It seems par for the course that when someone dies, people just naturally say "Rest in peace." Now this is supposed to just be a polite way of giving condolences. Okay. I can understand that. This life makes us tired, and when we die, we are released from that trouble into a place of rest, right?
I got to thinking...personally, I don't want this phrase to have anything to do with my death. I mean, seriously... when we hear this phrase, we think of rest like "sleep"... right? I even saw a grave stone once that was a bed...carved up off the ground...a grey bed, with folds of a blanket and a little stone pillow at one end. Forever is a long time, right? I don't know about you, but the thought of spending it all asleep in the dark does no appeal to me! Besides...THIS is what Heaven is like?? THIS IS WHAT I've waited for all my life?? I am not afraid to say... "I don't think so!"
No, this is not what Heaven is like. I want to share with you how I came to know this, and what we can expect that Heaven will be like, in a way that's pretty simple to understand. I'm not telling anyone what or how to believe because that's up to you, but I will go to the Bible for my answers so that you won't have to take my word for it, and you will know that I am not guessing, or speculating. If you don't believe what the Bible says that's fine... But I do because personally...I'm not passing up PARADISE (!!!).
2 Corinthians chapter 5 (New Living Translation):
(NLT is paraphrased)
Verses 1 to 14
"For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (our body), when we die and leave these bodies-- we will have a home in Heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our Heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will not be spirits without bodies, but we will put on new Heavenly bodies. 4 Our dying (physical) bodies make us groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that those dying bodies will be swallowed up by eternal life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee has given us the Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not a home (Heaven) with the Lord. 7 That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, (our physical bodies) for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 For our aim (Christians) is to please the Lord, whether we are here in this body, or away from this body. 10 For we must all stand before Christ one day to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our (physical) bodies. 11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to Persuade others. (about knowing Christ). God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God, and if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ's love controls us."
Okay. First of all, our present human bodies ware out, don't they? They also ware us out, right? But our spirits go on forever (whether we're Christians or not). Anyway, if you've ever had a Christian witness to you, & try to tell you about eternal life... this is why we do it. Because there is an eternal destination waiting for us after our bodies die. The Bible states that what we believe in this present life, will determine where we go. The Christian knows that they have eternal life with Jesus Christ, and our goal then becomes to tell as many people about eternity in paradise as we can. So, if we (if I) sound like we're crazy (verse 13), we are only desiring to bring glory to the living God that we serve, and to share with others, the knowledge of the paradise that we know awaits us.
One verse that really jumps out at me in this passage, is verse 3. "For we will not be spirits without bodies". When we get to Heaven, we truly will have brand new, PERFECT bodies! These bodies will never get tired, or ware out, and we really will "put them on like new clothing.". In all honesty, this is why I believe in Jesus Christ, and having a Heavenly home that awaits me! I LOVE the promise of living in paradise with a perfect body, don't you? I know these reasons for desiring Heaven may seem purely selfish. I just love rejoicing in the fact that all the toil and trouble of this life will result in something that is forever wonderful and perfect...and beyond my wildest dreams!
The Bible describes Heaven as a paradise. During the crucifixion, Jesus says to the the thief on the cross that (today) he shall be with him in paradise. This was because this man had professed Jesus was Lord. (Luke 23:42-43). In scripture, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for us...
(John 14:3). This speaks of the heavenly place Christ is preparing for each of his believers in Heaven. While we can't know ahead of time what this place looks like, we can spend our time here on earth getting to know Jesus Christ, and his plan for us. Throughout the book of Revelation, there are amazing descriptions of a vision given to John...a vision of things to come. So, we don't know whether what John mentions (The sea of glass and fire, the streets of gold, the layers of stones that the walls are made of) are what Heaven is like presently, or, if this is what Heaven will look like one day. Because the heading for Revelation chapter 21 in my Bible reads: " A New Heaven and a New Earth," I am inclined to think that Heaven will look like this one day (When Jesus is finished preparing the places for us?). The place of Heaven is mysterious, and the Bible really does not give specific descriptions of what it presently looks like.
So, if someone were to ask me, "Why did you get saved?". I would say it's because, when Heaven, or earth DOES look like John's description...I want a front row seat! No sleeping, no, closed eyes, no black...I want to watch the transformation, and even if I can't watch it happen, I know for sure I'll have a dwelling place, a home, in the new earth when Jesus makes it new, and we are no longer under a curse. Why did I say Heaven or earth just now? Because I'm unsure whether the descriptions John is giving are of the new Heaven or the new earth. But regardless...I want to see them! I can't wait until God wipes away all the tears from our eyes, and there is no more death. (Revelation 21:4). According to scripture, there will come a time when there actually is. NO MORE DEATH! I don't know about you, but this makes me very excited!
For the Christian, after death, we are absent from the body and present with the Lord. We are with our creator who planed our lives before the foundation of the world. (Psalm 139). I think it's incredible to note that no matter what our birthdate is, we were planned before the foundation of the world to know Christ, and to tell others of the gift of eternity with him. Now of course, we cannot tell others about the hope of Christ, when we do not know him for ourselves. This is what the Christian means when they speak about being "saved". This means they have accepted that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid for their sins. We are all born with that sinful nature because we all stem from Adam and Eve. Sin made it's way through the human race sorta like a "biological copy machine," for lack of another way of putting it. But the wonderful news that Christians speak of is that the "stain" of sin has been "blotted out" by the death of Christ... If we will accept the payment.
There will always be those who choose not to accept this gift of payment for sins, and the Bible says that for them, the end result is much different. I will probably write about this different outcome in a separate entry, just to be as thorough as possible. But for those interested in knowing Jesus personally, and experiencing eternity with Christ in a new, perfect body, the first step is to ask Him into your heart. You can do this with someone you trust or by yourself.
Go somewhere that is quiet, where you can be alone (I recommend going to your room and shutting the door.). If need be, put a sign outside so no one disturbs you.
Find a position you feel comfortable. Sit on your bed, or in a chair. If you like you can stand against the wall, or get on your knees.
Bow your head, say:
"Lord, Jesus...
I agree with you that I have sinned, and fall short of your perfection.
I agree that my sin has seperated me from you.
I believe that your death on the cross paid for my sin, making me acceptable in your sight.
I accept you as my Lord and savior, and accept that payment made on my behalf.
I receive your Holy Spirit, as a deposit guarantee that I belong to you forever.
I ask that you change my heart. Thank you Lord! Amen!
I encourage you, do not worry about saying this perfectly...just say it sincerely. God knows your heart, and he knows your intentions. Getting to know Jesus, and allowing him to know us is a process. It's day by day. Please know that Jesus does not judge you or condemn you, because you have now been "sealed" with his Holy Spirit for the day of redemption.
So, what happens now?
The Holy Spirit will reveal himself to you day by day.
The way we know that we are saved is when our affections (our heart) have changed from what they were, as will show itself in the choices we make.
What should I do now?
Get a Bible. My first Bible was a New Living Translation Student Bible (I was 15), but even if you are not a student, the NLT, and the charts & illustrations usually in them make scripture easy to "digest.". Another helpful translation is the New International Version(NIV) Paralell Bible. This Bible has the NIV translation on one side of the page and the Living Bible translation (paraphrased) on the other. In my opinion, the (NIV) and the Living Bible are the most ideal translations for brand new Christians. My favorite translation is the New American Standard Bible... it just does not happen to be the one I started out with.
I would begin with the book of James in the new testament. This book is actually a letter to a church, and is full of practical advice. It's also short, and simple... a great way to start out.
Bible-Believing Church. Find a Bible based, Bible believing church. You want a church whose members rest in the knowledge that they ARE saved, rather than a church that operates out of fear that they might not be saved, or that they WILL BE saved, if they just perform enough good works. Remember, salvation is a gift from God; it is not something we can earn according to how well behaved we are.
Why go to church? So that you will have an accountability group, and you will be strengthened and encouraged by like-minded people. This helps you stay as close to Christ as you can.
Some things to keep in mind:
You will still sin. The difference is that NOW your sins have been forgiven, whereas before, they were not. This makes you acceptable before God because you have acknowledged that you have been "bought" with the price of his blood shed on the cross.
Jesus is your Advocate. "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you." God's wisdom and instruction for your life is ALWAYS accessible to you...so ask for it any time you need it.
You DO have an enemy. That enemy is Satan, the Devil, he is now jealous of you because he can't have you. You belong to Jesus...now and FOREVER!! :). There is no "breaking" the Holy Spirit's seal...but this enemy IS a liar, and a bully. He will pick on you. He will do anything to get you to doubt and worry, so that you do not have peace. At some point, he will probably lie to you and tell you that you are not REALLY saved. Know that now you have authority given by God to tell him to leave, in the name of Jesus!
You will suffer. I think we would all agree that everyone suffers in life. No one escapes this reality. But the difference is that as a Christian, when you suffer for Christ's purposes, He remembers that, and he promises that he will reward you for your pain. This is the difference between suffering for Christ, and just...suffering...period. I don't know about you, but I want a reward for all my earthly trouble! :)
(not that we earned it...but Christ in his mercy gives it).
You will be tested. Jesus Christ desires that you grow in Him, and he will test you, so you can see your growth. But be assured that he will never walk you through anything without first equipping you for the challenge ; and he will make sure, you are never tempted beyond what you can bear.
(See scripture references below).
Your feelings will get in your way sometimes. Expect this...it's part of being human. You won't always want to obey God...get ready for it. But God will always help you to do what he says. He is always faithful, always loving and always forgiving. He loves you with an everlasting love.
The Holy Spirit will reveal God's word to you. If you would not read the Bible before because you could not understand it, there's a reason for that. God's spirit is what makes our heart's open to God's Living word. This does not mean that the Bible is secret...but the gaining of Biblical wisdom is through answering his call of salvation. To put it another way: God is like any teacher, he wants serious students.
Lastly, congratulations to you, my friend! You are now part of God's family, and he has a wonderful plan for yor life. "Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8).
Blessings to you!
Scriptures:
Heaven; John's vision. Revelation CH 4; Revelation 21: 1-7
Eternal Life. John 3:16-17 Hebrews 6:19
Asking God for Wisdom. James 1:5-6
No More Death. Revelation 21:4
Absent From the Body. 2nd Corinthians 5:8
Call on His Name. Romans 10:13
Spirit reveals scripture. 1st. Corinthians 2:10-11
Still sinners. Romans 5:8
Sharing in His Sufferings. 1st Peter 4:13; Philippians 3:10; Romans 8:17
The Enemy. 1st Peter 5:8
Christians Tested. 2nd Timothy 3:12; John 15:20
Don't live by Feelings. 2nd Corinthians 5:7-8
