Part One: Chapter 3
Preparing for Heaven Needs to Be Now
We really should give more than lip service to heaven. It is going to be our home for endless years while this life is but a dot in our existence.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, . . .
Phil 3:20
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, . . .
Phil 3:20
Heaven is seldom thought of, and that is contrary to Scripture. Is that because we do not know much about it? And, why do we not know more about heaven? It is probably because we have been taught just those obvious references to it in the Bible. It is God’s home. There is no sin and pain there. We will meet our relatives and friends again if they were Christians. It is where we go when we die. Eventually a new heavens and earth will be created, and there will be a gigantic city, the New Jerusalem, 1500 miles cubed. It has streets of gold, etc. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us to live in heaven, called mansions in some Bible versions and rooms in others.
Then there are the things about heaven that we know but to which we have paid far too little attention. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God as being so valuable that we should give anything to have it.
Then there are the things about heaven that we know but to which we have paid far too little attention. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God as being so valuable that we should give anything to have it.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matt 13:45-56
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We know that heaven is not just a place, it is a kingdom with its own society and way of life. We know it should be top priority in our lives, but we are seldom consciously seeking it. There is a great difference between knowing about heaven and learning how to actually live there. We are in the lecture hall to be successful in the college laboratory to be able to perform after graduation.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you.
Matt 6:33
and all these things will be added to you.
Matt 6:33
We also know in the back of our minds that we cannot get into the kingdom of heaven by our own righteousness. We never deserve it. We realize that entrance into heaven and its society only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We even know that empty dedication to God will not get anyone into heaven.
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.”
Matt 21:28-31
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matt 7:21-23
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However, we actually know volumes more about heaven than this, although few of us realize it. Perhaps we don’t know a lot about heaven physically, like whether our pets will be in heaven waiting for us or whether or not we will eat meat there. But, we know a lot about the society part of heaven, the ways of heaven. Everything the Bible tells us about loving one another is the way of heavenly relationships. Since relationships are what heaven is about most, we should know that it is highest priority to let God through the Holy Spirit develop us more like the perfectly loving Jesus.
Not enough books have been written about the ways of heaven rather than the aspects of heaven as a place. Books and sermons have just not mentioned how eternally important their instructions are for life beyond the grave. It should be obvious, but it seems not to be heeded.
The way God wants us to live now is the way He wants us to live there. We are to enjoy one another’s different design by God here – and there. We are to worship God together now – and then. We are to serve God here – and in heaven. We are to serve one another now and then for all eternity.
Therefore, it makes pure sense to prepare for heaven by get serious about being conformed by God into the image of Jesus Christ and behaving like the new creatures in Christ that we are. We are already inside the kingdom of heaven and can live its ways more and more through obedience to the Scriptures, especially those that make up the 65 Togethers of Scripture.
Not enough books have been written about the ways of heaven rather than the aspects of heaven as a place. Books and sermons have just not mentioned how eternally important their instructions are for life beyond the grave. It should be obvious, but it seems not to be heeded.
The way God wants us to live now is the way He wants us to live there. We are to enjoy one another’s different design by God here – and there. We are to worship God together now – and then. We are to serve God here – and in heaven. We are to serve one another now and then for all eternity.
Therefore, it makes pure sense to prepare for heaven by get serious about being conformed by God into the image of Jesus Christ and behaving like the new creatures in Christ that we are. We are already inside the kingdom of heaven and can live its ways more and more through obedience to the Scriptures, especially those that make up the 65 Togethers of Scripture.
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Luke 17:20-21
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Heaven expands in us like yeast in baking bread. We should be embracing the kingdom of heaven now and letting its ways take over our lives in ever more areas.
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
Matt 13:33
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Heaven is God’s home and the ways of heaven are God’s ways just as they are here, now. Yet when we read of heaven, focus is rarely on how magnificently better life will be there. Now we imperfectly relate to God and one another. In heaven sin will not impede our love, but when we enter heaven, what makes us think that we will all magically catch up to those who have opened their hearts wide to God now before death?
There is nothing in Scripture that even hints at that. Instead, the one who turned one coin into eleven through business dealings was told he would rule ten cities. The one who turned one coin only into six was told he would rule five cities. Then when a third did nothing with the one coin, that coin was given to the one who earned ten, not the one who did only five and needed to “catch up” to the one who gained ten. When people arrive in heaven, they will have different levels of spiritual maturity in all of it many aspects. Like the man who labored to gain ten more coins for his master, we are to put effort into being more and more what Jesus wants us to be.
Since God is conforming us to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29), we can seek this process of changing our spirits and let the Holy Spirit lead us to obey Scripture more fully. With regard to loving God and other Christians, this means putting into practice the Togethers which represent hundreds of Bible passages relevant to relationship with God and other Christians. And, since they can always be obeyed more thoroughly, we should seek to grow in our spirits in ever greater Christlikeness.
For example, each of us is tolerant of some people who are a bit objectionable. Therefore, we obey the verses that tell us to bear with one another. However, all of us have many types of people we do not tolerate mentally, even though we do not come in contact with them. Jesus was comfortable with a woman who was not of His religion, had many divorces, and was living with a man to whom she was not married. Most of us are a bit judgmental of people like her and there is great room to grow in our spirits to be more like Jesus.
So, let’s not say we have reached the height of any spiritual virtue. We should recognize that we have much room for improvement. And, why would not that improvement apply to heaven? If heaven is our destination, why do we do so little to prepare for life there? Do most Christians not see any need to get ready for heaven because they believe once in heaven anything ignored will be automatically caught up and therefore everything will be the same for everybody? This is a very big mistake that cannot later be corrected.
Does it make sense that someone who was intolerant and critical of others will start out in heaven with a high level of grace toward others? The person who loved God enough to value people in the different ways He created them will have developed their spirits to be more like Jesus. Why would we think that the critical believer would automatically have a “spirit upgrade” such that he or she would be on level ground with the faithful believer? What will be true is that the critical believer will be set free from the sin he or she hung on to before death. Although not able to be critical in heaven, he or she will no longer be in the ideal environment to develop a stronger appreciation of people as would develop against the opposition of sin.
It makes sense that our fellow Christians who approach their faith primarily for the benefits provided by God might expect a magical and effortless transformation when entering heaven. They don’t want any of that suffering that is provided under God’s watchful eye to bring out more godliness and transform us more into the image of Jesus Christ. They want easy transformation the moment they die. Those folks want faith to be undemanding and conceive of God as so loving as to not have expectations with negative consequences for disobedience or disregard. Where would they get that if they look at the whole Bible, and not just a couple of verses convenient to their laziness in matters of faith?
What kind of sense does that make? None; it is nonsense. Yet, if we are honest, it is our dream. Profit without work. Easy accomplishment. Yet, everything about this life speaks against such foolishness. Even the most naturally talented athletes and musicians have to practice and improve. That is the way God designed us. Even our life of faith is presented in Scripture as a race worth preparation.
There is nothing in Scripture that even hints at that. Instead, the one who turned one coin into eleven through business dealings was told he would rule ten cities. The one who turned one coin only into six was told he would rule five cities. Then when a third did nothing with the one coin, that coin was given to the one who earned ten, not the one who did only five and needed to “catch up” to the one who gained ten. When people arrive in heaven, they will have different levels of spiritual maturity in all of it many aspects. Like the man who labored to gain ten more coins for his master, we are to put effort into being more and more what Jesus wants us to be.
Since God is conforming us to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29), we can seek this process of changing our spirits and let the Holy Spirit lead us to obey Scripture more fully. With regard to loving God and other Christians, this means putting into practice the Togethers which represent hundreds of Bible passages relevant to relationship with God and other Christians. And, since they can always be obeyed more thoroughly, we should seek to grow in our spirits in ever greater Christlikeness.
For example, each of us is tolerant of some people who are a bit objectionable. Therefore, we obey the verses that tell us to bear with one another. However, all of us have many types of people we do not tolerate mentally, even though we do not come in contact with them. Jesus was comfortable with a woman who was not of His religion, had many divorces, and was living with a man to whom she was not married. Most of us are a bit judgmental of people like her and there is great room to grow in our spirits to be more like Jesus.
So, let’s not say we have reached the height of any spiritual virtue. We should recognize that we have much room for improvement. And, why would not that improvement apply to heaven? If heaven is our destination, why do we do so little to prepare for life there? Do most Christians not see any need to get ready for heaven because they believe once in heaven anything ignored will be automatically caught up and therefore everything will be the same for everybody? This is a very big mistake that cannot later be corrected.
Does it make sense that someone who was intolerant and critical of others will start out in heaven with a high level of grace toward others? The person who loved God enough to value people in the different ways He created them will have developed their spirits to be more like Jesus. Why would we think that the critical believer would automatically have a “spirit upgrade” such that he or she would be on level ground with the faithful believer? What will be true is that the critical believer will be set free from the sin he or she hung on to before death. Although not able to be critical in heaven, he or she will no longer be in the ideal environment to develop a stronger appreciation of people as would develop against the opposition of sin.
It makes sense that our fellow Christians who approach their faith primarily for the benefits provided by God might expect a magical and effortless transformation when entering heaven. They don’t want any of that suffering that is provided under God’s watchful eye to bring out more godliness and transform us more into the image of Jesus Christ. They want easy transformation the moment they die. Those folks want faith to be undemanding and conceive of God as so loving as to not have expectations with negative consequences for disobedience or disregard. Where would they get that if they look at the whole Bible, and not just a couple of verses convenient to their laziness in matters of faith?
What kind of sense does that make? None; it is nonsense. Yet, if we are honest, it is our dream. Profit without work. Easy accomplishment. Yet, everything about this life speaks against such foolishness. Even the most naturally talented athletes and musicians have to practice and improve. That is the way God designed us. Even our life of faith is presented in Scripture as a race worth preparation.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
1 Cor 9:24
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us, . . . Heb 12:1
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If there were not terrific benefits (first for God and second for us) in becoming more like Jesus and preparing for God’s society in heaven, why would Paul have written to Timothy to encourage believers under his care to develop godliness for life now and life after death?
... train yourself to be godly.
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,
holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Tim 4:7b, 8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,
holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Tim 4:7b, 8
To think there is no fantastic value in getting ready for heaven is disastrous. It negates the importance that God is now conforming us to the image of His Son and asking us in Scripture everywhere to cooperate with that process through obedient thinking, feeling, decisions and actions. If, we think that when we enter heaven all of those things just snap into place, how dismissive that would be of God and His desire to have a citizenship in heaven that cares deeply for Him.
The bulk of Scripture speaks against automatic perfection and completion just by dying. There is just too much instruction to live righteously, grow in obedience, and pursue sanctification. But the real argument against such easy transformation is that it would be devoid of love for God.
If we yield to the Holy Spirit and let Jesus live through us, obedience is easy. But, still obedience must be our choice. Because it requires something from us, it is an expression of love for God that He desires and for which He created us. To obey from obligation is not as loving as to obey because we are loved (1 John 4:10: We love because he first loved us.) To enter heaven and be transformed in ways we neglected would rob God of the love He wants from us.
It is understandable if we dream of entering heaven complete in every way. There are a few verses that can be interpreted to say this.
The bulk of Scripture speaks against automatic perfection and completion just by dying. There is just too much instruction to live righteously, grow in obedience, and pursue sanctification. But the real argument against such easy transformation is that it would be devoid of love for God.
If we yield to the Holy Spirit and let Jesus live through us, obedience is easy. But, still obedience must be our choice. Because it requires something from us, it is an expression of love for God that He desires and for which He created us. To obey from obligation is not as loving as to obey because we are loved (1 John 4:10: We love because he first loved us.) To enter heaven and be transformed in ways we neglected would rob God of the love He wants from us.
It is understandable if we dream of entering heaven complete in every way. There are a few verses that can be interpreted to say this.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1 Cor 13:8-12
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When 1 Cor 13:12 says, “then I shall know fully”, it cannot mean that we would know everything. Only God is all knowing. Certainly, we do not become God when we enter heaven. Imagine where that would end up. We would no longer be praising God for knowing everything because it would be nothing special since we would also know everything. If we were perfected right when we entered heaven and would know all things and do all things well, we would be claiming to be omniscient and omnipotent, both qualities reserved by God only for Himself.
The passage in First Corinthians 13 is talking about knowing the truth of the Bible, and most likely much truth that is not in the Bible. When we see truth face to face in heaven we will be unhindered by sin and able to fully and completely grasp it.
When we get to heaven, do we suspect that we will be able to do everything perfectly? We will not be able to sin, so in that sense we will be perfect – perfectly righteous. But, will we all be able to knit or play basketball perfectly and all be equal in skill? Will we become clones of one another? Surely not!
Without sin, we will all be equally unable to lie. But, if we each have a different place of service and reward in heaven, it is most likely that we will each excel in different non-sinful things. Even though sin will have been removed and each of us will be absolutely without sin, we will excel in different capabilities of our spirits.
While you and I will both be able to sing worshipfully, you will likely be able to do so at a much higher level than I whom God made non-musically talented. It is by God’s design that I am not a tuneful singer. Why, then, in heaven would I all of a sudden be something God did not want for me in the life before death?
It is not sinful to not be excellent in things. It is not now sinful for some of us to not be as good at swimming as others. We will not have every skill at the same level, whether physical like running fast or spiritual like appreciation for being in heaven. Does it not make sense that if before death we were skilled in intricate needlework, we would not have to start developing that skill all over again or all of a sudden magically be able to cross stitch? If everyone could be a master knitter once in heaven, how would that be a good thing? There would be nothing to look forward to if there is no further development of sewing skills in heaven. Heaven is dynamic, not stagnant.
The horizon is even more vast when we consider spiritual abilities. We will all be aware of God’s presence when we get to heaven. And, we all wish that such awareness would be at the highest magnitude. God has given us the ability to reason. And reason says that someone who often allowed awareness of God’s presence before death in a distracting sinful environment would enter heaven with spiritual senses more keenly aware of God’s presence than someone who thought of God only a couple of times a day. If that were not probable, why would Scripture tell us to be more and more aware of God’s presence in our lives?
Just as in computer games there are levels, there will be levels of righteous spiritual qualities in heaven. The one who has a lesser awareness of God’s presence from neglecting to pay attention to God and prepare for heaven before death will be completely satisfied. In a sense, he or she will be playing at his or her maximum ability and will therefore be 100% righteous. Likewise, a half glass of milk is still 100% milk and a full glass is the same but just more. Awareness of God in heaven every second at 57 decibels, so to speak, is just as righteous as constant awareness at 139 decibels. The person at 57 decibels is just not yet ready for 58 and the one at 139 is not yet ready for 140. In the course of heaven’s time, the one will gain the ability to sense 58 and by that time the 139 will reach 140. Each will be delighted at the increase in awareness of God’s invisible presence. It is this way now.
We might wonder how in heaven we will not feel pain and disappointment if others are more advanced spiritually in mind and abilities because they better prepared in the environment of sin before they died. Perhaps that is why we want to think that we will all enter heaven on equal ground as to spiritual maturity. But, if we are honest with ourselves, it makes no sense that someone who ignored spiritual growth, whodid not in increasing measure show God appreciation for His gift of Jesus, and who did not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification would be on equal footing with those who did let God work in them.
Something happens all the time in this life before death that shows how in heaven we will recognize that others have greater spiritual abilities and maturity and yet not be disappointed. We do not resent or feel bad that our physician has more education than we do or that he or she makes more money. We know that the doctor spent a lot of effort to get where he or she is and that we did not. Likewise, we do not resent the neighbor who has a greener lawn or a garden full of beautiful flowers because we know that neighbor put in a lot of work.
Why would it not be this way in heaven? Suppose that Jesus comes by a café in heaven and compliments one of our group of friends for being exceedingly faithful in forgiving others who hurt her or him very badly. We will know that the person complimented by the Lord will have put more effort into living obediently with regard to forgiveness. We will feel they deserve the special attention from Jesus and feel no pain in being left out.
Now, the call is to all of us to seek more and more obedience. And let’s remember that we are all appointed to help one another in this sanctification process. There should be no reason to justify casting off some aspect of obedience with its rewards in heaven just because we will not feel pain. Let’s not do that!
God has designed us in His likeness and breathed into us His Spirit, so why would we think heaven something not to be prepared for?
If we were going to vacation on a resort island or a foreign land, we would not know all of the opportunities awaiting us. But, we would want to prepare ourselves for anything exciting that might come up. If we would do that for a three-week vacation, what will we do for a life in heaven that lasts for eternity?
Heaven is alive and interesting with endless opportunities we now know nothing about. Does the New Jerusalem in heaven, a city 1500 miles square (2,250,000 square miles) sound disinteresting? And, when we add the height at 1500 miles, we have to open our minds to possibilities, not constraints. A city 1500 miles high means that there will be things to learn, things to explore, and things to enjoy.
Much more exciting than a City we can hardly imagine are all the relationships in heaven. Without sin lurking in the corners, we will relate to God and other people with untainted joy. We should want to be ready for those relationships, not just experiences and adventures. While it will be eye-opening to see angels, it will be much more thrilling to communicate with them. We don’t have a clue how to prepare to have relationships with angels, but we do know how to prepare for better relationship with God and the other humans in heaven.
Each one of the Togethers prepares our spirits in some way for heaven’s relationships. This is how we prepare for heaven now. We grow in our love for God and for one another, something that we already know we should be doing. Perhaps we believe that we already know how, but the Togethers reveal that we have just scratched the surface.
Will we be ready for the various adventures in heaven? Will we be ready to relate lovingly to other citizens of heaven? We will all be ready for the relationships and adventures in heaven at the levels we have achieved in allowing God through our obedience to conform us to the image of Jesus.
Like a swimmer who can battle ocean currents to swim from England to France is a stronger swimmer than one who just swims in pools, we will each arrive in heaven with different levels of strengths of our spirits. Just as our leg muscles get strong climbing hills more than walking on level ground, so the very inner part of who we are, our spirits, grow against the opposition of sin. Such spiritual growth develops level upon level of spiritual abilities to take with us to heaven and add to our enjoyment there.
Therefore, no matter how much time is remaining before we each die, it is very wise to use it carefully to get ready for heaven. This preparation must be of highest priority because this life is short. How we live Faith Together in the midst of sin-contaminated culture will affect our experience in heaven for time without end.
Our spirits are who we are and what goes to heaven when we die. All 65 Togethers of Scripture change our spirits for heaven in some specific, wonderful way.
The passage in First Corinthians 13 is talking about knowing the truth of the Bible, and most likely much truth that is not in the Bible. When we see truth face to face in heaven we will be unhindered by sin and able to fully and completely grasp it.
When we get to heaven, do we suspect that we will be able to do everything perfectly? We will not be able to sin, so in that sense we will be perfect – perfectly righteous. But, will we all be able to knit or play basketball perfectly and all be equal in skill? Will we become clones of one another? Surely not!
Without sin, we will all be equally unable to lie. But, if we each have a different place of service and reward in heaven, it is most likely that we will each excel in different non-sinful things. Even though sin will have been removed and each of us will be absolutely without sin, we will excel in different capabilities of our spirits.
While you and I will both be able to sing worshipfully, you will likely be able to do so at a much higher level than I whom God made non-musically talented. It is by God’s design that I am not a tuneful singer. Why, then, in heaven would I all of a sudden be something God did not want for me in the life before death?
It is not sinful to not be excellent in things. It is not now sinful for some of us to not be as good at swimming as others. We will not have every skill at the same level, whether physical like running fast or spiritual like appreciation for being in heaven. Does it not make sense that if before death we were skilled in intricate needlework, we would not have to start developing that skill all over again or all of a sudden magically be able to cross stitch? If everyone could be a master knitter once in heaven, how would that be a good thing? There would be nothing to look forward to if there is no further development of sewing skills in heaven. Heaven is dynamic, not stagnant.
The horizon is even more vast when we consider spiritual abilities. We will all be aware of God’s presence when we get to heaven. And, we all wish that such awareness would be at the highest magnitude. God has given us the ability to reason. And reason says that someone who often allowed awareness of God’s presence before death in a distracting sinful environment would enter heaven with spiritual senses more keenly aware of God’s presence than someone who thought of God only a couple of times a day. If that were not probable, why would Scripture tell us to be more and more aware of God’s presence in our lives?
Just as in computer games there are levels, there will be levels of righteous spiritual qualities in heaven. The one who has a lesser awareness of God’s presence from neglecting to pay attention to God and prepare for heaven before death will be completely satisfied. In a sense, he or she will be playing at his or her maximum ability and will therefore be 100% righteous. Likewise, a half glass of milk is still 100% milk and a full glass is the same but just more. Awareness of God in heaven every second at 57 decibels, so to speak, is just as righteous as constant awareness at 139 decibels. The person at 57 decibels is just not yet ready for 58 and the one at 139 is not yet ready for 140. In the course of heaven’s time, the one will gain the ability to sense 58 and by that time the 139 will reach 140. Each will be delighted at the increase in awareness of God’s invisible presence. It is this way now.
We might wonder how in heaven we will not feel pain and disappointment if others are more advanced spiritually in mind and abilities because they better prepared in the environment of sin before they died. Perhaps that is why we want to think that we will all enter heaven on equal ground as to spiritual maturity. But, if we are honest with ourselves, it makes no sense that someone who ignored spiritual growth, whodid not in increasing measure show God appreciation for His gift of Jesus, and who did not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification would be on equal footing with those who did let God work in them.
Something happens all the time in this life before death that shows how in heaven we will recognize that others have greater spiritual abilities and maturity and yet not be disappointed. We do not resent or feel bad that our physician has more education than we do or that he or she makes more money. We know that the doctor spent a lot of effort to get where he or she is and that we did not. Likewise, we do not resent the neighbor who has a greener lawn or a garden full of beautiful flowers because we know that neighbor put in a lot of work.
Why would it not be this way in heaven? Suppose that Jesus comes by a café in heaven and compliments one of our group of friends for being exceedingly faithful in forgiving others who hurt her or him very badly. We will know that the person complimented by the Lord will have put more effort into living obediently with regard to forgiveness. We will feel they deserve the special attention from Jesus and feel no pain in being left out.
Now, the call is to all of us to seek more and more obedience. And let’s remember that we are all appointed to help one another in this sanctification process. There should be no reason to justify casting off some aspect of obedience with its rewards in heaven just because we will not feel pain. Let’s not do that!
God has designed us in His likeness and breathed into us His Spirit, so why would we think heaven something not to be prepared for?
If we were going to vacation on a resort island or a foreign land, we would not know all of the opportunities awaiting us. But, we would want to prepare ourselves for anything exciting that might come up. If we would do that for a three-week vacation, what will we do for a life in heaven that lasts for eternity?
Heaven is alive and interesting with endless opportunities we now know nothing about. Does the New Jerusalem in heaven, a city 1500 miles square (2,250,000 square miles) sound disinteresting? And, when we add the height at 1500 miles, we have to open our minds to possibilities, not constraints. A city 1500 miles high means that there will be things to learn, things to explore, and things to enjoy.
Much more exciting than a City we can hardly imagine are all the relationships in heaven. Without sin lurking in the corners, we will relate to God and other people with untainted joy. We should want to be ready for those relationships, not just experiences and adventures. While it will be eye-opening to see angels, it will be much more thrilling to communicate with them. We don’t have a clue how to prepare to have relationships with angels, but we do know how to prepare for better relationship with God and the other humans in heaven.
Each one of the Togethers prepares our spirits in some way for heaven’s relationships. This is how we prepare for heaven now. We grow in our love for God and for one another, something that we already know we should be doing. Perhaps we believe that we already know how, but the Togethers reveal that we have just scratched the surface.
Will we be ready for the various adventures in heaven? Will we be ready to relate lovingly to other citizens of heaven? We will all be ready for the relationships and adventures in heaven at the levels we have achieved in allowing God through our obedience to conform us to the image of Jesus.
Like a swimmer who can battle ocean currents to swim from England to France is a stronger swimmer than one who just swims in pools, we will each arrive in heaven with different levels of strengths of our spirits. Just as our leg muscles get strong climbing hills more than walking on level ground, so the very inner part of who we are, our spirits, grow against the opposition of sin. Such spiritual growth develops level upon level of spiritual abilities to take with us to heaven and add to our enjoyment there.
Therefore, no matter how much time is remaining before we each die, it is very wise to use it carefully to get ready for heaven. This preparation must be of highest priority because this life is short. How we live Faith Together in the midst of sin-contaminated culture will affect our experience in heaven for time without end.
Our spirits are who we are and what goes to heaven when we die. All 65 Togethers of Scripture change our spirits for heaven in some specific, wonderful way.
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Cor 15:42-44
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When we arrive in heaven, we will each enter with spiritual strengths of different intensities dependent upon how far into obedience we were to specific Scriptures, including those categorized by the Togethers. We will not be held back by our sinful nature and not have to struggle against a sinful environment. But that does not mean that we will become completely like Jesus Christ in character just by passing through the pearly gates. We will not all be equally able to take advantage of and enjoy every aspect of heaven right from the moment we arrive.
For example, we will enter heaven with spirits developed in encouraging others to the degree before our deaths that we placed courage into others for them to do the will of God. Those of us who excelled at this will be more able to place courage into others in heaven for some of the more difficult and fascinating opportunities offered there. When they are successful at something in heaven, we will share in their joy. Those of us who just dabbled in encouraging others will have weaker strength of spirit to place courage into others, sometimes not adequate to help some citizens of heaven with the more difficult challenges they desire.
If we grow within this sinful environment before death to be keenly aware of God, we will have a clearer sense of God’s presence in heaven. Doing so now requires tuning out the difficult competition of sin and refusing the evil aspects of both secular and church cultures. This is like developing a perception to hear our baby cry during a lively party.
Does it really make sense that a Christian can say, “Oh, I don’t need to grow in prayer now. When I get to heaven I will be able to pray with the best of them”? That is like saying, “Oh, God is not so important to me now. I have accepted Christ. I will make God important when I get to heaven. Nothing will be lost.”
If a person does not know how to read music, do we really believe that after one moment in heaven that he or she will have mastered music? Or does it make more sense that the person finally has the joyful opportunity to learn how to read music and play an instrument to the extent that is God’s will for his or her eternal life?
Perhaps we would like to enter heaven and have all of its privileges, benefits and rewards without putting in any effort. But, there are many places in the Bible that tell us this is only wishful thinking. The reason we were not taken straight to heaven at the moment of salvation is so that God can get us ready for heaven. But He does so in a way that we need to cooperate with obedience to how He wants us to live.
We prepare for heaven by becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. Being godly means being like God. The Bible is full of admonitions to become godly in thought and deed. So, we must avoid becoming minimally like Jesus and counting that as sufficient.
For example, we will enter heaven with spirits developed in encouraging others to the degree before our deaths that we placed courage into others for them to do the will of God. Those of us who excelled at this will be more able to place courage into others in heaven for some of the more difficult and fascinating opportunities offered there. When they are successful at something in heaven, we will share in their joy. Those of us who just dabbled in encouraging others will have weaker strength of spirit to place courage into others, sometimes not adequate to help some citizens of heaven with the more difficult challenges they desire.
If we grow within this sinful environment before death to be keenly aware of God, we will have a clearer sense of God’s presence in heaven. Doing so now requires tuning out the difficult competition of sin and refusing the evil aspects of both secular and church cultures. This is like developing a perception to hear our baby cry during a lively party.
Does it really make sense that a Christian can say, “Oh, I don’t need to grow in prayer now. When I get to heaven I will be able to pray with the best of them”? That is like saying, “Oh, God is not so important to me now. I have accepted Christ. I will make God important when I get to heaven. Nothing will be lost.”
If a person does not know how to read music, do we really believe that after one moment in heaven that he or she will have mastered music? Or does it make more sense that the person finally has the joyful opportunity to learn how to read music and play an instrument to the extent that is God’s will for his or her eternal life?
Perhaps we would like to enter heaven and have all of its privileges, benefits and rewards without putting in any effort. But, there are many places in the Bible that tell us this is only wishful thinking. The reason we were not taken straight to heaven at the moment of salvation is so that God can get us ready for heaven. But He does so in a way that we need to cooperate with obedience to how He wants us to live.
We prepare for heaven by becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. Being godly means being like God. The Bible is full of admonitions to become godly in thought and deed. So, we must avoid becoming minimally like Jesus and counting that as sufficient.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow up into salvation . . . .
1 Peter 2:2
that by it you may grow up into salvation . . . .
1 Peter 2:2
All of these verses indicate that how we live here now where sin contaminates will affect how we will live for eternity in heaven.
For you have need of endurance,
so that when you have done the will of God
you may receive what is promised.
Hebrews 10:36
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels,
and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Matthew 16:27 (NIV)
so that when you have done the will of God
you may receive what is promised.
Hebrews 10:36
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels,
and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Matthew 16:27 (NIV)
Numerous verses of Scripture urge us to have our minds on heaven as our destination and to be engaged with the world rather than apart from it so that we can be transformed into Christ’s image through service and suffering.
So it comes down to this: since you have been raised with the Anointed One, the Liberating King, set your mind on heaven above. The Anointed is there, seated at God’s right hand. Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, because your old life is dead and gone. Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed who is in God.
Col 3:1-3 (The Voice Bible)
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
John 17:14-18
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Rom 8:16-18
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We really should want to get ready for the joys of heaven. We should want to be ready to take in as much of heaven as we can. Sadly, most of us would prepare more to go on vacation to Hawaii than we would prepare to go to heaven. This is dangerously short-sighted. While enjoying a free ticket to heaven purchased by Christ, there is much preparation for arriving there.
Together in our Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages we can increasingly glorify God by preparing to live His way, which will be the same in heaven as it is here now. God does not change. If He wants us to live a certain way with one another now, it will most certainly be how He wants it done there in heaven.
If God wants us to love Him wholeheartedly and others as we do ourselves, He will want the same in heaven. Resisting doing so now only makes us enter heaven with deficiencies we could have taken care of previously.
Why would we think that God wants us to love one another now but not in heaven? Those Togethers that have little to do with sin will be expected and automatically obeyed in heaven. We will still serve one another, spur one another on to love and good deeds, and together be led by Jesus Christ in heaven, among many others.
For example, we are told to accept one another and that this brings praise to God. In heaven everyone will be accepting because no sin lingers to stimulate rejection. One citizen of heaven who was only barely accepting of others who were different before death will accept others in heaven in the sense of being pleasant to them. Another citizen of heaven who accepted different people, even troubled people, into his or her life before coming to heaven will include others in activities in heaven, not just be nice when talking to them.
Each of us will praise God through accepting others to her or his spiritual capacity. From God’s standpoint, He will be pleased. God will be like a shopkeeper in a vacation village, equally happy with the purchases of a customer who buys an ice cream for a few dollars and one who buys an expensive souvenir sweatshirt.
Glorifying God in heaven will be the most magnificent privilege we will have in heaven. However, there will be a lot more happening there that we should want to be a part of. All of it will give God joy when are able to participate in what He has in store for us.
Take for example the exciting conversations we will have in heaven with people from all over the world and from all centuries. It seems only fair that they will exhibit aspects of the cultures in which they lived (dress, speech patterns, etc.).
And, because sin will not be blocking or distorting, we will be able to remember everything good that happened to us when we were on the first earth. We will be surprised how some things we thought bad were actually good when seen from God’s perspective. We will probably be able to see for the first time spiritual activity and truth hidden during our sin-contaminated life. We will perceive how God worked invisibly to take care of us and guide us to service opportunities and other blessings.
In heaven we will finally be able to see and hear angels. But sin blocks our ability to see them now. However, our brains might be perceiving and collecting their invisible presence in our unconscious memories. When in heaven without sin still blocking our perception, we might remember events and see the angels in those memories as they took care of us in their service for God.
Also, without sinfulness and self-focus in heaven, we will have a deeper empathy that will allow us to understand people’s thoughts, feelings, motives and other things that were clouded during sin-contaminated life. This, too, will add fascination to the many wonderful conversations we will have in heaven – enough to last a long, long forever.
It will take eternity to hear the many stories of trillions of heaven’s citizens from all times and all places. Imagine incorrectly that our conversations in eternity will be limited to just 10,000 people of different cultures, centuries and geography. Each of them remember 50 great stories for each of 45 years of their lives back during sin-contaminated life. That would be 22.5 million of their stories to which to listen. Then we will each have 2,250 stories to tell. This totals to 22,502,250 conversations! Every story told would praise God’s part, largely unseen before but clearly recalled after death. Millions of groups of three to eight people all over heaven all telling testimonies of praise at the same time. An explosion of conversations and stories will bring endless praise to God from the moment beyond death to forever without end.
Imagine how interesting and thrilling this will be. The stories! The grace and mercies of God that took place in endless situations! So many cultures! Such variety! Wow!
Regarding the spiritual ability to accept people, what if one of us did not develop the ability to find the non-sinful aspects of other people’s cultures and personal idiosyncracies interesting, fascinating, and enjoyable? Will such a person sit in the story-telling circles in heaven for all eternity and be limited in comprehension and enjoyment? I remember sitting in my college physics class not understanding much of what the professor was saying. My mind was blank, kind of like a “deer in the headlights”, even though I was not unhappy. Perhaps that is what it will be like for Christians who do not learn to accept other types of people. A person who turned his or her back on the Lord’s command to accept one another will be spiritually underdeveloped and miss out on a lot. He or she will sit in those heavenly circles of fellowship and be completely happy, but not able to connect with others to the degree of others whose spirits became more accepting like Jesus who died for even the most horrible of people.
Being in the presence of God and relating to Him is the most wonderful thing about heaven. Add to that the millions of conversations, the feast the Bible talks about, the eventual exploring of the new heavens and new earth, and many more things beyond our dreams. Maybe this exposure with different cultures and different stories will create new games in heaven, perhaps a “People Scavenger Hunt”. The purpose would be to find someone who ate a qualibump, a rare dessert eaten in the Roman Empire in the early 200's (made up) on their fifth birthday.
Considering all of this, we should want to speed up our preparation for heaven. The quality of our lives in heaven depends on what we do now. We are heaven bound! The excitement of going to paradise should be enough to put effort and obedience into the Togethers to prepare our spirits.
There are many ways in which our quality of life in heaven can be enhanced by obedience or held back by indifference. Because our quality of life in the hereafter is at stake, it is even more important that we love one another through the many Togethers, what Jesus asked for right now, before we die, as love for Him. Let’s grow in obedience to the Togethers for our Savior. But, in the back of our minds, let’s still be aware that we are storing up treasures in heaven.
To clarify, quality of life in heaven is a matter of degree, not absence. We will all embrace heaven to some extent and be completely happy. But, the degree that we will be able to engage heaven will be determined by our obedience here in our life before death. The Bible tells us how to live and all of those commands and suggestions prepare us for heaven as we take advantage of living the way God wants us to live.
If we do not prepare now, there will be permanent losses in some aspects of Christlikeness and spiritual maturity for life in heaven. That is because an environment of sin was necessary which will be absent in heaven. For example, in heaven we will not be able to carry one another’s burdens, which means we will not be able to help pay the consequences of one another’s waywardness. Since this is so close to what Jesus did when He paid the penalty for sin, this will be a great loss.
It seems that 30 of the 65 Togethers will disappear altogether when we die. Whatever treasure they develop in our spirits to add to our enjoyment in heaven will be gone. There will be no potential to increase because that solid gain had to come from resistance to sin. Thus, these spiritual qualities that develop when dealing with sin will not be able to grow in heaven. We will not be able to change our spirits more into Christ’s image through such Togethers as bearing with one another, hurting with one another, carrying one another’s burdens, and battling temptation, to name just a few.
What if before we die we do not restore one another in the faith and grow in our spirits to enjoy the faith victories of others when they have to overcome life difficulties resulting from evil? If we do not, we will not be so able to enjoy at a deeper level of appreciation the wonderful testimonies of all the millions of citizens of heaven we will meet. Our spirits will not be able to fully comprehend the struggles others had to overcome. We will not be able to have empathy for how difficult were their victories. We will not be able to so thoroughly understand the grace given to them, diluting our praise for God as we listen to their stories. And, our ability will not grow further because there will be no more sin and, thus, no more opportunity to restore another’s faith.
There will also be losses in being able to connect and bond with God about what He has done in the sinful environment of earth. If you value closeness, understanding and connection with your friends, imagine not having closeness, understanding and connection for eternity with God in some important areas.
For example, in heaven we may be able to advance in our basketball skills, but not the skill of playing our best while being sworn at and maintaining love for those demeaning us. But, now, if we can resist thinking evil of those who make our lives miserable, we can develop great concentration on God. In heaven there will be no opportunity to advance such focus because there will be no non-believer driven by Satan’s power to harass us while playing basketball.
God has put up with such abuse. If we have lovingly put up with something similar, we will be able to say to Him, “I know a little of what You went through.” That increased empathy will create a closeness with God in heaven absent for those who struck back when verbally abused by an athletic opponent. Strange isn’t it that we might even want to be harassed just to develop this character of our Lord.
Aspects of spiritual character not requiring the opposition of sin can grow and gain lost ground in heaven. But, we cannot catch up with others ahead of us in specific areas. Wherever spiritual maturity is low, we will start out in heaven at that level and progress from there. Others with higher levels of spiritual maturity in a certain aspect of faith will begin and probably stay ahead of us for eternity.
Hopefully, this will become clear with a few examples.
My wife Jean can taste single ingredients of the minutest measure in things she eats. I can’t. It doesn’t bother me that she has this ability I do not have. In this regard, her quality of life is more sensitive to taste, and I am content because I can’t miss what I have never perceived. Every so often I can identify a certain taste in food. But, I will never catch up to Jean because she will have learned to taste something she could not beforehand.
I loved to play basketball. But I went to work 30 hours a week when I was 14 and was never on a team. I played great street ball and was a terrific shot, winning most of my games. But I never learned one organized play. I did not practice drills. In heaven I will be extremely happy playing basketball. But, I will not start out at the level of a professional NBA player. Maybe in time I will be playing HBA (Heaven Basketball Association) level, but by that time those believers who played NBA before they entered heaven will have progressed ahead of me, most likely to the same degree they were ahead of me at the beginning.
In other words, if I enter heaven with basketball skills at a level of 26 and a Christian NBA player enters at the level of 74, eventually I will be a level 74 basketball player. But he will be at 122 . Keep in mind that I will be happy all the way, but my quality of life will be stunted even if I do not realize it or care.
Not an athlete? Okay, I flunked second grade violin and have never been able to read music. Frankly, I am excited to finally learn when I get to heaven. But it is unlikely I will ever catch up to those who enter heaven able to read music and play an instrument.
Ignoring the Togethers will lead to losses in quality of life in heaven similar to these examples. If we want to be more able in various spiritual abilities and character for all of eternity, preparing for heaven now is very important.
Another thing we must consider is that the privilege of serving God in heaven is our cherished reward. While we get into heaven free of charge because Jesus paid for our admittance with his life, our experience in heaven will be different than that of others in the way of rewards. Rewards are given based on how we proved ourselves to God in our sinful culture.
Together in our Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages we can increasingly glorify God by preparing to live His way, which will be the same in heaven as it is here now. God does not change. If He wants us to live a certain way with one another now, it will most certainly be how He wants it done there in heaven.
If God wants us to love Him wholeheartedly and others as we do ourselves, He will want the same in heaven. Resisting doing so now only makes us enter heaven with deficiencies we could have taken care of previously.
Why would we think that God wants us to love one another now but not in heaven? Those Togethers that have little to do with sin will be expected and automatically obeyed in heaven. We will still serve one another, spur one another on to love and good deeds, and together be led by Jesus Christ in heaven, among many others.
For example, we are told to accept one another and that this brings praise to God. In heaven everyone will be accepting because no sin lingers to stimulate rejection. One citizen of heaven who was only barely accepting of others who were different before death will accept others in heaven in the sense of being pleasant to them. Another citizen of heaven who accepted different people, even troubled people, into his or her life before coming to heaven will include others in activities in heaven, not just be nice when talking to them.
Each of us will praise God through accepting others to her or his spiritual capacity. From God’s standpoint, He will be pleased. God will be like a shopkeeper in a vacation village, equally happy with the purchases of a customer who buys an ice cream for a few dollars and one who buys an expensive souvenir sweatshirt.
Glorifying God in heaven will be the most magnificent privilege we will have in heaven. However, there will be a lot more happening there that we should want to be a part of. All of it will give God joy when are able to participate in what He has in store for us.
Take for example the exciting conversations we will have in heaven with people from all over the world and from all centuries. It seems only fair that they will exhibit aspects of the cultures in which they lived (dress, speech patterns, etc.).
And, because sin will not be blocking or distorting, we will be able to remember everything good that happened to us when we were on the first earth. We will be surprised how some things we thought bad were actually good when seen from God’s perspective. We will probably be able to see for the first time spiritual activity and truth hidden during our sin-contaminated life. We will perceive how God worked invisibly to take care of us and guide us to service opportunities and other blessings.
In heaven we will finally be able to see and hear angels. But sin blocks our ability to see them now. However, our brains might be perceiving and collecting their invisible presence in our unconscious memories. When in heaven without sin still blocking our perception, we might remember events and see the angels in those memories as they took care of us in their service for God.
Also, without sinfulness and self-focus in heaven, we will have a deeper empathy that will allow us to understand people’s thoughts, feelings, motives and other things that were clouded during sin-contaminated life. This, too, will add fascination to the many wonderful conversations we will have in heaven – enough to last a long, long forever.
It will take eternity to hear the many stories of trillions of heaven’s citizens from all times and all places. Imagine incorrectly that our conversations in eternity will be limited to just 10,000 people of different cultures, centuries and geography. Each of them remember 50 great stories for each of 45 years of their lives back during sin-contaminated life. That would be 22.5 million of their stories to which to listen. Then we will each have 2,250 stories to tell. This totals to 22,502,250 conversations! Every story told would praise God’s part, largely unseen before but clearly recalled after death. Millions of groups of three to eight people all over heaven all telling testimonies of praise at the same time. An explosion of conversations and stories will bring endless praise to God from the moment beyond death to forever without end.
Imagine how interesting and thrilling this will be. The stories! The grace and mercies of God that took place in endless situations! So many cultures! Such variety! Wow!
Regarding the spiritual ability to accept people, what if one of us did not develop the ability to find the non-sinful aspects of other people’s cultures and personal idiosyncracies interesting, fascinating, and enjoyable? Will such a person sit in the story-telling circles in heaven for all eternity and be limited in comprehension and enjoyment? I remember sitting in my college physics class not understanding much of what the professor was saying. My mind was blank, kind of like a “deer in the headlights”, even though I was not unhappy. Perhaps that is what it will be like for Christians who do not learn to accept other types of people. A person who turned his or her back on the Lord’s command to accept one another will be spiritually underdeveloped and miss out on a lot. He or she will sit in those heavenly circles of fellowship and be completely happy, but not able to connect with others to the degree of others whose spirits became more accepting like Jesus who died for even the most horrible of people.
Being in the presence of God and relating to Him is the most wonderful thing about heaven. Add to that the millions of conversations, the feast the Bible talks about, the eventual exploring of the new heavens and new earth, and many more things beyond our dreams. Maybe this exposure with different cultures and different stories will create new games in heaven, perhaps a “People Scavenger Hunt”. The purpose would be to find someone who ate a qualibump, a rare dessert eaten in the Roman Empire in the early 200's (made up) on their fifth birthday.
Considering all of this, we should want to speed up our preparation for heaven. The quality of our lives in heaven depends on what we do now. We are heaven bound! The excitement of going to paradise should be enough to put effort and obedience into the Togethers to prepare our spirits.
There are many ways in which our quality of life in heaven can be enhanced by obedience or held back by indifference. Because our quality of life in the hereafter is at stake, it is even more important that we love one another through the many Togethers, what Jesus asked for right now, before we die, as love for Him. Let’s grow in obedience to the Togethers for our Savior. But, in the back of our minds, let’s still be aware that we are storing up treasures in heaven.
To clarify, quality of life in heaven is a matter of degree, not absence. We will all embrace heaven to some extent and be completely happy. But, the degree that we will be able to engage heaven will be determined by our obedience here in our life before death. The Bible tells us how to live and all of those commands and suggestions prepare us for heaven as we take advantage of living the way God wants us to live.
If we do not prepare now, there will be permanent losses in some aspects of Christlikeness and spiritual maturity for life in heaven. That is because an environment of sin was necessary which will be absent in heaven. For example, in heaven we will not be able to carry one another’s burdens, which means we will not be able to help pay the consequences of one another’s waywardness. Since this is so close to what Jesus did when He paid the penalty for sin, this will be a great loss.
It seems that 30 of the 65 Togethers will disappear altogether when we die. Whatever treasure they develop in our spirits to add to our enjoyment in heaven will be gone. There will be no potential to increase because that solid gain had to come from resistance to sin. Thus, these spiritual qualities that develop when dealing with sin will not be able to grow in heaven. We will not be able to change our spirits more into Christ’s image through such Togethers as bearing with one another, hurting with one another, carrying one another’s burdens, and battling temptation, to name just a few.
What if before we die we do not restore one another in the faith and grow in our spirits to enjoy the faith victories of others when they have to overcome life difficulties resulting from evil? If we do not, we will not be so able to enjoy at a deeper level of appreciation the wonderful testimonies of all the millions of citizens of heaven we will meet. Our spirits will not be able to fully comprehend the struggles others had to overcome. We will not be able to have empathy for how difficult were their victories. We will not be able to so thoroughly understand the grace given to them, diluting our praise for God as we listen to their stories. And, our ability will not grow further because there will be no more sin and, thus, no more opportunity to restore another’s faith.
There will also be losses in being able to connect and bond with God about what He has done in the sinful environment of earth. If you value closeness, understanding and connection with your friends, imagine not having closeness, understanding and connection for eternity with God in some important areas.
For example, in heaven we may be able to advance in our basketball skills, but not the skill of playing our best while being sworn at and maintaining love for those demeaning us. But, now, if we can resist thinking evil of those who make our lives miserable, we can develop great concentration on God. In heaven there will be no opportunity to advance such focus because there will be no non-believer driven by Satan’s power to harass us while playing basketball.
God has put up with such abuse. If we have lovingly put up with something similar, we will be able to say to Him, “I know a little of what You went through.” That increased empathy will create a closeness with God in heaven absent for those who struck back when verbally abused by an athletic opponent. Strange isn’t it that we might even want to be harassed just to develop this character of our Lord.
Aspects of spiritual character not requiring the opposition of sin can grow and gain lost ground in heaven. But, we cannot catch up with others ahead of us in specific areas. Wherever spiritual maturity is low, we will start out in heaven at that level and progress from there. Others with higher levels of spiritual maturity in a certain aspect of faith will begin and probably stay ahead of us for eternity.
Hopefully, this will become clear with a few examples.
My wife Jean can taste single ingredients of the minutest measure in things she eats. I can’t. It doesn’t bother me that she has this ability I do not have. In this regard, her quality of life is more sensitive to taste, and I am content because I can’t miss what I have never perceived. Every so often I can identify a certain taste in food. But, I will never catch up to Jean because she will have learned to taste something she could not beforehand.
I loved to play basketball. But I went to work 30 hours a week when I was 14 and was never on a team. I played great street ball and was a terrific shot, winning most of my games. But I never learned one organized play. I did not practice drills. In heaven I will be extremely happy playing basketball. But, I will not start out at the level of a professional NBA player. Maybe in time I will be playing HBA (Heaven Basketball Association) level, but by that time those believers who played NBA before they entered heaven will have progressed ahead of me, most likely to the same degree they were ahead of me at the beginning.
In other words, if I enter heaven with basketball skills at a level of 26 and a Christian NBA player enters at the level of 74, eventually I will be a level 74 basketball player. But he will be at 122 . Keep in mind that I will be happy all the way, but my quality of life will be stunted even if I do not realize it or care.
Not an athlete? Okay, I flunked second grade violin and have never been able to read music. Frankly, I am excited to finally learn when I get to heaven. But it is unlikely I will ever catch up to those who enter heaven able to read music and play an instrument.
Ignoring the Togethers will lead to losses in quality of life in heaven similar to these examples. If we want to be more able in various spiritual abilities and character for all of eternity, preparing for heaven now is very important.
Another thing we must consider is that the privilege of serving God in heaven is our cherished reward. While we get into heaven free of charge because Jesus paid for our admittance with his life, our experience in heaven will be different than that of others in the way of rewards. Rewards are given based on how we proved ourselves to God in our sinful culture.
. . . you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does,
whether he is slave or free.
Ephesians 6:8 (NIV)
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
Revelation 22:12
whether he is slave or free.
Ephesians 6:8 (NIV)
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
Revelation 22:12
The rewards in heaven will be places and positions of serving God. Rewards will be commensurate opportunities to do different levels of good in heaven.
The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
Luke 19:16-19
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There is a saying, “So heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” This is only true because we Christians are not aware of what it means to be heavenly minded. Heaven is our real home and one day at death our spirits will begin to live there, later to be joined by re-created bodies of flesh. But, at the present time we are God’s people with purified, reborn spirits assigned to reach out to this sin-contaminated world with God’s grace and blessing. Actually, we are to become “so heavenly minded that we are exceptionally good for this present earth”. Knowing what awaits us, we can love even to the risk of death.
I once spoke with a man who was leaving his wife and children for another woman. I was his wife’s psychotherapist. Since I had also been the husband’s Sunday School teacher, I asked him to meet with me. Explaining that his decision had implications for life in heaven, I said, “The quality of your life for all of eternity will be negatively affected if you leave your wife and children. Sure, you believe in Christ and will go to heaven, and you can ask and receive forgiveness. But your reward in heaven will be much less. Imagine that the reward is a place of service to God and other inhabitants of heaven. Imagine also that heaven will be like our world, but without sin.”
“God won’t be able to place you in any position of responsibility for others because you do not love Him enough to do things His way. You are proving that you cannot be responsible with the lives of others, even very special people like your own children which should be easy.”
“So, you will probably be assigned a job like sweeping floors in a hardware store with few customers in a small town where you will have minimal contact with people. You will be spiritually disabled, but happy in a dumbed-down way. For all of eternity you will miss out on many things. While the Mayors’ Conference at the Throne of God is held monthly, the Sweepers Conference will be once every five years. God will be Someone you grow in heaven to love much more than you did on earth, but won’t see Him frequently.”
This man still chose to desert his family. Had he relied on the Holy Spirit, he could have gone home and the Togethers could have guided him in making a wonderful marriage. But heaven meant nothing to him.
We must realize that we are right now auditioning for parts to play in heaven’s drama. Those parts will be places of service. Just as an actor or actress practices script and then has their ability tested for an important part in a play or movie, so we too must realize that we are auditioning for a part in heaven. We are not applying to get into heaven, but for a part we will be assigned there. No thespian would think of hoping to get a good part without serious and focused preparation.
We must not wait to begin preparing for heaven. Not if we really love God and want to give Him our best. And not if we want our own experience in heaven to be as good as we can make it. Therefore, let us help one another to take heaven much more seriously while we live this side of its pearly gates.
I once spoke with a man who was leaving his wife and children for another woman. I was his wife’s psychotherapist. Since I had also been the husband’s Sunday School teacher, I asked him to meet with me. Explaining that his decision had implications for life in heaven, I said, “The quality of your life for all of eternity will be negatively affected if you leave your wife and children. Sure, you believe in Christ and will go to heaven, and you can ask and receive forgiveness. But your reward in heaven will be much less. Imagine that the reward is a place of service to God and other inhabitants of heaven. Imagine also that heaven will be like our world, but without sin.”
“God won’t be able to place you in any position of responsibility for others because you do not love Him enough to do things His way. You are proving that you cannot be responsible with the lives of others, even very special people like your own children which should be easy.”
“So, you will probably be assigned a job like sweeping floors in a hardware store with few customers in a small town where you will have minimal contact with people. You will be spiritually disabled, but happy in a dumbed-down way. For all of eternity you will miss out on many things. While the Mayors’ Conference at the Throne of God is held monthly, the Sweepers Conference will be once every five years. God will be Someone you grow in heaven to love much more than you did on earth, but won’t see Him frequently.”
This man still chose to desert his family. Had he relied on the Holy Spirit, he could have gone home and the Togethers could have guided him in making a wonderful marriage. But heaven meant nothing to him.
We must realize that we are right now auditioning for parts to play in heaven’s drama. Those parts will be places of service. Just as an actor or actress practices script and then has their ability tested for an important part in a play or movie, so we too must realize that we are auditioning for a part in heaven. We are not applying to get into heaven, but for a part we will be assigned there. No thespian would think of hoping to get a good part without serious and focused preparation.
We must not wait to begin preparing for heaven. Not if we really love God and want to give Him our best. And not if we want our own experience in heaven to be as good as we can make it. Therefore, let us help one another to take heaven much more seriously while we live this side of its pearly gates.