I do not fear death or what comes after it. Much of my confidence comes from Jesus' promise of one day taking his followers to the place where He lives. "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3). Discovering what it feels like to see Jesus face-to-face and to have close fellowship with Him will certainly be too wonderful to put into words. I have often imagined what that moment will feel like, and it always brings a smile to my face.
Additionally, I am very much looking forward to enjoying a perfect heavenly body, when "the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality," as 1 Corinthians 15:54 says. The ability that I will have to walk again is thrilling to say the least! I will be able to dance and lift my hands in praise to the One who gave me back what Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy took from me.
But that's not all! Unlike some inaccurate pictures people have of Heaven, it is not all clouds and singing angels. Rather, it will be filled with the vibrant beauty of much of what is beautiful on the Earth. There will be trees, wonderful vistas, and peaceful places that we will be able to lie down in. There will be no more danger or hardships, no more sadness or despair, no more fighting or war. God always meant for the world to be this way, but sin has corrupted everything. However, by the grace of God, He will redeem what was lost.
Randy Alcorn, in his book titled Heaven, dispels myths about that wonderful place and provides an in-depth look at how glorious the Lord's plans are for those who love Him.
Here is a small section from the book that spoke to me:
"Jesus came not only to rescue people from ultimate destruction. He came also to rescue the entire universe from ultimate destruction. He will transform our dying Earth into a vital New Earth, fresh and uncontaminated, no longer subject to death and destruction.
“The Curse is real, but it is temporary. Jesus is the cure for the Curse. He came to set derailed human history back on its tracks. Earth won't be put out of its misery; it will be infused with a greater life than it has ever known, at last becoming all that God meant for it to be.
“We have never seen the earth as God made it. Our planet as we know it is a shadowy, half-tone image of the original. But it does whet our appetites for the New Earth, doesn't it? If the present Earth, so diminished by the Curse, is at times so beautiful and wonderful; if our bodies, so diminished by the Curse, are at times overcome with a sense of earth's beauty and wonder; then how magnificent will the New Earth be? And what will it be like to experience a new Earth in something else we've never known; perfect bodies?
...
“Without Christ, both the earth and mankind would be doomed. But Christ came, died, and rose from the grave. He brought deliverance, not destruction. Because of Christ, we are not doomed, and neither is the earth. Earth cannot be delivered from the Curse by being destroyed. It can only be delivered by being resurrected." (1)
Combine this more accurate glimpse of Heaven with a firm promise from God and you begin to understand how amazingly glorious the eternal dwelling place of believers will be. "He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 25:8). I love how the verse ends: "The Lord has spoken!" Although God hasn't yet established his perfect Kingdom on Earth, you can be certain He WILL one day.
Our response to this should not only involve heartfelt gratitude and thankfulness but also include a change in our behavior. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:2-4). For believers, Christ is indeed our life. So, how could we think anything less than living a life FOR Christ would be a proper response? Let us then pursue Jesus in our daily lives in such a way that the world can see how thankful we are to our Lord for preparing such a wonderful future for us. Use your conversations to point people to God. Praise Him verbally when things go well for you. And of course, don't neglect daily Bible reading and study which is necessary to become more like Christ.
It is easy to think, "Won't we have all eternity to become more like Jesus?” I believe a good biblical response to that can be found in 1 Timothy 4:8: "Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." A belief that has stuck with me lately is that the depth at which we can know Christ in Heaven is proportional to how well we get to know Him on Earth.
The key is to remember all the joy and peace that awaits us in the new Heaven and new Earth. "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:16-17). I will remain devoted to knowing God more and more every day because of how devoted He is to ensuring my eternal future is filled to overflowing with good things.
In the last chapter of Revelation, Jesus Himself says, “Look, I am coming soon!" (Revelation 22:7a). So, I hope and pray everyone who reads this has their faith built on the rock of Salvation, Jesus Christ. He alone is the one who can grant entrance to the place we all long for.
Bibliography
1. Alcorn, Randy C. Heaven. Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
