Something Better - Hebrews 11:39-40

Hebrews 11:39-40 ESV 

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

God tells us to be perfect as He is perfect. (Mat 5:48). How is this possible?

We are led by the Spirit and we are in the body of Christ. That is why we call Him the head of the Church. This is the mind of Christ given to us all. 

We have the mind of Christ and the perfection of being in His body. 

Perfect. 

Eager Longing - Romans 8:18-19

Romans 8:18-19 ESV 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

When we reach our journey's end, we will view our inheritance at last. We are part of the creation which waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. This is our promised land and the room Christ is preparing for us while He is gone. God is our portion and inheritance. 

Look up, for your salvation draws near. 

We May Also - Romans 8:16-17

Romans 8:16-17 ESV 

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The Greek word for suffer is in the present tense when paired with the conjunction "provided" implies necessary action on our part. 

He is already glorified. We can share in His glory if we follow the Spirit. 

Choice Remains - Romans 8:13-14

Romans 8:13-14 ESV 

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Paul is speaking to believers, to those who have received the Holy Spirit. We have been given the choice between flesh and spirit, between the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. This is the same choice that Adam faced. 

Adam was a son of God, but he failed to follow the leading of God. Will we follow the leading of the Spirit of God as sons of God?

One must have the Spirit to choose. Once we have chosen Christ, the choice remains to follow and to continue following, led by His Spirit. 

The Tree - Revelation 22:1-2

Revelation 22:1-2 ESV 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The Bride of Christ will be with God and the Lamb. The tree of life on earth will be fed by the river of life. Israel will become that tree which will be for the healing of the nations. We have been grafted into that tree. 

Adam was the first man of a chosen people. He was given a choice in the Garden to bear the fruit of either of two trees. The first was the tree of life and the second was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He chose the second tree and his descendants suffer that choice to this day. The Bible gives the account that follows them unto the end of the age. Israel will choose correctly the next time and fulfill their destiny to the nations. The Sabbath of God will be realized at last. Creation will be finished and it will be very good. 

I Am Ascending - John 20:17

John 20:17 ESV 

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

When Jesus ascended into heaven, we would become His body on earth on which the Spirit descends and remains, still His body, but in our flesh. He had to return to the Father before this could take place. 

This is why Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him. Our union with Christ and our clinging to Him would be deeper and more intimate with the giving of the Holy Spirit. We are like the beloved disciple with his head on the bosom of Christ, yet with Christ within the bosom of every believer. We each have a beloved relationship with the Almighty. 

We begin our wilderness journey with the Spirit. He is with us as we take on the incarnation of the Holy Spirit. He is the Holy Spirit, even as He is God. 

If You Abide - John 8:31-32

John 8:31-32 ESV 

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Abiding in His word is the act of following Christ, for He is the word of God. In this word we find and experience the truth. It is His light that serves as a lamp to our feet as we persevere in our journey on earth in the truth and the freedom that leads to eternal life. 

The way through the darkness of the world is the light in the distance which has drawn near. His word becomes ours as we become His body in the world.