Heavenly minded + earthly good

The last two weeks in our Foundations class I taught on the afterlife. The first week focused on everlasting punishment in hell, which is not my favorite topic, and contrasted that reality with what awaits us in heaven by God’s mercy and grace.

Last week we were planning on discussing heaven and eternal rewards. Yet in between one of our classmates passed away, Ron, who is now literally with Christ enjoying Him more than is humanly possible. He sat intently listening to the lesson on heaven and only five days later was transferred into God’s glorious presence. God healed his heart problems in an instant, the culmination of years of suffering. He was only 51 and leaves behind a loving wife, three kids and two grandchildren.

After learning of Ron’s passing on Sunday, Kari reminded me that night as we lay down to sleep, “I bet Ron is now thinking, ‘That Jeff had it all wrong. This place is way better than he described!’” We had to chuckle.

So, last week’s class was somber, as we knew of Ron’s passing and awaited his funeral on Friday. A mixed celebration was our class time, reflecting on Ron’s life, telling hilarious stories about him, and praying for the family and ourselves in the grieving process. Not coincidently our studies were still focused on heaven, but we only considered one page from our book: six truths about heaven to bring us joy.

Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

1. Holiness

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25)

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

2. A glorified body

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Cor. 5:1)

“For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Cor. 5:4) — the next verse: “He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

3. Immortality

“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.” (Rev. 21:4)

“For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:53)

4. Satisfaction of all needs

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.” (Rev. 7:16)

5. Sharing of Christ’s glory

“… 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.” (Romans 8:17)

6. Intimate fellowship with God and other believers

“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. 13:12)

Tonight we will finish our delayed study on these truths and expand on the reality of rewards for believers at the Bema seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:10-15). God’s glory never fades nor bores.

Last week my students (all older than me by the way) needed a pastor more than a teacher. I was there to shepherd them and confessed up front that I didn’t know what our time would look like that night. But we need space and time to grieve. It was good, powerful, and in the moment I’m sure much more teaching went on that any of us realized. That experience will stick with each of us the rest of our lives.

Thinking and talking about heaven does indeed make us more earthly good.

“If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought most of the next …. It is because Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this one.”
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 113

Tonight we finish up this study on Heaven – beginning in about 10 minutes.