The Joys of Heaven
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There’s a saying that goes something like this: “Anticipation is half the fun.” I’ve found this to be true for me at times. In fact, sometimes it has been more than half the fun! We look forward to vacations and special times with great excitement. Sometimes the anticipation of the time is more exciting than the event itself! Many times, however, the anticipation is a wonderful prelude to a good time. And then every once in a while, we discover that our anticipation wasn’t nearly as good as the experience itself, which is a pleasant surprise! This may occur because of unexpected blessings that crop up to make the time better than we thought it would be.
This morning, I want to tell you about something in my future that I am anticipating with great excitement; I can’t wait for it to come! I’ve never anticipated anything as much as this, but I still know that my anticipation is nowhere near “half the fun.” I know that my excitement can’t possibly be in proportion to the experience itself.
If you’d like to know what I mean, then stick around, because in just a few moments I’ll tell you, and show you how it relates to what God has to say to us in His Word, the Bible. Stay tuned!
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Good morning, and welcome to Truth for Today, a weekly radio ministry of Bible Baptist Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. My name is Ethan Custer, and I serve as the assistant under Pastor Mike Custer, the regular host of this broadcast. We at Bible Baptist Church desire to be a spiritual blessing to you in any way that we can. We are located west of I-29 at 6367 Gateway Drive in Grand Forks. We meet several times each week to worship God, and our purpose in life is to obey and please the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do. Our source of truth and guide for living is the Authorized King James Bible, the Word of God in the English language. In it He offers solutions for every one of life’s problems! If we can help you in any way, please let us know. We hope to have that opportunity. I’ll be giving our contact information at the end of the broadcast, so please stick around.
A moment ago, I mentioned that anticipation can be half the fun, and sometimes more than half of it. For example, you envision that raise at work to be much better than it actually turns out to be over the long term. Your long-awaited vacation passes too quickly, and it was more tiring than you planned. That new house you bought has more problems than you thought. Your dream car doesn’t make you happy like you wanted it to, and your new friend isn’t as loyal as you expected.
These disappointed expectations are normal, because when we are talking about temporal things, or things that are part of this physical world, we usually find that they don’t satisfy us very well, or for very long. Their enjoyment is very temporary, and usually isn’t as great as we expected. This short fulfillment period usually keeps people occupied in searching for the next exciting thing, as though THAT will satisfy them where all the ones in the past have failed. We would be wise to understand that all earthly things have this shortcoming in common!
However, God gives us things that are true blessings, and they satisfy us much longer than the things that we get on our own. Proverbs 10:22 says this:
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich,
And he addeth no sorrow with it.
We also find these words in Ephesians 3:20:
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
The greatest blessings in my life have all been given to me by the Lord, and they are more wonderful than I could have imagined. For example, my salvation is the single greatest blessing I have, and it grows more wonderful by the day. On July 15, 1993, I gave myself to God, turning from my sin and trusting Christ alone to save me from the condemnation I deserved. As a result, the Spirit of God came to live in my heart, and I have a daily, personal relationship with Him. His presence gives me joy and strength to do what is right, and confidence that no matter what the future brings, I don’t need to worry or fear about anything. I have been forgiven of my sins, and been given the wonderful gift of eternal life! That is the greatest blessing I have, and the greatest I could ever want. I don’t deserve God’s goodness or forgiveness, but I’m so thankful for it. It’s a blessing that does not fade with time, but only grows better and better.
I also thank God for the blessing He gave me when He gave me my wife. I’m so thankful for God’s leading in our lives to bring us together. I was greatly anticipating marriage and expecting it to be a blessing, but God gave me a greater blessing than I thought possible. My children are also a great blessing to me. I have been blessed beyond measure.
These are just a few of the blessings from God that I enjoy, and I have learned that if I will wait for Him to supply what I need, then when He does, it will be much more wonderful than it would have been if I tried to meet that need. God always does it the best.
Earlier, I said that there is something I’m anticipating with great excitement, more than I’ve ever anticipated anything. Usually that kind of anticipation ends in disappointment! But in this case, I know that my anticipation won’t be greater than the experience. In fact, I know I can’t imagine the half of it! I’m talking about Heaven.
Do you believe in Heaven? Most people, I think, believe in some form of the idea. Some people believe in an unconscious or “sleep-like” state after this life; many others believe in a conscious, wonderful place of some sort. Some people believe there is nothing at all after death. The Bible is clear, however: there is a literal place called Heaven, and there is a literal place called Hell. Last month we studied what the Bible says about Hell, and today we’ll be seeing what Scripture says about Heaven.
First of all, the Bible makes it clear that Heaven is God’s home. Deuteronomy 26:15, speaking of God, says this:
Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
King Solomon was praying to God when he said this:
And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
If you were to come to my home, it would probably give you a pretty good idea of the kind of person I am. You would observe the condition of my home, the size of my home, and the people who live in my home, and you would probably understand me a little better. Learning about God’s home does help us understand Him a little better. Though nothing can fully define God or capture the essence of His being, we learn more about the infinitely mighty and holy God by hearing about His Heaven that is fit for Himself.
In Isaiah 66:1, we read God’s words to Israel that indicate how powerful and majestic God is. Heaven is His throne.
Thus saith the Lord,
The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
Where is the house that ye build unto me?
And where is the place of my rest?
The prophet Isaiah also was the one given the awe-inspiring vision of God on His throne in Heaven. Listen to these verses:
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
The whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
What an impressive scene this was to behold! We may try to imagine the glories of Heaven after reading accounts like this, but we must remember that the Almighty God is much greater than anything He creates! Creation is finite and limited. God is infinite and everlasting. God’s power, majesty, and greatness is more than we can imagine.
And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
God is the most high. There is none as high as He. He possesses all of creation!
Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
The Almighty, perfect, infinite God has made Heaven a place that more glorious than anything we have ever seen. The Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, attempts to describe what he saw of Heaven in the vision that God gave him.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
What a magnificent place! We may try to imagine Heaven from this description in the book of the Revelation, but it is impossible for us to fully grasp Heaven’s splendor and joy. Most of all, we cannot imagine what it is like to be in a place where there is no death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain. Those things are all around us all the time on earth, but they cannot penetrate God’s Heaven; it is a perfect place!
Of course, Heaven is perfect only because God has made it and kept it so. He will not permit anything corrupt or unlawful into it. As we just read, Revelation 21:27 says this:
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
As we consider this mighty, majestic, high and holy God, we ought to wonder: “How could He ever let me into His home?” And it’s a good question. How could the Almighty God ever entertain the idea of opening Heaven’s gates to vile and lowly sinners like you and me? Some people recoil at words like “vile” and “sinner” in reference to themselves, but that is what we are. The Bible makes this clear.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
This isn’t a very complimentary description, is it? The Bible goes on to tell us what happens to those who sin.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
How can God let anyone like us into Heaven? There is only one way: it is through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that He shed on Calvary’s cross. He shed His sinless blood so that He could provide the payment for our sin. When we are saved and forgiven and receive eternal life, we are cleansed of our sin with the blood of Christ, and given the righteousness of God.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Christ took on our sin, and was judged as if He were the sinner. If we will come to the Father by Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins and trusting Christ alone for salvation, then we will receive Christ’s righteousness as if it were our own. With Christ’s righteousness, we are worthy and rightful inhabitants of God’s perfect Heaven! Have you been forgiven of your sins and been cleansed? Is Christ your personal Saviour?
If you have been saved, then you know that entering Heaven isn’t a matter of “if” for you, but “when.” The children of God—those who have been saved from their sins—don’t have have to wonder if they are going to be in Heaven. They can KNOW!
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
If you don’t know that you are going to Heaven, I plead with you to seek God so that He may reveal the truth of your soul to you. Many folks hope they are going to Heaven, but they do not know that they are. This is because they are trusting in something other than the shed blood of Jesus Christ to take them to God’s home. But nothing else can, and so those who are not trusting in Christ alone, are trusting in a false hope. Everyone who dies while trusting in a false hope will not go to Heaven. They will go to Hell.
As we saw last month, Hell is a place that was created for the devil and his demons, but unforgiven sinners also go there after they die. It is a horrible place of torment, but God has provided a way for us all to avoid going there. We must repent of our sins and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to be saved, and forgiven of our sins.
When we are forgiven by God and saved from eternal judgment, we are given the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ speaks of this in John 10:27-30.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.
Eternal life is a wonderful gift! If you study the Scriptures, you’ll find that the Bible defines life and death a little differently than we usually do. We think of death only as our physical life ending, and our corpse being laid to rest in the ground. But the Bible defines death not as cessation of existence, but as separation. We die physically when our spirit is separated from our body, which makes the body lifeless. Our spirit, however, still exists, and it goes to either Heaven or Hell. Spiritual death is different than physical death. Instead of being separated from our physical body, spiritual death means being separated from God! When the spirit goes to Hell, it is permanently separated from God for all eternity. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is our uniting with God spiritually, and having a personal relationship with Him. Eternal life is that connection that can never be broken! That is what results when a sinner is saved through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is given eternal life, never to be lost. He may die physically, but his spirit will never be separated from God again. He will spend eternity in God’s presence in Heaven. And that is the greatest joy of Heaven: the presence of God. When the thief on the cross in Luke 23 understood his sin and that Christ was the Saviour, Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The best part about Heaven isn’t the gates of pearl, or the streets of gold, or the fruit trees. It isn’t the angels, or the saints, or even the absence of pain, sorrow, and tears. The greatest thing about Heaven is the presence of God. Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and He will be on His throne! The saints will rejoice in His presence, and will praise and serve Him for eternity.
I don’t know anyone that isn’t interested in living in a perfect place for all eternity, but I do know folks who don’t enjoy and desire the presence of God. They love their sin, they love to serve their own desires and lusts, and they don’t love to please and glorify the Lord. These folks are demonstrating that they aren’t God’s children, and they aren’t bound for Heaven. If this describes you, turn to the Saviour! Seek Him, and ask Him to help you understand the truth about your sin and His righteousness. Seek the truth about the Gospel, and what the Bible says about salvation. When you are truly saved and receive the gift of eternal life, you too will be able to anticipate that perfect place called Heaven. It is God’s perfect home, filled with His presence. It is far better than anything we could ever imagine!
If you have any questions about this broadcast or about other truths from the Bible, we at Bible Baptist Church would appreciate the opportunity to help you! You may contact us in a number of ways. First, you may contact me via email by writing to truthfortoday@bbcgf.org. You may also find our website at www.bbcgf.org. Bible Baptist Church is located at 6367 Gateway Drive in Grand Forks, and we have regular Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening services. You are welcome to attend any of them. If you would rather watch the livestream of our services, or if you would like to watch archives of past services, you may find them on our website as well.
Thank you for listening today! Please tune in again next week at this same time for more truth from God’s Word, on Truth for Today.