How can we live courageously, knowing our eternal home is with the Lord? Certainty of Our Eternal Home 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” • Paul’s “confident” stance comes from taking God’s promise at face value. • “Home with the Lord” is not poetic imagery; it is the literal destiny of every believer. • Because heaven is a settled fact, fear has no rightful claim on us. Anchoring Truths That Feed Courage • Jesus secures the place: John 14:2-3 “I am going there to prepare a place for you… I will come back and welcome you into My presence.” • Death is gain, not loss: Philippians 1:21-23 “To live is Christ and to die is gain… I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” • Nothing can separate us: Romans 8:38-39 “Neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What Courage Looks Like Today 1. Speaking up for truth when it’s unpopular (Acts 4:19-20). 2. Serving sacrificially because eternity makes every act worthwhile (1 Corinthians 15:58). 3. Facing hardship without panic, knowing the worst that can happen sends us home (Matthew 10:28). 4. Living generously—time, money, forgiveness—since treasure is already secured in heaven (Matthew 6:20-21). Practical Steps to Live Boldly • Fix your mind daily on the promise: read, recite, and reflect on passages about heaven. • Pray with expectancy—God is present now and will be face-to-face then. • Surround yourself with believers who remind you of eternal realities (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Keep short accounts with God and people; nothing hinders courage like unresolved sin or bitterness. • Choose obedience over comfort, trusting future reward (2 Corinthians 5:10). Encouraging Examples from Scripture • Stephen (Acts 7) faced stones yet saw “the heavens opened” and Jesus standing. • Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3) walked into the fire, confident God could deliver—and eternity assured if He didn’t. • Paul (2 Timothy 4:6-8) viewed impending death as departure for a crown. When Fear Knocks, Let Faith Answer • Declare Psalm 27:1 aloud: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” • Recall Joshua 1:9 whenever you feel alone: “Be strong and courageous… the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” • Rest in Hebrews 13:5-6: “Never will I leave you… The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” Hope That Fuels Perseverance • God designed us for His presence (Revelation 21:3-4). • We have not been appointed to wrath but to obtain salvation through Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10). • Knowing this, we “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” (Hebrews 10:23) and walk forward with calm, steady courage. |
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