I’ve thought about heaven a lot this past month or so.
Probably more than I have at any other point in my life.
It all started when my Dad brought the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn on our trip to the Grand Canyon and had me read it to him as he was driving. This resulted in many conversations on our trip, and back at home with my parents, as there were aspects and realities of heaven discussed in his book that we had never considered before. Last Sunday I also had the opportunity to hear Randy Alcorn speak live about heaven at my grandparents church.
It has been strange, though wonderful to have my mind changed about what my eternal life will look like.
For instance, call me a crazy wacko, but I didn’t think we’d have bodies in heaven. Since Jesus said in Matthew 22:30, “In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage but shall be like the angels in heaven”, I assumed we’d be separated from our bodies after death and rise again as a spiritual-angel-like-thing.
But that isn’t the truth at all.
After Jesus rose from the dead, he exemplified what a human looks like after they’ve been resurrected. And what did Jesus have? He had a body that he ate and drank with, walked and spoke with, and later ascended into heaven with. As Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be united in the likeness of His resurrection.” And also in 1st John 3:2 “We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him.”
Not only that, but multiple places in scripture talk about eating and drinking (Luke 22:29-30), wearing white robes (Revelation 6:11), walking (Revelation 3:4), talking (Revelation 19:1), occupying physical space, (Revelation 7:9), and having body parts (Luke 16:24).
Truly, heaven is more physical than I had previously imagined.
And learning more about life in eternity has been thrilling.
However the more I study and talk about it, the more I realize that for me there is something more amazing still than being like Jesus in his resurrected form.
Being like him spiritually.
Being free from sin.
We won’t sin in Heaven for the same reason Jesus doesn’t: He cannot sin. He has a perfect nature. He is fully human as humans were intended to be- good and right and holy, with a nature always bent on pleasing the Lord and glorifying him.
As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, we will have this very righteousness of God.
And as Revelation 21:27 says,
“Nothing impure will ever enter it [the New Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Sin is the root cause of sorrow, of misery, of anger, rejection, pride, lust, hate, conflict, and ultimately death. In heaven, none of that will exist. Because sin is the wages of death, since there will be no more death, there will be no more sin.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold! I am making all things new!”
-Revelation 21:3-5
For me that is the most difficult and yet equally beautiful things to imagine about heaven.
No. more. sin.
No more struggle and war between my flesh and my spirit. No more fighting against temptation. No more hardship and grief. No more baggage.
Just rest. Just peace. Just life.
Evil will never again have any footing or leverage to effect or hurt us, and what is more, we will no longer have any evil in us to effect or hurt others.
Truly, that will be paradise.
I’ve learned a lot this past month about heaven, and I would encourage you to do the same. Read Randy Alcorn’s book if you’re interested or visit his website here. Study out the truths of our eternal life found in scripture. Look forward to them. Thank God for them.
If you’re anything like me however, you may find that no truth will shine quite so brightly as the truth that we shall be like him.
We shall be like the one we love.
We shall be like Jesus.
