|
As children of God our top priority is to spend
eternity in heaven. Though it's difficult to image
the joyous grandeur of heaven, we want to consider
the amazing life we'll have in our eternal abode.
Heaven: Better Than Imagined
God hasn't revealed the details of eternal life
in heaven, perhaps because it's His will that
we walk by faith and not by sight.
The things we know about heaven are revealed
in God's word.
- "But just as it is written, 'Things which
eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
and which have not entered the heart of man,
all that God has prepared for those who
love Him'" (1 Cor. 2:9).
Since it was unlawful for inspired men to reveal
the details of heaven, we know very little about
eternal life with God. Paul, probably speaking
of himself, knew a man who was "caught up into
Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which
a man is not permitted to speak" (2 Cor. 12:4).
Most of what we know about heaven is communicated
in symbolic language.
In Revelation, John paints an unfathomable picture
of heaven as a city that's two-thirds the size
of the United States reaching 1,500 miles into
the air, extending hundreds of miles further into
space than the International Space Station.
Such a city is impossible for man to build and
maintain, making heaven more amazing than anything
we can imagine from a practical perspective.
God Will Be There
Can you imagine living in the presence of God
for eternity?
For me, the best part of heaven will be seeing
God and Jesus face to face, and worshiping them
(Rev. 22:4).
Today, we can't be face to face with God because
of sin. But the day we see God's face will be
amazing, better than any experience on earth.
Moses' face shone from being in the presence of
God, and Isaiah could do nothing but prostrate
himself when seeing God's throne in a vision.
When we see God's face, it will be an experience
indescribable in human terms because no human
can experience such magnificent glory.
"If we miss heaven, we'll miss it all!" is certainly
a true statement.
Eternal destruction, away from the presence
of the Lord, is the worst thing that can happen
to us.
But an eternal reward in God's presence is the
best thing that can happen.
No Evil There
Wouldn't it be nice to be in a place where there's
no evil, temptation, sin, or fear?
This place is heaven. Neither Satan, demons,
nor evil men will be there. Only those who bring
glory to God will be in heaven. There will be
nothing unclean.
But while we are here on earth, we struggle
against evil.
- " For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers, against
the powers, against the world forces of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces of
wickedness in the heavenly places"
(Eph. 6:12).
Satan is doing everything he can to turn us
away from God, and make our lives as difficult
as possible.
- "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Your adversary, the devil, prowls around
like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour. But resist him, firm in your
faith, knowing that the same experiences
of suffering are being accomplished by your
brethren who are in the world. After you have
suffered for a little while, the God of all
grace, who called you to His eternal glory in
Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen
and establish you" (1 Pet. 5:8-10).
In heaven we'll no longer struggle against evil.
Eternal Rest
Jesus calls us to come to Him for rest.
- "'Come to Me, all who are weary and
heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light'" (Matt. 11:28-30).
Though we find rest in Jesus while upon earth,
we still struggle against Satan. But when we die,
we rest from all our labors because our struggle
is over.
- "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying,
'Write, "Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord from now on!" Yes,' says the Spirit,
'so that they may rest from their labors,
for their deeds follow with them'" (Rev. 14:13).
Therefore, we should be diligent to enter that
rest.
- "For the one who has entered His rest has
himself also rested from his works, as God did
from His. Therefore let us be diligent to
enter that rest, so that no one will fall,
through following the same example of disobedience"
(Heb. 4:10-11).
Conclusion
We can spend eternity with the devil or with God;
the choice is ours.
If we obey God, we'll enter into an eternal
rest with Him. But if we disobey, we'll never
rest because our struggle with Satan will never
end.
Let's be diligent to enter into an eternal rest
with God. If we miss heaven, we'll miss it all!
|
