346. A Better and an Enduring Substance
Hebrews 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
We have the promise of a better and an enduring substance in heaven. This promise of an enduring substance cannot be stolen, removed, diminished, or taken away. This means that we hold on loosely to the material things of this world, even willingly and joyfully giving them up. The Christian can suffer prison and plunder because he knows he has a substance (inheritance, home and possessions) in heaven that are securely waiting for him.
The truth is hard to believe, but we know it is true: heaven is “more real” than any material substance we can see on earth. It is more real because it endures, because it is forever, because it is untouchable to anyone else but me, because it is secure, because it cannot be taken away from me and I cannot lose it. This promise of a secure future life with God in His eternal realm makes every believer calm and secure in this world and in this time.
The additional piece of this promise is that we actually and really already have this better and enduring substance right now. Though we do not see it or feel it and it is hard to call it real, we have it by faith and can enjoy the present reality of the future promise. It is not so easy to break through the fog of sin and death and enter in behind the curtain, but we still know it is there, it is true, it is real, and it is ours. Faith sees the invisible and faith takes hold of the future. Faith comes by hearing. The more we hear the more we believe; the more we believe the more we see; the more we see the more we enjoy. It is better and enduring.