Grace Upon Grace

Grace Upon Grace

More Musings on... This World is Not Our Home
by Grant Christensen April 12, 2019
This world is not our home. Do you ever long to return to a home to which you’ve never been? Adam and Eve were given a home, a garden of breathtaking beauty, supplied with everything they would ever need: an abundance of food there for the taking, the sun to warm the day and the moon to light the night, the stars of the milky way flung out in the wonder of magnificent glory, the dew descending nightly to water the garden, the variety of animals and birds and fish created for their care and pleasure, exquisitely beautiful companions—made in the image of God—created to be at each other’s side, and the constant and immeasurable love of Elohim. But Adam and Eve lost their way; they lost their home, forgetting to live in the boundless love of their creator, choosing instead their own way, usurping God in order that they might be gods to themselves. Elohim came walking in the garden in the cool of the evening, calling out, “Where are you?” But Adam and Eve hid themselves, hiding out in the nakedness of their shame. And ever since we as the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve have been hiding ourselves in our own naked shame. We’ve lost our way, lost our true home in the love of God, becoming wanders upon the earth, chasing after every whim that might fill this longing to return home to a home to which we’ve never been. We catch a glimpse of that home in the first rays of the dawn, in the alpenglow of a fading sunset, in the fragile and transient beauty of a cherry blossom just before it drops to the earth, in the fragrance of a blossomed rose, or in the incessant crashing of ocean waves. We catch a glimpse of that home in the love of others, in kind words spoken, in a tender embrace, in a patient and listening ear. Do you ever long to return to a home to which you’ve never been, yet a home for which you were created to live? Do you ever long to return to the loving arms of God, to be enfolded in His unconditional love for you, a love whose depth cannot be plumbed, a love whose heights can never be scaled, a love whose width and length span wider and longer than the outer reaches of the stars and galaxies in their vast array? Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.” He simply invites us to abide, to come and live out our lives in His love, to return home to the loving arms, this longing and thirsting for unconditional love finally satiated. His wounded hands—even now—beckon you to come home. Jesus loves you so much that he would rather die than live without you. Willingly stretching out His arms on the cross, giving up his very breath and spirit and life, He made for you a way home, a way through His broken body and shed blood. He who knew no sin became for you all of your rebellion and selfishness, all of your chasing after your own godhood, every mean word and every cruel act—and He died, bearing the burden of it all—that you might awaken and find yourself home at last in His everlasting love. Do you ever long to return to a home to which you’ve never been? This world is not our home.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16, 17 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47 Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.’ John 11:25-27 "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30, 31

© 2022 by Grant Christensen. "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8b NIV) You are free to share—copy and redistribute in any medium or format—as long as you don't change the content and don't use commercially without permission of the author or author's family.