Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

12 September 2025

Reading From II Corinthians 5

 ^“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

—II Corinthians 5:6-10

     While we are in our present reality of time and space, those among us who have truly believed, repented and received salvation by grace through faith in Jesus have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within us, sealing us to God and His eternal family, and giving us a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance in the New Eden.  How we live in this life matters in eternity.

     At the final judgment, many books will be open.  The first book, the Book of Life, has recorded in it the names of every person who has been born again by grace through faith in the blood of Jesus.  The other books record the deeds of every human being.  The righteous, those who have chosen the grace and mercy of God, will be rewarded according to their deeds.  The unrighteous, who have chosen to reject the plan of salvation, will be punished for their deeds and tragically will spend eternity apart from the Presence of God. 

     The deeds of the righteous will determine our roles and responsibilities in the New Heaven and the New Earth.  I Corinthians 6:3 reveals that we will judge angels.  II Timothy 2:12 and Revelation 20:6 tell us that we will rule and reign with Christ.  Isaiah 65:21 speaks of the exciting prospect of us building dream homes in heaven.  We will experience no sorrow, sickness, or death.[1]  The greatest reward of all is to commune with God and enjoy His Presence forever.  He is our reward.[2]

     The life we lead in this present reality is to be based upon faith, which is believing and trusting in Jesus who is unseen.  Someday our faith will become sight and all will be revealed for what it truly is.  The spiritual dimension, which is mostly unseen except for the dreams, visions and prophetic messages God allows us to experience, will be seen and known at a whole new level for the sons and daughters of Heavenly Father. 

“Lord, open our eyes to see Your glory all around us.  I pray that we would be made more aware of Your Presence in our lives.  Speak to us for Your servants are listening.  Guide us with dreams, visions and prophetic utterances of knowledge and wisdom.  Remind us that our standing before you and our deeds have eternal significance of life and death importance.  Help us to fix our eyes upon You, the Author and Perfector of our faith.  In the blessed Name of our Lord Christ I pray these things, Amen.”

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

—Revelation 20:11-15

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

—I Corinthians 13:8-13

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[1] Revelation 21:4, Isaiah 33:24

[2] Isaiah 66:23, Matthew 25:21, Romans 6:23