Here on earth we find that all three gifts are represented in the Christian’s life, but in Heaven there remain only the gold and the frankincense – obedience and worship.  The myrrh of suffering and of penitence has gone, despite the fact that the scars, which still mark Our Lord’s glorified Body are a perpetual reminder of the cost he paid for us men and for our salvation.

But there in Heaven the Blessed Saints obey our King and worship our God in full and perfect love, and their salvation is at last complete, so that Our Saviour’s sufferings are remembered only with joy and gratitude for what they have achieved.

“The dear tokens of His passion
still His dazzling body bears;
cause of endless exultation
to His ransomed worshippers… (2)

References

1. Temple, W. (1944) The Church looks forward, New York: Macmillan.  The original quotation is, “People are always thinking that conduct is supremely important, and that because prayer helps it, therefore prayer is good.  That is true as far as it goes; still truer is it to say that worship is of supreme importance and conduct tests it.  Conduct tests how much of yourself was in the worship you gave to God”.  Cited in Ramsay, M. (2004) The Anglican Spirit, New York: Church Publishing Incorporated, in Editor’s Notes p.142.

2. Cennick, J. (1752) republished and altered by Charles Wesley (1758) and Martin Madan (1760) Lo! He comes with clouds descending.  Available from:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/h/lhecomes.htm (Accessed 28 December 2011) (Internet).