Basic Preparation for Transformation
Week 3, Email 1, Monday
Week 3, Email 1, Monday
Preparing for Heaven Needs to Be Now: Part One
No matter how much time is remaining before we each die, we will be very wise to use it carefully to prepare for heaven. It must be of highest priority because this life is short. It seems our experience in heaven will be directly affected by how we live this life in sin-contaminated culture.
While enjoying a free ticket to heaven purchased by Christ, there is much preparation for arriving there. Sadly, in a month’s time, 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.
There are things to be gained and things to be lost depending upon how we grow spiritually this side of heaven.
. . . 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
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.
Perhaps we are each like a tennis player. One who develops skills in fierce competition will be better than the one who always plays easy games. So, if we do grow within this sinful environment, say, in staying in tune with God here on earth before death, then we will have deeper, louder, perhaps clearer harmony with the Father in heaven because we have grown with the great competition of sin.
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.”? Realize 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 one moment after death in heaven that person will have mastered the reading of 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?
In heaven we will not be held back by our sinful nature and we will not have to struggle against a sinful environment. But that does not mean that we will completely be like Jesus Christ in character by just passing through the pearly gates. We will not be equally able to take advantage of and enjoy every aspect of heaven right from the moment we die.
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 would tell us this is dangerous wishful thinking. We were not taken straight to heaven at the moment of salvation so that we can get ourselves ready for heaven.
Perhaps we are each like a tennis player. One who develops skills in fierce competition will be better than the one who always plays easy games. So, if we do grow within this sinful environment, say, in staying in tune with God here on earth before death, then we will have deeper, louder, perhaps clearer harmony with the Father in heaven because we have grown with the great competition of sin.
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.”? Realize 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 one moment after death in heaven that person will have mastered the reading of 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?
In heaven we will not be held back by our sinful nature and we will not have to struggle against a sinful environment. But that does not mean that we will completely be like Jesus Christ in character by just passing through the pearly gates. We will not be equally able to take advantage of and enjoy every aspect of heaven right from the moment we die.
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 would tell us this is dangerous wishful thinking. We were not taken straight to heaven at the moment of salvation so that we can get ourselves ready for heaven.
. . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Phil 2:12,13
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,
so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, . . .
1 Peter 2:2
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,
you will receive what he has 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
you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does,
whether he is slave or free.
Ephesians 6:8
All of these verses indicate that how we live here where sin contaminates will affect how we will live for eternity in heaven.
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 by service and suffering into Christ’s image.
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 by service and suffering into Christ’s image.