Luke 10:19-20 records Jesus response to the disciples’ joy about the power given by Him that had resulted in their mastery even over demons. The Lord’s reply was a profound one for every one of His followers, both then and now:

^“19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (NIV)

It is a wonderful thing to truly operate in the power and authority of Christ. In fact this is the birthright of every true Christian who is open to receiving it. We are each called to make a real difference in this world and that cannot be achieved without the supernatural help of God in the Name of His Son. Never be ashamed of sincerely asking for The Spirit to work powerfully through you, especially if your primary concern is the manifestation of the glory of God and the welfare of others.

That said it is even more important to heed the words of Jesus’s in Verse 20. We are primarily to rejoice that our names are written in Heaven. This is because what we are able to do for Christ is nowhere near as vital as becoming what we have become in Him, who we are. The reality of being made sons and daughters of God and knowing we will be with him forever in Heaven trumps even the reality that, in Him, we have divine power to accomplish His will here on earth. To some this might initially sound a bit self-centered. “You mean we should be happier about going to Heaven than we are about doing great things for others for the Lord here and now?”

In short the answer to that question is: yes.

It is absolutely true that Jesus Christ came to this world to make manifest His Father’s power to good ends, but there was a greater end that surpassed all the others and that was to save the crown of His creation from the horror of Hell (while simultaneously bringing the greatest glory to His Son.) The culmination of the Son of God and the Son of Man’s mission on earth was this: to make a way for all who would trust in both His identity and His final work at Calvary to be redeemed from eternal death. When we truly put our faith in Jesus we are saved from eternal separation from His Father. We are saved from a fate terrible beyond comprehension. God’s deepest desire for humanity is our rescue from that fate. The ultimate goal for all that He does for us, in and through Christ, is designed to further one purpose: our salvation. The works of power, the manifestation of His divine authority, which we experience passively or even take part in actively, are all designed not primarily to make us “doers.” They are meant to make us, and others, partakers in the divine nature…new creatures, adopted children of the most high God.

It is wonderful to do great things in the name of our Lord, but it is far more blessed to be saved in that Name. There is no better thing that can happen to the fallen sons and daughters of Adam than to find their own names “written in Heaven”, and that through faith in the Christ of the cross. For every one of us it is in being in Him, rather than doing for Him, that we most glorify the God we love.