ARE YOU READY FOR AN UPGRADE IN YOUR TENT?
II Corinthians 5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
Just the other day I had one of my grandchildren ask me what heaven will be like. In some ways it surprised me, because we hadn’t been talking about spiritual things at all.
It was kind of out of the blue type thing. But it showed me that even at the age of five years old, heaven and eternal life is not far from our thinking. I believe the only reason why adults don’t think of it as much is because so often they have piled up enormous amounts of sins in their life and dread the idea of standing before God to be judged. So most either tend to not think about it, substitute the things of this earth for the priority of their life, do good works to try and offset the bad or deny that there is even life after death. We see that in I Corinthians Paul wrote in Chapter 15 a defense for life after death, implying that they had possibly began to follow the teachings of the Sadducees in believing that there is no life after death. But if you read Chapter 15 not only does he give good reason for it, but good reason to hope for it.
In some ways not a lot is said in the Bible about what heaven will be like, at least in specifics. We are not sure if it will be somewhere in the emptiness of space, or as it is related to in Revelation 21 as being on the new earth that God will create following the Great White Throne Judgment, and the destruction of the old atmosphere (heaven) and earth. In some ways heaven will be wherever God is at. And why shouldn’t it be as we see in 5:5 that us being with him was he very reason why he created us? Even when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, the Lord would come down to be with them. God enjoyed his fellowship with them, and this has never changed. This is one reason why God wanted to forgive humanity, so we could be reconciled back with him. God never intended for humanity to not have fellowship, or not to experience love with him. This was the reason for the passion of the cross. Jesus wasn’t passionate about suffering, but he was passionate about getting us back in right fellowship with him. Broken fellowship was no fellowship.
We see that in heaven the old order of life as we know it now on earth will be gone. There God will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. We will have a new spiritual body that is imperishable, glorious and powerful. It will be in the likeness of Jesus the love our life. Former things of this earth will no longer come to mind, and we will know as we are known. The old carnal nature of rebelling from God’s will, will not be seen or experienced. Nothing evil or sinful will be with us. We will constantly be in the light of God’s glory. There will no longer be day or night, but the glorious reality of God’s presence and all that he is.
Even though we see all of this as but a poor reflection or through a stained glass window, we know from the assurance of the Holy Spirit within us that what awaits us will be more wonderful than we could ever put in words. So as Paul says we know we have a eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. We see this in John 14:1-3 where Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” So you see it not just Jesus’ desire but his guarantee that he will personally be there at our death to bring us back to be with him in heaven for ever more. Forever we will be with the one that not just created us, died for us, but will love us for all eternity. What more could we ask for? It is no wonder Paul wanted to go and be with Jesus so much. In Philippians 1:21-24 he says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”
I believe going to be with Jesus was always on his mind. It was his goal and passion. Going to be with Jesus was not an option or just a hope for Paul, and it shouldn’t be for us. It should be an anxious expectation of certainty. As a rule we don’t know the moment that our death will come. We have to live each day with the thought we will live a long time, but realize we could die at anytime. And that brings the question; Are we ready to die and stand before the Lord? My grandson Matthew who asked me what heaven is like is a Christian. He may be only five years old, but he believes in Jesus and that someday he like the rest of his family will go to be with Jesus in Heaven. He has that confident assurance that this is the way it will be. I am not saying that he has been brainwashed into thinking something that may not be a reality. It is that he has not been brainwashed into believing the lies of Satan, the powers of darkness, the evil of this world that there is not consequences of sin nor is their life after death. This is the lie that goes against the very instinct in every heart that there is life after death and consequence for sin. In his little heart there is yearning to be with Jesus. He doesn’t know what it will all be like, but neither do any of us. He does know that because he is a Christian and trusts in Jesus he doesn’t have to worry!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessed assurance you have given us that nothing can take our salvation from us, and when we die you will come to take us home to be with you forever. We love you Jesus!
