing On

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Hope fixes our feet for daily faithfulness.

Rejoice that your name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Keep longing for “the blessed hope” as you serve until He comes (Titus 2:13).

- Death: immediate presence with Christ for believers (Luke 23:43; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8)

- Return of Christ: resurrection and gathering of His people (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; 1 Corinthians 15:51–53)

- Believers’ judgment for reward, not condemnation (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10–12; Romans 8:1)

- Christ’s reign in fulfillment of all promises (1 Corinthians 15:25; Revelation 20:1–6)

- Final judgment of the unrepentant (Revelation 20:11–15)

- New heaven and new earth with New Jerusalem (Revelation 21–22)

Conscious Fellowship with Christ, Not “Soul Sleep”

Scripture teaches that believers are conscious with Christ at death. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). “We... would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Paul’s desire “to depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23) rests on this assurance. The body awaits resurrection, yet the believer’s person is with the Savior now.

Resurrection Bodies: Real, Glorious, Incorruptible

Our future is embodied, not ethereal. Christ’s empty tomb and risen body lead the way (Luke 24:39–43; Philippians 3:21). Glory does not cancel creation; it perfects it.

“For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). Continuity of identity and discontinuity of weakness mark the change (1 Corinthians 15:42–44).

Continuity, Culture, and Calling in the New Earth

The new earth is truly earth—healed, holy, and home. The kings of the earth “will bring their glory and honor into it” (Revelation 21:26), signaling redeemed culture under Christ.

Service continues as worship: “His servants will serve Him” (Revelation 22:3). Vocation, beauty, fellowship, and feasting reach fullness in God’s presence (Isaiah 25:6–9; Revelation 19:7–9).

Judgment Seats and Rewards

There is no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). Yet there is a judgment of works for reward and responsibility (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:12–15).

- Justification is by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9)

- Rewards reflect faithful obedience done in grace (Matthew 6:1–4; 25:21)

- Capacity and responsibility in the kingdom accord with proven stewardship (Luke 19:17)

Holiness Today Because of Glory Tomorrow

Hope purifies. “We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2–3).

“As you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace, spotless and blameless in His sight” (2 Peter 3:14). Eternal realities drive present holiness, love, and zeal.

Guarding Against Speculation

Revelation invites wonder, not wild guessing. Scripture is sufficient and sure.

- Stay anchored to the text (1 Corinthians 4:6)

- Hold the clear center: the supremacy of Christ, the certainty of His return, the reality of resurrection and judgment, the glory of the new creation (Hebrews 10:23)

- Walk in humility and hope (Micah 6:8)

Comfort for Those Who Die in the Lord

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on... ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them’” (Revelation 14:13). This is Christ’s promise to His saints.

The Shepherd holds His own and loses none (John 10:27–29). Their rest is real, their joy is full, and their resurrection is sure.