When you sigh for heaven, remember:
ββ¦Christβ¦loved the Church, and gave Himself for itβ¦That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemishβ (Eph. 5:25,26).
Too readily we forget that Christ loves us infinitely more than we love Him; that He paid the penalty for our sins on cruel Calvary and shed His lifeβs blood that one dayΒ He might have us for HimselfΒ to share His glory with Him forever.
Surely, then, He would rather have us at His side in heaven than here in this scene of sin and sorrow, and sickness and death. We should bear this in mind when we long that we might leave this world and go to be with Him.
But there is more: The Saviour, who was exiled from this earth, and is, even now, rejected by men, has not yet rejectedΒ them. Rather, He has left us here as His ambassadors on hostile territory, to plead with his enemies, praying them βin His steadβ to be reconciled to God, assuring them that He has done all that is necessary to effect a reconciliation (II Cor. 5:20,21).
And this is His attitude toward mankind now, though the prophetic Scriptures declare so emphatically that manβs rejection of Christ was to be β and will be β visited with the severest judgment (Psa. 2:4-9; Acts 2:16-20).
But not yet! Though man had declared war on Christ (Acts 4:26,27), He did not yet make a counter-declaration, but interrupted the prophetic program to save Saul of Tarsus, the leader of the rebellion and sent him forth to usher in the present βdispensation of the grace of Godβ (Eph. 3:1-3).
ThisΒ is why, in His love and compassion, He leaves us here still to plead with His enemies:Β βBe ye reconciled to Godβ. And what about His special love for us? Entirely apart from rewards earned by service or suffering for Him, God will richly reward us (II Cor. 4:17)Β just for being hereΒ as βambassadors for Christβ. source
