Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

6 June 2025

Reading From John 16

“When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.”

—John 16:21-25

     It seems to me that in this passage Jesus is referring to life after His resurrection but also in the New Heaven and the New Earth after our own resurrection.  Part of why I think this is that the Apostle Paul echoes such language in Romans 8:22-24, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”

     Salvation is an event, a process and a future goal.  At the moment we are born again, the Holy Spirit cleanses us from sin and takes up residence within us, guaranteeing our resurrection and glorification with the Father.  Glorification in this sense does not mean we will be worshipped.  Rather, it means that our bodies will be transformed and we will enjoy perfect unity and harmony with the Father.  We will perfectly reflect His image just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden as all of the corrosive effects of sin will be gone. 

     I cannot imagine the intense grief and confusion felt by all of the followers of Jesus after His death and burial.  How overjoyed they must have been when they saw Him again and thee reality of His resurrection set it.  But His physical Presence with them would not last forever as He would shortly ascend into Heaven and His spiritual Presence would continue with them and with us. 

     As salvation is an event and a goal, the space between is the process of salvation called sanctification.  It is the process of spiritual growth where we decrease and He increases, where we surrender things about ourselves and our lives that do not honor Him in order to be filled with more of His Spirit and be gradually conformed into His image from glory to glory.  It is in this process that we see what is truly real about us.  Have we really been born again?  Is our faith genuine?  We prove our salvation is true by our love for God, for others and ourselves and also by our endurance. 

     Endurance to the end does not mean we will love perfectly or live perfectly moral lives from the moment we are converted to the Day we see Jesus face to face.  What it does mean is that even when we fail or walk through seasons of struggle, pain and confusion in our lives, we eventually will handle sin rightly with confession and repentance.    Confession is the acknowledgement that we have sinned and need the Lord.  Repentance is not only a change of mind and heart about sin, but also a turning away from sin and toward Jesus to receive forgiveness.  This is why Jesus said to us in John 16:1, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.”  Endurance is about partnering with Jesus in building a healthy, balanced relationship with Him; one that will last into eternity when our joy is made full and our salvation is complete.

“Lord Jesus, thank You that You are faithful to keep all of Your promises to us.  Your mercies are new ever morning.  Great is Your faithfulness to Your sons and daughters, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  I pray for myself and my brothers and sisters in the faith that we would continue in the faith, endure to the end and experience the endless joy and perfection of the New Eden You are preparing for us.  Let our priority be on storing up treasures there by allowing You to work through us to love and minister to those around us in our daily lives.  May we do all things for Your glory in the Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

—I Corinthians 6:9-11

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

—II Thessalonians 2:13

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 1:6

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

–I Corinthians 13:12