Heavenly Mindedness (25)

 

Continuing our reflections on Geerhardus Vos’s Message on “Heavenly Mindedness” from Hebrews 11:9 – 10:

 

“Next to the positiveness of its object the high degree of actuality in the working of this grace should be considered. Through the faith of heavenly-mindedness the things above reveal themselves to the believer, are present with him, and communicate themselves to him. Though as yet a pilgrim, the Christian is never wholly separated from the land of promise. His tents are pitched in close view of the city of God. Heaven is present to the believer’s experience in no less real a sense than Canaan with its fair hills and valleys lay close to the vision of Abraham. He walks in the light of the heavenly world and is made acquainted with the kindred spirits inhabiting it.

 

“And since the word “actual” in its literal sense means “that which works,” the life above possesses for the believer the highest kind of actuality. He is given to taste the powers of the world to come, as Abraham breathed the air of Canaan, and was refreshed by the dews descending on its fields. The roots of the Christian’s life are fed from those rich and perennial springs that lie deep in the recesses of converse with God, where prayers ascend and divine graces descend, so that after each season of tryst [intimate private time with God] he issues, a new man, from the secrecy of his tent.” G. Vos

 

Vos says that, “Though as yet a pilgrim, the Christian is never wholly separated from the land of promise. His tents are pitched in close view of the city of God.” St. John Chrysostom taught that we ought to always be living in tents, for when we build grand houses for ourselves the walls of those houses become the walls of prisons – we are imprisoned in the things of this world and we forget that we are pilgrims on a journey. In other words, when we become enthralled with the world we imprison ourselves. Jesus teaches us that “where our treasure is, there our hearts will also be.” Might we say that we are either pilgrims following Jesus Christ or prisoners of this present age?

 

“Heaven is present to the believer’s experience in no less real a sense than Canaan with its fair hills and valleys lay close to the vision of Abraham.” Abraham lived in Canaan but he did not fully possess Canaan. While on earth we can also live in heaven, while as yet not fully possessing heaven. As Abraham’s acquaintance with Canaan grew, as he moved from a general vision to a particular vision, and then from particular visions back to a grand expansive vision; so our acquaintance with the heavens can grow and deepen in Christ as we love Him with all that we have and all that we are.

 

Paul writes (Ephesians 1:3), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.” We must always be clear that we are not called to have spiritual experiences, any more than we are called to be good moral people, to fulfill our potential, to have successful careers, healthy families, or growing churches – we must insist on this. Our call is to know Jesus Christ, and in Christ, as we seek the Face of God and love one another, we pray that His glory will be displayed in our experiences, the sanctification of our lives, our faithfulness in vocation and careers, in our families, and in our churches – but all of these relationships and endeavors must be rooted and grounded in Christ. Paul is saying, “God has given you every blessing in the heavens, and I’m about to disclose to you many of those blessings, I’m about to write to you of your inheritance, but make no mistake that these are all to be found in Christ.” This is why Paul can write to the Colossians that Christ is “God’s mystery” and that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:1 – 3).

 

I am making a point of this because Vos is writing of a deep awareness of the heavenlies and of the unseen (2 Cor. 4:18), and of an ongoing communion with the saints. This can be misunderstood on many levels, but I am particularly concerned that it may be misunderstood by those seeking spiritual experiences for the sake of having those experiences. It is one thing to seek the Face of God in order to know God in Christ in His love, grace, and glory; it is another thing to seek God’s Face in Christ in order to have a supernatural experience. Let’s be clear about this, the closer we move into the heavenly life, the more pronounced the Cross of Christ becomes in our lives – heaven is not an amusement park, it is the Lamb that opens the seals of the book, and the Lamb with the Father who gives light to the City – a Lamb slain. If we would live in the light of that City then we will learn the ways of the Lamb and live by His light. For the Christian, there is no heavenly glory absent crucifixion. There is no grand and glorious “Hallelujah!” without an agonizing “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?” There is no Easter without a Good Friday. The power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings are inseparable (Phil. 3:10).

 

We’ll continue with this quote from Vos in the next post.