CONSIDERING HEAVEN

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3 5)

Devotion 5 of 12

WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?

More can be known of heaven than the average believer conceives. The absence of a heavenly thrust in the professed church has robbed it of many marvelous contemplations. An earth-centered religion is a morally and spiritually powerless one, whatever claims it may make to the contrary.

By nature, men look into the activities of heaven, i.e., what will we be doing? While we are given some information regarding activities in the world to come, this is not the real point. Activities are not the real things that concern us. Rather, the circumstances that surround them, and their effect upon us are the point of concern. This is thrust of the information now revealed about heaven.

More of What We Have in Christ

Being with the Lord forever involves a significant expansion of what we now have in Christ. Just as you can reason from nature to law, and from law to grace, so we can reason from grace to glory. Nature is a prelude to law, and therefore contains many likenesses to it. Similarly, the Law of God is filled with images of grace (atoning blood, washing, the lamb, a tabernacle for God, etc.). These similarities reflect the nature of God's dealings with man. They are always progressive, with one stage leading to, and preparing for, the next.

Righteousness, peace, and joy. These principle elements of the kingdom, (Rom. 14:17), are now possessed in firstfruits proportions. When we are forever with the Lord, they will be had in abundance. Also, we will never be tempted to forsake them in preference for temporal things. We will also derive great satisfaction from their increased measure.

Divine fellowship. In heaven we will enjoy the immediate presence of the Lord. It is written, "God Himself will be with them . . . " (Rev. 21:3). In regeneration, we are "called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:9). That fellowship, precious though it be, is not as consistent as we desire. This is owing to our frailty, and not to any reluctance on the Lord's part. There are multitudinous distractions that attend life's normalities, to say nothing of its abnormalities. How pleasant to contemplate the removal of such things.

In addition, Christ dwells in our hearts "by faith" (Eph. 3:16-17), and we are a "habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22). This signifies that now Divine fellowship is also in its firstfruits or introductory stage. But it will not be so in the world to come. Then we shall have done with obscurity, praise the Lord! We will no longer "know in part."

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me strength to avail myself of the benefits of offered in Christ Jesus, that I may be prepared for the new heavens and new earth, wherein righteousness dwells.

-- TOMORROW: A BOTTLE IN THE SMOKE --