Eternity is a long long time!
When you and I think of heaven, we often think of the time aspect of heaven: heaven goes on for ever and ever, whereas this life is so short by contrast.
And this is a valid reflection on the life to come. To demonstrate the contrast between time and eternity, one preacher produced a very long rope with a fine pen mark at one end. He asked two people to hold the rope, one at each end. It stretched from the front to the back of the building. Then he pointed out the very short pencil mark at one end and said "That is time, the rest of the rope is eternity."
This life is very short, like "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14) or like new grass which "though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered." (Psalm 90:6)
And heaven, by contrast, is very long.
But heaven is not just for ever; that attribute on its own, is not necessarily exciting, enthralling, enticing or glorious. Forever doing what? If someone told you that you were going to go on holiday for ten years, that might initially interest you, but until you knew what you were going to do for the ten years, would you really get excited?
So it is with heaven. And that is where the little phrase "eternal life" helps us, because "eternal life" in the New Testament is often more about the quality of life we will enjoy in the world to come than its duration.
A New Quality of Life Begun Now
Eternal life is the new life of God in our souls begun here below. Knowing God is eternal life "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3). And we get to know God when we first believe in his Son, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them." (John 3:36).
Eternal Life is not something reserved for heaven, but a new quality of life we enjoy a foretaste of, here and now. And in this new life we are "filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for we are receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls." (1 Peter 1:8,9)
But someone asks, if we enjoy eternal life already, what will the difference be between now and then? Surely heaven has far more to offer than earth?
Well, let's explore one difference today, but we'll have to wait until "H is for Heaven" for more!
Eternal Life Then and Now
Eternal Life in heaven will mean a much better relationship with the Lord, let's focus on this one difference.
I say much better for two reasons.
The first is that we will be in the physical presence of Jesus with our new bodies, "we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2) At the moment, our relationship with Jesus is by faith, then it will be by sight. "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)
We don't know exactly how this will work, but for sure, there will not be some kind of long cue waiting to speak to Jesus! But living in the real presence of Jesus who will possess all the glory he had before he came to earth, will be wonderful.
Perhaps a faint illustration might help us here: we have heard of the glory of Buckingham Palace. One day we meet the Queen in our street, dressed up in ordinary clothes. She invites us to the palace with all its regal glory and there we speak to her but now dressed in majestic attire; a far better experience!
The other reason our relationship with Christ will be better in heaven is that we will not be sinners any longer. None of our sinful flesh with all its wrong desires will mar our relationship with him. Our sins and our sinfulness spoil our present relationship with Christ. But in heaven we shall have new sin-free bodies with crystal clear pure 20/20 vision.
Now we see dimly, as in a mirror, as Paul describes it, thinking not of a modern mirror, but of a burnished mirror of brass (1 Corinthians 13:12). But then we shall see face to face. Paul adds, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Christ knows his sheep fully, but in heaven we shall know him fully too.
Summing it All Up
I do not know about you, but I am always unhappy with my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am never disappointed by his care for me, but always saddened by my poor love for him and my obedience to him and my walk with him. Paul echoes the same frustration when he says, "I want to know Christ" followed by "not that I have already obtained all this.." and then "I press on..." (Philippians 3)
So I have much to look forward! Like someone I have only met on Zoom, and never met in person, so is my walk with the Lord. But I - and you - can look forward to meeting Jesus face to face and living with him and all his people forever.
Isaac Watts looked forward to heaven like this:
Then shall I see, and hear, and know
all I desired and wished below;
and every power find sweet employ
in that eternal world of joy.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
A song which reflects this aspect of eternal life - knowing Christ better - is this one.
Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face- what will it be
When with rapture I behold him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?
Face to face I shall behold him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all his glory,
I shall see him by and by.
Only faintly now I see him
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessed day is coming
When his glory shall be seen.
What rejoicing in his presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened
And the dark things shall be plain.
Face to face- to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so.
Sing along HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our loving Father in heaven,
We thank you for giving to us eternal life through your Son, who loved us and gave himself for us. We thank you for the new quality of life we now enjoy, "the fullness of life" the Good Shepherd has promised to give all his sheep.
But we long for the day when grief and pain are banished, when crooked things are straightened and when dark things shall be plain.
We look forward to the day when we shall see our Saviour face to face and we pray that you will speed the day of his return,
We ask these things in Jesus' Name
Amen
Photo by Sven Scheuermeier on Unsplash
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