When we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior there are two major things that happen.
The Holy Spirit indwells ………
Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
The Holy Spirit seals our inheritance which is Heaven until Jesus Christ comes back or we leave this life through physical death. The Holy Spirit also, indwells us and gives the ability to have relationship with our Savior. There are many workings of the Holy Spirit such as the conviction of sin, comforter and teacher along with others that I won’t take time to mention.
Heaven is our future home ………
Philippians 3:20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
Heaven is our promised home. These physical bodies that house our soul and spirit will wear out, but our soul and spirit which is the essence of who we are will spend an eternity in Heaven with Jesus.
Pam and I went to Lancaster County Pennsylvania on vacation last summer. What I loved about the vacation was how peaceful it was. Our hotel was located outside a small town and the setting was very tranquil. We could look outside our hotel and see rolling meadows and Amish people working their farm ground with their horses and see others in their buggies going here and there. As I said, it was so peaceful and such a tranquil setting.
I think all of us can think of peaceful places we have been that have brought us great joy.
The third thing that happens to us when we come to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior is not peaceful at all. We enter a spiritual battlefield that is anything, but peaceful. We live in a war zone unlike we have experienced before.
Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Jon Bloom writer for Desiring God shared this:
Spiritual warfare is not a metaphor. It would be more accurate to say that human warfare is a metaphor — and an expression — of the even more real and pervasive spiritual war being waged all around us. And unless we engage it seriously, we will not be serious players in it, and may be swept away by it.