"In My Father's House"

When my Mother died a number of years ago, she wanted the passge in John 14: 1-4 read at her funeral. In the gracious providence of God I read through the same passage in my daily Bible reading on the morning we buried her. John 14: 1- 6: “ Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 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. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." What a wonderful promise of comfort to Jesus' disciples then and now.


My pastor has just finished a series on community and the need to be involved in a local church. It has been life changing and frankly caused me to examine how I live my life as a single Christian. Christ stated that in His Father's house are many dwelling places. In heaven the body resides as one in the house of the Heavenly Father. We don't live isolated and lonely lives. Rather God calls us to community. There exist many counterfeits of biblical unity based on false doctrine. But I am increasingly suspicious that the American dream with its independent spirt is unscriptural. We are to be with the Triune God forever and live in community with all other true believers. I may know this truth on an intellectual level I must admit that I have done little to apply it to my life on a practical level.

Christ went to prepare a place for us. We don't live in heaven in isolation. Our journey on earth is preparation for us to live there eternally. We are pilgrims and aliens heading toward our heavenly home. Matthew Henry says: "The happiness of heaven is spoken of as in a father's house. There are many mansions, for there are many sons to be brought to glory. Mansions are lasting dwellings. Christ will be the Finisher of that of which he is the Author or Beginner; if he have prepared the place for us, he will prepare us for it." We are being prepared here to live there.

I'm studying the epistles of John and refer often to the Gospel of John. John 13: 34-35 struck me deeply this week. I've often heard Ephesians 5 quoted frequently that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Certainly that is true and His standard. I was somewhat nonplussed to see that the same standard exists between believers. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." We are called to be hospital, kind, gracious, generous and merciful to one another now. We are to love one another as Christ loved us. We will live in the Father's mansion one day. It's best to learn how to do it in our lives presently.Let us radically love those whom God has given us with the same love He has shown us.