Are you on heaven’s registry?

Hebrews 12:23 to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, Yesterday’s verse focused on the place, the heavenly Jerusalem, to where we are running. Today’s verse has those who dwell in heaven in view. We aren’t living for the glory of God by living to love with Jesus just so we can get to a destination. When we believed in Christ, we came to a new family. We became part of a universal assembly of all believers of all time. The author called it the assembly of the firstborn. Jesus, of course, is the firstborn, the head of the church.  We also learn that our names are registered in heaven. Are you on heaven’s registry? Paul wrote of this to the Philippians in 4:3. “Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” We read of this register in Rev. 21:27. “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Our names are already posted at the finish line! Praise to the Lord! We are also encouraged that we have come to God, the Judge of all, the Mighty One, as we read yesterday from Ps. 50. Jesus came and died to bring us to God and present us before Him, holy and blameless and without reproach (Col. 1:22). Hebrews 2:10-11 made this point clear. “For it was fitting for Him, for whom and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father. For this reason, He is not ashamed to call them brothers.” We have come to God. And we have also come to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. Let me quote Jonathan Edwards again from Heaven, A World of Love. “There are none but lovely objects in heaven. — No. odious, or unlovely, or polluted person or thing is to be seen there. All the persons that belong to the blessed society of heaven are lovely. The father of the family is lovely, and so are all his children; the head of the body lovely, and so are all the members. Among the angels there are none that are unlovely — for they are all holy.”  Can you see who we have come to when we believe in Jesus? We are now part of a community of brothers and sisters who will know nothing but love for one another because the entire atmosphere is love. How do we get ready for that experience? We live our lives to love our brothers and sisters now with Jesus because that’s what we are going to do for all eternity. Let’s get a head start today. Love with Jesus, knowing that God, the Judge, the Father of the family, will reward you greatly and you will be filled with His joy forever. If you haven’t read my book, Live to Love, I hope you’ll visit livetolovewithjesus.com and get your free copy, or download the audio or ebook. I encourage you to get some friends together to go through the book and encourage each other to live to love with Jesus because you know where you are going and who is going with you.