“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going… I am the way, the truth, and the life…“ John 14:1-6 (New Living Translation)
We recently returned from an international trip that involved crossing country borders and—more critically—facing stony faced government officials who examined our passports and visas. In addition to these authorities, we also watched uniformed officers scrutinize our luggage. While we had followed all the instructions given by our own and other governments, there were still moments of apprehension. Had we done everything right? Did we have all the correct papers? Would we be stopped for some infraction that we hadn’t known about?
Edwin Lutzer writes, “At death we cross from one territory to another, but we’ll have no trouble with visas… Our Representative is already there, preparing for our arrival. As citizens of heaven, our entrance is incontestable.”
Perhaps you have fears about crossing into that heavenly territory. Or you know of others who live with paralyzing questions about whether they will be welcomed by our Savior, our “represen-tative.” But Jesus’ words are clear: “Don’t let yourselves be distressed or agitated. You have been trusting in and relying on God the Father; you can also trust in and rely on me… I’m going away to prepare a place for you…and I WILL come back to get you, to take you into my presence, so that we can be together always.”
We lived in Europe when the borders of most countries became free. No longer did we have to stop the car and show official papers when crossing from Germany to The Netherlands or France or Belgium. In fact, the gates which formerly stopped traffic had been dismantled and the small buildings at what had once been “checkpoints” were now deserted.
When we place our faith in Jesus Christ as the one and only Way, when we trust that His death on the cross and bodily resurrection provide all that is required to enter into His presence—now and forever—we can look forward to crossing that final border with confidence and joy.
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