“Heaven is a wonderful place. Filled with glory and grace. I wanna see my Savior’s face cause Heaven is
a wonderful place. I WANNA GO THERE…”
That
was a chorus I remember at day camp when I was a kid. We learned all kinds of fun stuff but also
consumed some superior theological truths.
Heaven is a real place, and I want to go there one day. God makes that a possibility.
Today
is my grandmother’s funeral, but the fact is, as my son reminded us today, the
body in the casket is grandma Bobbie’s earth suit. She is in heaven enjoying the promises of
God.
Here
is part of an article about heavenly thinking that I believe will help us deal
with how we think about and prepare for heaven:
Jonathan
Edwards said, “It becomes us to spend this life only as a journey toward heaven
… to which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we
labor for or set our hearts on anything else, but that which is our proper end
and true happiness?”
In his early
twenties, Edwards composed a set of life resolutions. One read, “Resolved, to
endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I
possibly can.” Unfortunately, many believers find no joy when they think
about heaven.
A pastor
once confessed to me: “Whenever I think about heaven, it makes me depressed. I’d
rather just cease to exist when I die.” “Why?” I asked. “I can’t stand the
thought of that endless tedium. To float around in the clouds with nothing to
do but strum a harp … it’s all so terribly boring. Heaven doesn’t sound much
better than hell.”
Where did
this Bible-believing, seminary-educated pastor get such a view of heaven?
Certainly not from Scripture, where Paul said that to depart and be with Christ
was far better than staying on a sin-cursed earth (Phil. 1:23). My friend was
more honest about it than most, yet I’ve found that many Christians share his
misconceptions about heaven.
Scripture
commands us to set our hearts on heaven: “Set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1). And to make
sure we don’t miss the importance of a heaven-centered life, the next verse
says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things [alone].”
While the
present heaven is a pre-resurrected state, the ultimate heaven, where God will
forever dwell with His people, will be in a resurrected universe (Rev. 21:1–4).
Because of the biblical emphasis on the resurrection (1 Cor. 15), I think God
wants us to ponder not simply where we go when we die, but where we will live
with Christ forever.
Jesus said,
“In my Father’s house are many rooms… . I am going there to prepare a place for
you” (John 14:2). He
chose familiar physical terms (house, rooms, place) to describe that
place. He gave us something tangible to look forward to — a home, where
we will live with Him.
The heaven
Jesus described is not an ethereal realm of disembodied spirits. A place
is by nature physical, just as human beings are by nature physical as well as
spiritual. What we are suited for — what we’ve been specifically designed for —
is the place God originally made for us: earth.
Scripture
tells us we should be “looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the
home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
God has not abandoned His original design and plan for humanity to rule the
earth for His glory. One day, He will reverse the curse and restore what was
corrupted by sin. He will come down to dwell with His people on the new earth,
bringing His throne, and heaven itself, with Him (Rev. 21:1–4; 22:3).
What’s your
attitude toward heaven? Does it fill you with excitement? How often do you,
your church, and your family talk about it?
If you lack
a passion for heaven, I can almost guarantee it’s because you have a deficient
and distorted theology of heaven (or you’re making choices that conflict with
heaven’s agenda). An accurate and biblically energized view of heaven will
bring a new spiritual passion to your life.
When you fix
your mind on heaven and see the present in light of eternity, even little
choices become tremendously important. After death, we will never have another
chance to share Christ with one who can be saved from hell, to give a cup of
water to the thirsty, to invest money to help the helpless and reach the lost,
or to share our homes, clothes, and love with the poor and needy.
No wonder
Scripture makes clear that the one central business of this life is to prepare
for the next. What we need is a generation of heavenly minded people who see
human beings and the earth not simply as they are, but as God intends them
to be.
Theologians
once spoke of the “beatific vision,” Latin for “a happymaking sight.” That
sight was God Himself. Revelation 22:4
says of God’s people on the new earth, “They will see his face.” God is
primary, all else is secondary. Joy’s tributaries are the overflow of the
swelling river of God’s own goodness. He says to the one He welcomes into His
presence, “Enter into your Master’s joy.” Anticipating the eternal joy of His
presence allows us to get a head start on heaven by rejoicing in Him here
and now.
Longing for
that new earth, “the home of righteousness,” Peter says, “So then, dear
friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found
spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him” (2 Peter 3:14).
Knowing that our destiny is to live as redeemed, righteous
people on a redeemed, righteous earth with our righteous Redeemer should be a
powerful incentive to call upon His strength to live righteously today.
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