This week we’re going to do something different. I was doing my morning Bible study, and there was a question in one of the days that inspired me to look into it more. So I’ll ask you that question here, and then will tear into it.
Get ready, we are going to look up tons of verses tonight. Rather than take a few verses and cut them apart, we are going volume… Some of these verses may or may not make sense to the current question, but they’re all here for a reason. Maybe God is going to speak to you in anyone of these. This should be fun…
First look up:
1 Corinthians 2:9
- However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—
Revelation 21:23
- The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
Luke 23:43
- Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
2 Timothy 4:18
- The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 3:20
- But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
If heaven is as wonderful as it is described in scripture, why do you suppose God leaves us here on earth AFTER we are saved?
Why are we still here?
-Punishment for our bad behavior?
Psalm 103:12
- as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
1 John 1:9
- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 8:1-2
- Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2. because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Hebrews 10:17-18
- Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18. And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Why are we still here?
-To explore all the pleasures and treasures and stuff of earth?
Proverbs 21:17
- Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
2 Timothy 3:2
- People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
James 5:5
- You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
Titus 3:3
- At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Ecclesiastes 1:14
- I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 6:2
- God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
I understand that my original question why are we still here, he is talking to people who are saved. Many of these verses are not about saved people, but they are talking about seeking pleasure. I would think that after your saved, seeking pleasure would go against general biblical principal.
Also, if seeking pleasure were the answer, none of the verses about heaven, which we just read, would make any sense. Because, as they demonstrate, everything in heaven is better than on earth anyway. It makes no logical sense.
That certainly does not mean that you cannot enjoy the things God has given you. Over saying here is that seeking pleasure is not the reason you’re still here once you’re saved.
Why are we still here?
-You are we supposed to just live here and try to resist sin until Jesus comes back or we die?
1 John 3:4
- Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
Proverbs 4:23
- Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Galatians 5:19-21
- The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20. idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21. and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
2 Timothy 2:22
- Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Hebrews 12:4
- In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Of course, it makes no sense that God left us here on earth after we were saved, so we could struggle with sin. That goes against his concept of mercy and grace.
Sidenote, is there any religion that does practice this? What is the point of reincarnation in some eastern religions?
Any other wrong reasons that we are here?
Any other verses come to mind?
So why are we still here then?
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
- All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19. that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
We will break the next two verses down a little bit.
First words from 18 “All this is from God.”
Everything in the next couple verses we need to know is not our doing, but it’s God’s doing. It reminds me of Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God…”, the verse that this very group has based its foundation on.
Who reconciled us to himself through Christ – obviously, we are the ones that needed to be reconciled to Christ. Christ is perfect and cannot be around sinful people. In order to be just, sin must be accounted for. Because of us, Christ had to suffer to pay for our sin. We are reconciled to him.
What does verse 19 mean?
Because he did all this for us, it’s as if he pinned this “message of reconciliation“ to us. Because he did it for us, we need to be his ambassadors now for others.
What is an ambassador?
Philippians 3:20
- But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
John 14:1-3
- “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
2 Corinthians 5:1-2
- For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,
An ambassador is somebody who is visiting on behalf of the king. An ambassador is not a resident of where he’s delivering a message. We are no longer, as believers, residents here on earth. Our home is in heaven. But we are here, representing Jesus. We need to deliver the message that the King has for us to deliver. An ambassador does not speak to please his audience, but for the king who sent him. And ambassador does not speak on his own authority, his own opinions and demands mean little. He simply says what he has been commissioned to say.
Verse 20, we are, therefore, Christ ambassadors, God is making his appeal through us. The message we are to deliver is for others to be reconciled to God. Remember, when this started, inverse 18, it said “all this is from God…“ We do not have to do the reconciling. All we do is deliver the message from the King, and he does the reconciling.
We can fail to be obedient to this, but can we fail in our messaging?
Because of this, you have freedom from “failure.“ In our minds, we might fail to deliver a good message. But we have freedom from this. All we have to do is be obedient and available to deliver the message. God will do the work of reconciling.
However, we don’t get to also use this as an excuse to not try. God will save who he wants to save, but he gives us the opportunity to be his ambassadors and work alongside him. This is why you’re still here.
Galatians 2:20 – NIV
- I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
What does this verse mean to you?
At one point we were not saved. There are people around you who are not saved. Why are you still here , you’re here to point people towards Jesus.
This is a direct quote from the devotion: “We are here to represent Jesus in and through our everyday lives as reconcilers and ambassadors. Every one of us. There is no such thing as a “part-time” Christian. Jesus didn’t die for us to live for Him on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. He died so that God’s wayward children can be reconciled to the Father.(John 3:16) He went back to heaven and sent His Spirit to live in us, empower us, and through our lives to live His life through us to others. And so to do the “good works that He prepared for us to walk in beforehand” as reconcilers.
This is real “big-picture” stuff. What are your thoughts? What is God speaking to your heart today?
Biblical Success – The Bema Judgement Seat of Christ Our Final Hurdle, Buck Jacobs