Sometimes feel so lost in this world. We live as exiles from God. What do the Scriptures say? “Your sin separates you from God.” That’s why Adam and Eve were so afraid of God after they ate the forbidden fruit. It’s why when you do something to hurt your spouse, or your friend, you don’t even want to look at them. Sin separates us, it divides. And sin defiles us. It is an infection of the soul that rots it away so that we cannot be in God’s presence. Sin is transgression. God says, “Don’t go over here and sin. Don’t cross this line.” And we do. We rebel. So God promises exile for us, God will throw us out of his presence forever. And we would deserve it.

 If you feel you like you’re all alone in this, like you have already been exiled, then God wants you know the hope he has for you. He has a country for you. He has a place for the lonely, the exiled, the sinner. He has a place he has created where there is perfect unity with other people, where souls are cleansed forever and where hearts are set straight once and for all. We catch a glimpse of this place at the cross of Jesus Christ.

In a way of thinking, the cross was a gateway reconnecting God with sinful man. And really it wasn’t the cross itself, it was the person on it who made that connection. In order to reunite you and me with God, Jesus had to make peace with him. So he offered himself to be punished for us so that God wouldn’t need to punish people anymore, he wouldn’t need to exile them from his presence because the price for sin was paid and we have peace with God. His punishment not only brings peace, but it purifies the soul. The perfect life that Christ led is given to us and God treats us as though we were perfect. We, who were once so far away from God, can now stand in his presence. God unifies us with his forgiveness.

Of course, right now, we don’t always feel that in our life, right? We know we are forgiven, we know we have peace with God, but we still sin. And so, right now, we struggle against sin because we want to live for God. And that struggle is a good thing because it reminds you that God’s love is alive and working in your heart. So imagine what it would be like to not have to struggle against temptation? No sexual temptations, no temptations to hurt other people with our words, no temptations to steal, no temptations to doubt God’s love. No struggle to do the right thing anymore. Imagine that, parents? Imagine not having to “get” your child to do something—they would just do it. If you could envision this, then you are picturing what heaven will be like.

The triumph of heaven, at least in part, is that we won’t have to struggle against our sinfulness anymore. Through Christ we are victorious. And that victory is yours right now, even though you don’t have it in full. Consider your faith and love for God a little down payment from God. The rest is yet to come. So we don’t have to worry about being exiled forever, God unifies us with his forgiveness.