Today, I want to clear up what I believe is a common misconception about a very well-known passage of Scripture. Do you really understand what it means to store up treasures in Heaven? 

Interestingly, in the Greek, the word translated heaven is actually plural — heavens, and it reflects the cosmology of the time in which it was written. During Jesus’ lifetime, the common view of the cosmos was that there were three dimensions. The third heaven was the place we traditionally think of going when we die. It’s what we mean when we say that he or she went to Heaven —  a realm beyond our ability to see or experience, where God lives in His fullness. The second heaven was the stars, the sky, the dome, and the firmament over the earth; in other words, the universe. And the first heaven was the air around creation (i.e. the atmosphere). When we view Scripture through this lens, the logical conclusion is that the place we go when we die is in many ways similar to what we experience all around us; they are both dimensions of the heavens. Consequently, when Jesus spoke of storing up treasures in the heavens, He was not saying to be really good so that you get lots of rewards after you die. Instead, He was saying to focus on those qualities and attributes that are intangible here and now. In other words, there is a kind of treasure you can access today that comes directly from Heaven. 

Friend, just like a direct deposit in your bank account, heavenly treasures are at your disposal, even when they are not physically visible. In the same manner you would access money using your debit card, there is a bank full of spiritual gifts just waiting to be withdrawn from a never-ending depository. When you received Jesus Christ as Lord, He filled your ledger with eternal treasure that can’t be destroyed, and it is available to you right now! Isn’t that wonderful news?