Someone once pointed out that the whole Bible can be summed up with one sentence–“God’s plan is to prepare a place where his people can enjoy his presence.” Those who like alliteration will appreciate the fact that there are several key words in this sentence that begin with the letter “p”.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then he created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden of Eden, the place he had prepared for them to enjoy his presence. Everything went well until Adam and Eve gave in to temptation and disobeyed God. Because of their sin God banished them from the garden.

However, God’s plan cannot be foiled, neither by the craftiness of the devil nor by the sinfulness of mankind.

God proceeded to set apart Abram and promised to make him into a great nation through whom all the peoples on earth would be blessed (Gen.12:1-3). This nation was called Israel, and God prepared a place for them to live and enjoy his presence.

This worked only as long as the Israelites were faithful to God. The Bible continually points out that there are blessings for obedience, but curses for disobedience. Alas, the Israelites fell into disobedience and their nation was taken from them.

Not to be deterred, God continued with his plan to prepare a place for his people to live and enjoy his presence. This time the place will be the church. Jesus promised that he would build his church (Matt.16:18) and he bought the church with his precious blood (Acts 20:28). Those who believed and obeyed the gospel were added to the church (Acts 2:41), and they devoted themselves to this new fellowship (Acts 2:42). Many people feel that they can enjoy the presence of God without any affiliation with his church, but they are tragically wrong. Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is the body of Christ (Eph.4:15). To separate yourself from this equation means sure spiritual death.

Unlike Eden and Israel, the church will continue to be the place that God has prepared where his people can enjoy his presence. The gates of Hades will not overcome the church (Matt.16:18)! The church will continue to exist until Jesus comes to take her home to be with him forever!

All this brings us to the final part of God’s plan—our eternal dwelling place! In John 14:1-6, Jesus promises his followers that he has gone to prepare a place for us to live, enjoying the presence of God forever!

I hope that you have accepted God’s plan, and that you will continue to be a part of his church, enjoying his presence with other believers and anticipating the wonderful day when we reach our eternal dwelling!