Authenticity is Overrated

One of the hallmarks of the moment in many movements in the evangelical church is a huge push for authenticity. Pastors not acting like they have it all together. Church-goers getting honest in relationships about the true struggles in their lives. A push against the overly perfect acting caricature of the previous generation’s church experience. I love the concept of creating a environment where everyone is moving towards heaven still works-in-progress. There is massive freedom in knowing all those around you are still struggling with sin.

HOWEVER....

That struggle MUST be going somewhere. Victory must be increasing. Honesty is not an end in itself. Extending grace towards an admission of sin is important, but so is living out Romans 6.

1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Authenticity is an amazing starting point. However, if our honesty is not converted into increasing obedience to Christ, it is merely cheap grace exulting in sin.

Authentic: yes. but Increasing Holiness: YES YES.

the importance of hell

In 2003 a research group discovered 64% of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die, but less than 1% think they might go to hell. Not only are there plenty of people today who don't believe in the Bible's teaching on everlasting punishment, even those who do find it an unreal and a remote concept. Nevertheless, it is a very important part of the Christian faith, for several reasons.

1. It is important because Jesus taught about it more than all other Biblical authors put together. Jesus speaks of "eternal fire and punishment" as the final abode of the angels and human beings who have rejected God (Matthew 25:41,46) He says that those who give into sin will be in danger of the "fire of hell" (Matthew 5:22; 18:8-9.) The word Jesus uses for 'hell' is Gehenna, a valley in which piles of garbage were daily burned as well as the corpses of those without families who could bury them. In Mark 9:43 Jesus speaks of a person going to "hell [gehenna], where 'their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' " Jesus is referring to the maggots that live in the corpses on the garbage heap. When all the flesh is consumed, the maggots die. Jesus is saying, however, that the spiritual decomposition of hell never ends, and that is why 'their worm does not die.'

If Jesus, the Lord of Love and Author of Grace spoke about hell more often, and in a more vivid, blood-curdling manner than anyone else, it must be a crucial truth.
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." He is speaking to disciples, some of whom will eventually be tortured, sawn in half, flayed and burned alive. Yet, he says, that is a picnic compared to hell. Clearly, for Jesus hell was a real place, since he said that after judgment day people would experience it in their bodies. Hell is a place not only of physical but also of spiritual misery.

Jesus constantly depicted hell as painful fire and "outer darkness" (Matt 25:30; cf. Jude 6,7,13,) a place of unimaginably terrible misery and unhappiness. If Jesus, the Lord of Love and Author of Grace spoke about hell more often, and in a more vivid, blood-curdling manner than anyone else, it must be a crucial truth. But why was it so important to Jesus?

2. It is important because it shows how infinitely dependent we are on God for everything. Virtually all commentators and theologians believe that the Biblical images of fire and outer darkness are metaphorical. (Since souls are in hell right now, without bodies, how could the fire be literal, physical fire?) Even Jonathan Edwards pointed out that the Biblical language for hell was symbolic, but, he added, 'when metaphors are used in Scripture about spiritual things . . . they fall short of the literal truth." (from "The Torments of Hell are Exceeding Great" in volume 14 of the Yale edition of Edwards works.) To say that the Scriptural image of hell-fire is not wholly literal is of no comfort whatsoever. The reality will be far worse than the image. What, then, are the 'fire' and 'darkness' symbols for? They are vivid ways to describe what happens when we lose the presence of God. Darkness refers to the isolation, and fire to the disintegration of being separated from God. Away from the favor and face of God, we literally, horrifically, and endlessly fall apart.

In the teaching of Jesus the ultimate condemnation from the mouth of God is 'depart from me.' That is remarkable--to simply be away from God is the worst thing that can happen to us! Why? We were originally created to walk in God's immediate presence (Genesis 2.) In one sense, of course, God is everywhere and upholds everything. Only in him do we all speak and move and have our being (Acts 17:28.) In that sense, then, it is impossible to depart from the Lord; even hell cannot exist unless God upholds it. But the Bible says sin excludes us from God's 'face' (Isaiah 59:2.) All the life, joy, love, strength, and meaning we have looked for and longed for is found in his face (Psalm 16:11)-that is, in his favor, presence, fellowship, and pleasure.

Sin removes us from that aspect of his power that sustains and supports us. It is to us as water is to a fish-away from it our life slowly ebbs away. That is what has been happening to us throughout history. That is why, for Paul, the everlasting fire and destruction of hell is 'exclusion from the presence of the Lord." (2 Thessalonians 1:9.) Separation from God and his blessings forever is the reality to which all the symbols point. For example, when Jesus speaks being 'destroyed' in hell, the word used is apollumi, meaning not to be annihilated out of existence but to be 'totaled' and ruined so as to be useless for its intended purpose.

The image of 'gehenna' and 'maggots' means decomposition. Once a body is dead it loses its beauty and strength and coherence, it begins to break into its constituent parts, to stink and to disintegrate. So what is a 'totaled' human soul? It does not cease to exist, but rather becomes completely incapable of all the things a human soul is for--reasoning, feeling, choosing, giving or receiving love or joy. Why? Because the human soul was built for worshipping and enjoying the true God, and all truly human life flows from that. In this world, all of humanity, even those who have turned away from God, still are supported by 'kindly providences' or 'common grace' (Acts 14:16-17; Psalm 104:10-30; James 1:17) keeping us still capable of wisdom, love, joy, and goodness. But when we lose God's supportive presence all together, the result is hell.

3. It is important because it unveils the seriousness and danger of living life for yourself. In Romans 1-2 Paul explains that God, in his wrath against those who reject him, 'gives them up' to the sinful passions of their hearts. Commentators (cf. Douglas Moo) point out that this cannot mean God impels people to sin, since in Ephesians 4:19 it is said that sinners give themselves up to their sinful desires. It means that the worst (and fairest) punishment God can give a person is to allow them their sinful hearts' deepest desire.

What is that? The desire of the sinful human heart is for independence. We want to choose and go our own way (Isaiah 53:6.) This is no idle 'wandering from the path.' As Jeremiah puts it, 'No one repents . . . each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle. (8:6)' (We want to get away from God-but, as we have seen, this is the very thing that is most destructive to us. Cain is warned not to sin because sin is slavery. (Genesis 4:7; John 8:34.) It destroys your ability to choose, love, enjoy. Sin also brings blindness-the more you reject the truth about God the more incapable you are of perceiving any truth about yourself or the world (Isaiah 29:9-10; Romans 1:21.)

What is hell, then? It is God actively giving us up to what we have freely chosen-to go our own way, be our own "the master of our fate, the captain of our soul," to get away from him and his control. It is God banishing us to regions we have desperately tried to get into all our lives. J.I.Packer writes: "Scripture sees hell as self-chosen . . . [H]ell appears as God's gesture of respect for human choice. All receive what they actually chose, either to be with God forever, worshipping him, or without God forever, worshipping themselves." (J.I.Packer, Concise Theology p.262-263.) If the thing you most want is to worship God in the beauty of his holiness, then that is what you will get (Ps 96:9-13.) If the thing you most want is to be your own master, then the holiness of God will become an agony, and the presence of God a terror you will flee forever (Rev 6:16; cf. Is 6:1-6.)

Why is this so extremely important to stress in our preaching and teaching today? The idea of hell is implausible to people because they see it as unfair that infinite punishment would be meted out for comparably minor, finite false steps (like not embracing Christianity.) Also, almost no one knows anyone (including themselves) that seem to be bad enough to merit hell. But the Biblical teaching on hell answers both of these objections. First, it tells us that people only get in the afterlife what they have most wanted-either to have God as Savior and Master or to be their own Saviors and Masters. Secondly, it tells us that hell is a natural consequence. Even in this world it is clear that self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness makes you miserable and blind. The more self-centered, self-absorbed, self-pitying, and self-justifying people are, the more breakdowns occur, relationally, psychologically, and even physically. They also go deeper into denial about the source of their problems.

On the other hand, a soul that has decided to center its life on God and his glory moves toward increasing joy and wholeness. We can see both of these 'trajectories' even in this life. But if, as the Bible teaches, our souls will go on forever, then just imagine where these two kinds of souls will be in a billion years. Hell is simply one's freely chosen path going on forever. We wanted to get away from God, and God, in his infinite justice, sends us where we wanted to go.

In the parable of Luke 16:19ff, Jesus tells us of a rich man who goes to hell and who is now in torment and horrible thirst because of the fire (v.24) But there are interesting insights into what is going on in his soul. He urges Abraham to send a messenger to go and warn his still-living brothers about the reality of hell. Commentators have pointed out that this is not a gesture of compassion, but rather an effort at blame-shifting. He is saying that he did not have a chance, he did not have adequate information to avoid hell. That is clearly his point, because Abraham says forcefully that people in this life have been well-informed through the Scriptures. It is intriguing to find exactly what we would expect-even knowing he is in hell and knowing God has sent him there, he is deeply in denial, angry at God, unable to admit that it was a just decision, wishing he could be less miserable (v.24) but in no way willing to repent or seek the presence of God.

I believe one of the reasons the Bible tells us about hell is so it can act like 'smelling salts' about the true danger and seriousness of even minor sins. However, I've found that only stressing the symbols of hell (fire and darkness) in preaching rather than going into what the symbols refer to (eternal, spiritual decomposition) actually prevents modern people from finding hell a deterrent. Some years ago I remember a man who said that talk about the fires of hell simply didn't scare him, it seemed too far-fetched, even silly. So I read him lines from C.S. Lewis:

Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others . . . but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God 'sending us' to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE Hell unless it is nipped in the bud.

To my surprise he got very quiet and said, "Now that scares me to death." He almost immediately began to see that hell was a) perfectly fair and just, and b) something that he realized he might be headed for if he didn't change. If we really want skeptics and non-believers to be properly frightened by hell, we cannot simply repeat over and over that 'hell is a place of fire.' We must go deeper into the realities that the Biblical images represent. When we do so, we will find that even secular people can be affected.

We run from the presence of God and therefore God actively gives us up to our desire (Romans 1:24, 26.) Hell is therefore a prison in which the doors are first locked from the inside by us and therefore are locked from the outside by God (Luke 16:26.) Every indication is that those doors continue to stay forever barred from the inside. Though every knee and tongue in hell knows that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11,) no one can seek or want that Lordship without the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3.This is why we can say that no one goes to hell who does not choose both to go and to stay there. What could be more fair than that?

4. The doctrine of hell is important because it is the only way to know how much Jesus loved us and how much he did for us. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says that no physical destruction can be compared with the spiritual destruction of hell, of losing the presence of God. But this is exactly what happened to Jesus on the cross-he was forsaken by the Father (Matthew 27:46.) In Luke 16:24 the rich man in hell is desperately thirsty (v.24) and on the cross Jesus said "I thirst" (John 19:28.) The water of life, the presence of God, was taken from him. The point is this. Unless we come to grips with this "terrible" doctrine, we will never even begin to understand the depths of what Jesus did for us on the cross. His body was being destroyed in the worst possible way, but that was a flea bite compared to what was happening to his soul. When he cried out that his God had forsaken him he was experiencing hell itself. But consider--if our debt for sin is so great that it is never paid off there, but our hell stretches on for eternity, then what are we to conclude from the fact that Jesus said the payment was "finished" (John 19:30) after only three hours? We learn that what he felt on the cross was far worse and deeper than all of our deserved hells put together.

And this makes emotional sense when we consider the relationship he lost. If a mild acquaintance denounces you and rejects you--that hurts. If a good friend does the same--that hurts far worse. However, if your spouse walks out on you saying, "I never want to see you again," that is far more devastating still. The longer, deeper, and more intimate the relationship, the more tortuous is any separation. But the Son's relationship with the Father was beginningless and infinitely greater than the most intimate and passionate human relationship. When Jesus was cut off from God he went into the deepest pit and most powerful furnace, beyond all imagining. He experienced the full wrath of the Father. And he did it voluntarily, for us.

Fairly often I meet people who say, "I have a personal relationship with a loving God, and yet I don't believe in Jesus Christ at all." Why, I ask? "My God is too loving to pour out infinite suffering on anyone for sin." But this shows a deep misunderstanding of both God and the cross. On the cross, God HIMSELF, incarnated as Jesus, took the punishment. He didn't visit it on a third party, however willing.

So the question becomes: what did it cost your kind of god to love us and embrace us? What did he endure in order to receive us? Where did this god agonize, cry out, and where were his nails and thorns? The only answer is: "I don't think that was necessary." But then ironically, in our effort to make God more loving, we have made him less loving. His love, in the end, needed to take no action. It was sentimentality, not love at all. The worship of a god like this will be at most impersonal, cognitive, and ethical. There will be no joyful self-abandonment, no humble boldness, no constant sense of wonder. We could not sing to him "love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." Only through the cross could our separation from God be removed, and we will spend all eternity loving and praising God for what he has done (Rev 5:9-14.)

And if Jesus did not experience hell itself for us, then we ourselves are devalued. In Isaiah, we are told, "The results of his suffering he shall see, and shall be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). This is a stupendous thought. Jesus suffered infinitely more than any human soul in eternal hell, yet he looks at us and says, "It was worth it." What could make us feel more loved and valued than that? The Savior presented in the gospel waded through hell itself rather than lose us, and no other savior ever depicted has loved us at such a cost.

Conclusion The doctrine of hell is crucial-without it we can't understand our complete dependence on God, the character and danger of even the smallest sins, and the true scope of the costly love of Jesus. Nevertheless, it is possible to stress the doctrine of hell in unwise ways. Many, for fear of doctrinal compromise, want to put all the emphasis on God's active judgment, and none on the self-chosen character of hell. Ironically, as we have seen, this unBiblical imbalance often makes it less of a deterrent to non-believers rather than more of one. And some can preach hell in such a way that people reform their lives only out of a self-interested fear of avoiding consequences, not out of love and loyalty to the one who embraced and experienced hell in our place. The distinction between those two motives is all-important. The first creates a moralist, the second a born-again believer.

We must come to grips with the fact that Jesus said more about hell than Daniel, Isaiah, Paul, John, Peter put together. Before we dismiss this, we have to realize we are saying to Jesus, the pre-eminent teacher of love and grace in history, "I am less barbaric than you, Jesus--I am more compassionate and wiser than you." Surely that should give us pause! Indeed, upon reflection, it is because of the doctrine of judgment and hell that Jesus' proclamations of grace and love are so astounding.

The Cost

“If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” 1 Corinthians 15:19, 32

I don’t know about you, but I grow weary of “sensible Christianity”—the kind of Christianity that nestles too snuggly with the American dream. I want the kind of faith that doesn’t make sense to those who don’t know Christ. I want to live the kind of life that makes people pause in wonder, maybe even shake their heads. I want the kind of life that causes people to furrow their brow and talk behind my back.

In 1 Corinthians 15:19 Paul states that without the resurrection, we Christians are to be the most pitied of all men. Why? Because Paul assumes that we Christians are laying down our present lives for the sake of a future one with Christ. He assumes that our faith is presently costing us worldly wealth, status, pleasures and ease. He assumes that we are no longer living in the patterns of this world and that our lives have taken a radical turn toward an unseen reality. Does he assume too much of us?

The call of Christ is intense—a complete dying of self and a relentless devotion to others. Laying aside the earthly ambitions of wealth, prestige, pleasure and above all—comfort—Christ calls us to store up our treasures in heaven and to seek first his Father’s righteousness. Such a pursuit will appear to be utter foolishness to those who understand neither the nearness of the coming Kingdom nor its rewards. To the natural man, this world and its pleasures are the end game. And thus to the natural man, the Christian’s denial of self and worldly comfort is absolute absurdity.

So how absurd are our lives? How much have we gambled on the idea that Christ lives and is coming again? If it wouldn’t cost us dearly to be wrong, then perhaps our lives are just a bit too sensible. Our American culture is full of mediocre Christians who very “sensibly” fritter away their lives chasing after the things of this world. May that not be true of us.

I don’t think I’m quite where I want to be yet—closer than I was a year ago perhaps, but still not all the way there. So if you pray for me, I’ll pray for you. Maybe together we can all move a few steps closer to insanity.

A Powerful Display of What The Church Can Be

Fire in the Bones

“How have we within the American church allowed what God intended to be the ‘normal’ daily life and experience of the believer become the ‘abnormal’? How could we settle for such a cheap imitation of the real thing?”
Once again, it brought me back to the importance of “good” versus “great.” Here’s what we need to understand:
• For God, good is abnormal. • For God, great is normal!
Let me illustrate by challenging you to answer the following 20 questions. During the past three days:
1. Were you driven by a desire to sacrifice your personal preferences on behalf of someone else? 2. Did you walk with spiritual authority, not afraid to utilize God’s power to free others? 3. Have you been filled with a sense and understanding that your decisions, choices and behavior were all being empowered by what can only be explained as supernatural? 4. Did you enter into someone’s life with a wisdom that surprised you and was beyond what you have previously known? 5. Did God’s Word leap off the pages as if the Lord Himself were speaking to you? 6. Were you compelled to run toward a ”sinner” rather than run away? 7. Were you repulsed by the merely “religious”? 8. Did you risk your reputation on behalf of another? 9. Did you weep for those who don’t yet understand God’s power? 10. Did you speak truth in love and grace rather than judgment or in retribution? 11.Have you heard other believers speak of these things as an ordinary part of daily life, yet you’ve never really lived in such a reality yourself? 12. Did you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit? 13. Did you experience supernatural power? 14. Have you felt a compassion for those with no faith? 15. Did you feel a desire to assist the poor and suffering? 16. Have you found yourself filled with joy and praise even in the midst of heartache? 17. Were you propelled by an inner desire to know God in all His glory and to bring honor to Him?18. Do you have moments of victory and inspiration, but they are sporadic and inconsistent? 19. Have you felt compelled to have personal fellowship with the Lord?20. Did you feel the need to ask God to set your soul on fire for Him?
As we read the New Testament and the story of the first-century church, we should be bothered by the fact our Christian walk does not seem to be as exciting or filled with risk. I am troubled when I hear of other people and places in the world where the Christian community is seeing tremendous evidence of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. What is happening there is like reading the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament. Have you ever asked, “Why would they receive this moving of God’s Holy Spirit while we do not?”
When Christ followers are set ablaze by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, and have known what it means to exist with that “fire in their bones” and have seen how God works in and through them showing forth the very power of the resurrected Christ, they — you — will never be satisfied with anything less.
We must be ready to respond when God calls. Sir Winston Churchill put it this way, “Into everyone’s life there comes an opportunity into which one must choose to step.” The Apostle Paul, an even better source, counsels, “...be careful how you walk, not as unwise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”1
You now have an opportunity for change. Will you choose to take the risk, believing what God has promised and see His power and glory manifest in you?
We are not going to change this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it but by the combustion within it — of lives ignited by the Spirit of God. When say we depend on the Holy Spirit, however, as Vance Havner observed, “We’re so wired up to our own devices that if the fire doesn’t fall from heaven, we can turn on a switch and produce false fire of our own. And if there’s no sound of a mighty rushing wind, we’ve got the bellows all set to blow hot air instead.” God save us from a synthetic Pentecost!
Are you ready to see divine power at work? Then here are five truths you need to know:
1. The life empowered by God is available and is to be the norm for everyone who has trusted in Christ as Savior. 2. To be on fire, empowered by God, it is necessary to move from ordinary to extraordinary. 3. The empowered life brings a consistency to you as a Christ follower. 4. The empowered life is observable. The Holy Spirit is invisible, but when He is present, there are tangible manifestations. 5. The empowered life is determined by your heart, not your circumstances.
As chronicled in scripture, there’s a reason for the power that flowed through the lives of New Testament believers and early church leaders. They were touched with fire from above:
• John the Baptist. “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”2 • Jesus. “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert...”3• The 120 waiting in Jerusalem. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”4• Peter “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people...’” • The early church. “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”6 • Stephen. “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”7
As I read the New Testament record and see the specific people who were filled with the Holy Spirit, I begin to notice a pattern of certain evidences that occur consistently in the lives of Spirit-filled men and women. When there is fire in your bones, you should possess at least the following three things:
• You will not be able to keep quiet about the truth of God. • You will have a supernatural boldness. • You will experience God’s supernatural law as a daily reality.
Get ready to expect the unexpected when your heart is on fire with the truth and Spirit of God.

Stormy Weather

Storms
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26
We can avoid storms in our lives about as often as we can divert weather patterns over our city. Go stand outside and try. The reality is you will always face times of uncertainty. In the landscape of your life, you will enjoy a few blue-sky days, but mostly there will always be a dark cloud gathering somewhere on the horizon of your life, reminding you of the daily need to trust God with tomorrow. You can’t set your hope on the illusion that somehow you’re going to sort everything out one day. There will always be enough to keep you on your knees. And just about the time you think, I don’t really need to pray that much this week—wham. Face it; on this side of eternity, there will never be a day when you won’t need to trust the God who loves you.My future and yours will be ravaged by the waves until we embrace the fact that God allows these storms for our good. He won’t let us drown. Can you imagine how it would have wrecked the Gospels if it went down like this: There was this storm and Jesus was asleep and four of the disciples drowned? Of course not! He would not let them--nor will He let you--drown.But back in the moment, the disciples were wild with fear. Even the professional fishermen knew things were out of control. In the original language the disciples said just this: “Lord, save!”Notice Jesus’ response to them: “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). Bible scholars debate whether or not that was a rebuke. Matthew was clearly fond of reporting how many times Jesus said it: First, here in Matthew 8:26, when they feared the storm; then in Matthew 14:31, when Peter took his eyes off the Lord and began to sink; again in Matthew 16:8, when they forgot about the miracle of multiplying bread; and again in Matthew 17:20, when they failed to heal the demon possessed boy. “O you of little faith!”—Jesus said it to them a lot. In my mind’s eye, I see Him smiling when He says it here in the storm. I think it’s tender, like He’s saying, “You don’t get it yet, do you?” He’s not mad at them, but sad that they didn’t think He could take care of them.Makes you wonder how often He says “O you of little faith!” to us.

Keep At It
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, thatwhere I am you may be also. John 14:2-3
What do you think of when you think of heaven? The Bible gives us a glimpse.
Golden streets and gates of pearls.No more death, no more sickness, no more sin, no more sorrow.No more good-byes, no more tears, no more time.No more relational pain, no more pride, no more hurt feelings.No more physical pain, no more disabilities, no more pills, no surgeries.No more looking ahead, no more counting time, no more anticipation of the end. (Revelation 18:16; 21:21; 21:4)
When Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3), we knew it was going to be something special. Yet in spite of what the Bible says about heaven, there’s still a lot of confusion about our final destination down here. Somehow in our culture of trinkets and trivia we have lost sight of the fact that though Jesus Christ immeasurably improves our lives here and now, our greatest days are yet ahead.
I don’t think we will ever get over the nearness of God in eternity.
Revelation 21:3 describes the scene yet to come: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”
When we get to heaven, God is no longer behind the veil, no longer present by His Holy Spirit alone. He is no longer across the crystal sea. He’s with us.
When we dwell with God we’ll be able to sit down and talk with Christ. And we’ll never run short on time. I’ve got some things I need to know. I’ve wanted to ask some questions for a long time. Like, what was it like to be the Creator of the universe, yet grow up on earth as a boy? And what was it like working at the carpentry shop? And what was walkin’ on the water like?
Then I want to understand the cross. I want to know what was on His mind when He gave Himself up like He did. The price that You paid . . .
I want to hear it all right from His lips.
Then I have a lot of questions about my life. Don’t you have your questions? Some that we carry around are very dark and painful. But we’re gonna sit there at His feet throughout all eternity. Our questions will be answered.
Wounded and battered by the struggles of this life, you will step into eternity and fall into your Father’s arms. And “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
The word tear in this verse is symbolic of life’s pain. Notice who’s going to wipe away the tears—God will. Jesus Himself will raise His nail-pierced hand to your cheek and look into your eyes and wipe away your tears. Every hope that’s been dashed and every shattered dream you’ve experienced--every time your heart was broken--all of the pain and anguish of life--will be eliminated, gone, wiped away. The things over which we silently anguish will be gone.
No funerals. No caskets. No tombstones. No sudden loss of loved ones. No heartrending good-byes. No more death.
The time we have left on earth is short. Eternity is long. Let this reminder stir you to keep at it till that day.