A Place Prepared by Grace

Jesus says in John 14:1-3: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."  It's a wonderful thought for consideration, that Jesus is preparing a home of eternal rest for us with Him in the heavens.  It is built not according to our works or worthiness, but out of the riches of God's grace and love toward us.  No human being save Jesus Christ is worthy to dwell in the presence of the Father.  But He has promised us in Revelation 3:21:  "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

A good portion of these past three months have been spent working to secure a rental property for my family and me to live in while we serve God and Calvary Chapel Sydney.  I'm amazed when I consider the amount of effort and time expended on the process with frankly little to show for it.  The rental market in Sydney at the moment feels like an impenetrable clique!  Our search has been thorough, extensive, and time-consuming.  It has given us the opportunity to throw ourselves upon the mercy of God and enjoy the generous hospitality of church family.  Yet it is disheartening to be continually rejected without the opportunity to prove yourself.

But this is familiar feeling experienced by people all over the world on a spiritual level.  No matter how hard people work to ensure themselves salvation by their own goodness, they fall short of perfection and are without hope.  Even if people are able to claw to the top of their denominational ladder, do and say all the right things, the peace of God only received through faith in Christ eludes them.  Well-meaning people go on missions to obtain eldership, others pay thousands of dollars to take the next spiritual course to learn privileged secrets.  People literally crucify themselves, crawl through broken glass, and travel thousands of miles in a vain attempt to earn favor from God.  What they do not understand is God's grace and eternal life is not for sale.  Their proud works and efforts prevent them from receiving what God only gives freely.

Ephesians 2:8-10 teaches us of God's wondrous grace:  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  There are flats in Sydney that cost over $1,200 a week to rent!  Some people feel proud they could afford such a place to live.  God will not allow a shred of pride in heaven!  The only currency God accepts for heavenly entry is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  No amount of money, good works, or effort can help us gain entry into the presence of God.  God saves us by grace through faith, and having received such a gift we are moved to labor freely for God's glory and honor.  God has created us to do good, but we can only do so if He first indwells and empowers us.

How happy I am that God has prepared a place for me in heaven, as well as providing abundantly for our family in Australia.  Though it has been a trying process to secure a rental property, it is good to know that our eternal destination is secure in Christ.  He even has provided us a place to stay here, though it isn't what we thought it would be three months ago!  It is not by our goodness that we have a place in heaven or in Australia, but all of grace!  How great is our God and His unsearchable wisdom!