When the Doctors tests and confirms the arrival of a baby, the parents get excited about it. They eagerly look forward to seeing the newborn baby. As the days go by the routine tests lead to more excitement as the Doctor every time confirms the growth and even records the heartbeat of the baby. As the month rolls by, the baby’s sex is told in advance in some countries. The parents start their shopping and set up a special place for the baby. The last moments are though painful and anxious, it leads to excitement when they hear the cry of the baby. What a joyous occasion it would be!!. All the pain and the sacrifice that the parents went through for the birth of the baby vanishes when the newborn baby arrives.
Dear friend, Jesus paid the sacrifice for our past mistakes and opened the gates for the glorious eternity for everyone. Our heart struggles between the desires of our flesh and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Our mind goes through the constant battle within ourselves. We struggle to make the right choices. But one day we will overcome all our battles through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. We will receive the right to be the children of God. We will be glorified and will receive the new bodies we were already promised. Our joy will be complete like the birth of a newborn baby. Our suffering on earth and struggles ends on that day. We will go to a place where there is no sorrow or pain.
For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children. v22,23 NLT
The emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, conquered all of China and united them under one country at a very young age. He had everything he desired. When the country was at peace, he started the great wall of China. He had no more enemies to fight for. But one thing was eluding him when he started getting old. He wanted to rule China forever and ever and conquer the death. His personal physician prepared a medicine, which contained a mild dosage of mercury to defy aging. Finally, great emperor Qin Shi Huang died because of mercury intake at the age of 50. The medicine which was supposed to give him everlasting life became a slow poison and sped up his death.
The great pharaohs, who ruled Egypt at the heights of their glory, wanted to live forever. They built a massive pyramid and they mummified their bodies, which they thought will give them eternal life.
Every one of us deep in our heart long to stay young and live forever. Nobody likes to grow old and weak. Our heart naturally longs for eternal life (v 23). Paul explains (v18-25), how our earthly bodies long to get liberated to enter God’s kingdom, where they will live forever and there is no death or decay.
We should set our hope on that glorious day, where we will be glorified. While we embark on the path to glory carrying all our weakness of the flesh, the Holy Spirit constantly prays for us. During the journey, we do not know much about the narrow and dangerous path ahead of us. The path to heave is not easy. Holy Spirit helps us through the difficult journey and leads us to heaven. When we do not know what to pray for the Holy Spirit constantly prays for us with deep groaning and anguish for our sake so we will not go left or right in the path to glory.
But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers. v26 NLT
What a great God we serve. He not only redeemed us but also helps us in each step so we will reach the glory. This glorious path to Heaven was not revealed to the great kings and the mighty rich pharaohs but revealed to the people like us during these last days. This is the good news Paul was eager to preach and reveal to everyone all through his life.
There is nothing that can separate us from the love of the father who sacrificed His own son Jesus for us, the love of the Son who humbled himself to the death to save all of us from the consequence of sin, and the Holy Spirit who is praying for us every day, guiding us and protecting us throughout the journey to glory.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. v38, 39 NLT.
The love relationship between Man and God is what is going to sustain us in the journey to eternity. It was God who first loved us and died for us. Our faith in him, confession that he is our savior, and our alignment in baptism creates a new relationship. Holy Spirit guides and convicts us every day in our lives and offers prayer on behalf of us. Jesus Christ intercedes for our sins to the father. The combination of this effort sustains us in the everyday spiritual journey.
Dear friend, The Gospel was preached to all nations. But only a few accepted the call. I wish you could join this journey to glorious eternity if you have not joined it already. Heaven will never be complete with your presence. Jesus is waiting for you with the wide-open arms right now. This is your day. Have you accepted Christ some time ago and backslidden from His love? Jesus is calling you once again. The invitation is open and everyone is welcome to the arms of Jesus today. Let’s pray.
Dear Jesus, what a privilege it is to be invited for the journey to heaven. I am a weak man. My heart is dominated by fleshly desires. I know the journey is hard. But I am so happy you have sent the Holy Spirit to pray for me and help in this Journey. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you for praying for me even though I do not know what to pray for. Forgive all my wrong understanding. Without the help of you, I can not continue on the journey to eternity. Please take me through. Convict all my mistakes and correct me. I pray in Jesus’s name, Amen.