Hebrews 12:2 tells us that “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that wasvset before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Notice the Hebrew writer say Christ did all this for the “joy set before Him.”
Six times in the Book of John (five time in chapter six) we read that Jesus “came down from Heaven.” Consider that Jesus, God Himself, left the place that we are trying to go to. He knew the glory set before Him, what He had to do, and where He was going. He also knew what He had to do in order to get there.
You and I can and should learn from Jesus what it takes to be “Heaven Bound.”
First of all Jesus came “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). We too need to be seeking to fulfill all righteousness in our lives. Righteousness as Christ uses it here means: equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification. We need to look to what God says is “right” and not lean upon our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
Paul wrote to Titus and said, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” This begins with our humble submission to the Father even as we see Jesus’ submission.
For us this means heeding the Word of God (Romans 10:17), believing (active faith: James 2:20, 26), confessing Jesus with our lips and our lives (Matthew 10:32-33), repenting of all known sin (Acts 17:30), and being buried with Christ in baptism (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).
Secondly, we should be like Christ in our desire to do the work set before us. Jesus said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). In John 9:4 our Lord said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).
Consider the principle laid forth in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.” How might this apply to our Christianity? If a man will not labor as a Christian; should he expect to reap the reward of one who does?
Thirdly, we must be faithful! Revelation 2:10 admonished the church at Smyrna (which included every individual member) to be “faithful unto death.” Hebrews 10:23 admonishes us to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;).”
We should be content to serve Him in this life for He is faithful and has promised He will never leave us. If we do these things we can be ready; Heaven Bound!
What do you have to do this day to prepare: to get ready for eternity? God loved you so much that he took on an earthly robe and lived, suffered and died that we could have a home in Heaven with Him. He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). Are you and I preparing to go inhabit that home?