Carl Witty
11/17/15
Last week’s article dealt with several biblical teachings about our heavenly home. This article will continue those thoughts about bible teaching on heaven.
The greatest of all questions, “What must I do to be saved?” relates directly to our study of heaven. We must remind ourselves that God’s great design for us is to prepare a people who can live with Him forever. Getting rid of our sins by faith and obedience to the gospel puts us in a position for God to begin to create us anew. Listen to Jesus. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
When we obey our Lord we become newly-born creatures, ready for God’s creative power to work in us. We begin our parallel relationship with Jesus Christ when we are baptized into Christ. Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised to a new life. We crucify the old man (Rom. 6:6), bury the old man of sin in baptism (Rom. 6:4) and are raised to a new life (Rom. 6:4). The transformation process has begun as we begin to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. The principles developed in the sermon of Jesus (Matt.5-7) become the guidelines by which we develop into kingdom citizens. Charles Wesley, in verses 2 and 4 of his 1747 hymn, “Love Divine”, expresses the longing Christians have for their change into beings fitted for heaven: “Breathe, O breathe thy loving spirit into every troubled breast; May we all in Thee inherit; may we find the promised rest. Take away the love of sinning, Take our load of guilt away; End the work of Thy beginning, Bring us to eternal day; “Finish then Thy new creation, Pure, unspotted, may we be; May we see our whole salvation, Perfectly secured by Thee; Changed from glory, into glory, Till in heaven we take our place,Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love and praise.”
Our whole purpose in life may be summarized in the thought expressed in Ephesians 1:4-5 – “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” We are here on earth to become God’s children. God desires more children to become like His Son and to be with Him forever.
The transformation of our character may necessitate suffering. In accepting this necessity, we are imitating Jesus. Hebrews 2:10 states that “It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Also, note I Peter 4:4 – “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind.” While no one wants to suffer, but since Christ suffered, our desire to be like Him means that we, too, will suffer. Jesus taught, “If any man desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Paul desired “the fellowship of his sufferings.” (Phil. 3:10) The final act of our transformation will occur when Jesus returns. The apostle John writes, “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Our new heavenly bodies will be incorruptible, immortal, heavenly, spiritual and glorious. (I Cor. 15:47-59) Truly, we shall be “Immortally Arrayed.” And so we wait….waiting for that final transformation “for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…” (Phil. 3:20-21)
God has provided a pattern for our life on earth as we prepare for heaven. This pattern involves our listening to heavenly words, abiding in heavenly love from God, staying in constant contact with God through prayer and study, and enjoying our fellowship with other heaven seekers. Periods of regular worship make us realize anew the presence of God, and help anchor our souls with hope – earnest expectation. Good worship with good people helps refresh us with the air of heaven itself.
Our anticipation of heaven is sharpened as we think of a God who will “reward each according to his works.” (Matt. 16:27) Jesus holds before us the promise of reward when it is very difficult for us in the “here and now” of daily struggles. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” (Matt. 5:11-12a)
The final thought I wish to leave the readers of these two articles on “Heaven will surely be worth it all” is contained in Malachi 3:16-17 where it is recorded that “a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels...” Is your name written there? May the hope of heaven be in us every day!