“And to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Hebrews 12:23 ESV).
Hebrews 12:23 lifts our eyes to the unseen reality of what Christ has already secured for His people. The writer described believers coming, not to the fearsome mountain of Sinai, representing the old covenant, but to Zion, the dwelling place of God, to Jesus the Mediator, and to “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” Every true believer from the beginning to the end belongs to this ekklēsia—the Church of the Firstborn. In Christ, our names stand written in heaven, awaiting the final roll call of glory.
Dear believer, since our names are already written in heaven, we ought to live today with reverence and awe. This certainty strengthens us when trials press in and steadies us when temptations pull at our hearts. We belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Therefore, we ought to worship faithfully, walk humbly, and gather joyfully with God’s people as a foretaste of that coming day when all the redeemed will be assembled.
This passage reminds me of a hymn we used to sing when I was young written by D.S. Warner in 1893, entitled: “I Know My Name Is There”
“My name is in the Book of Life,
O bless the name of Jesus!
I rise above all doubt and strife,
And read my title clear.
I know, I know, I know, I know,
My name is written there!”
Let us remember our heavenly citizenship and let it shape the way we speak, serve, and love today. For our names are already written there!
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You that our names are enrolled in heaven. Help us live with reverence and awe, worthy of the calling we have received. Strengthen us to walk faithfully until that day when You gather all Your saints and we stand perfected in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.