"From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?' But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'" John 6:65-68
Eternal life, eternal life. What do these two words mean to us? As Christians we know that that is where we are bound for, but sadly that is all we know. We have never thought deeply about what eternal life means, or what it is going to be like. "It is because Christians have ceased to think of the next world," writes C.S. Lewis, "That they have become so ineffective in this one."
So what is eternal life going to be like? What is Heaven going to be like? Listen to someone who reflected deeply on this issue and came to his own conclusions. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain," writes the apostle Paul, "But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labour; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." Phil 1:21-24. See the vision as John saw it on the island of Patmos- "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Rev. 21:4-5
Look deep within. Do you find a longing there that has never quite been fulfilled? A longing for eternal love, joy, peace and fulfillment? Men sense this longing, and they try to find it in the things of this earth. But sadly this longing can never be satisfied here, in this earthly body, on this earth. Now no doubt God gives us many blessings and joys in this life, relationships for example. But what I am talking about is a longing for something beyond all that.
In Switzerland I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. It moves me like few things do. But the happiness does not last, as much as I long for it too. And as much as I try to make it last, it does not; in fact, the more I try, the more it doesn't. But the very fact that I long for it to last tells me something- God has planted in my heart the longing for eternity. And this is what I find in His Word- "Also He has put eternity in their hearts..." Eccl. 3:11. It is the same for the most joyful experiences in life- you want them to last forever, but sadly they can't. But the good news is, one day they will. When we step foot in Paradise, and see our Maker, that elusive and boundless joy will finally be ours, not just for a minute or an hour, but for all eternity. This wretched earthly sinful body that has burdened us all our lives will finally be shed. In perfect spiritual communion we shall dwell with God Himself, the origin of all love, all joy, all peace, all things good. My physical words cannot express the sheer delight that we will one day have- "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Cor 2:9
Take a moment to let that sink in. All the joy we've ever hoped for in life, and much much more, is guaranteed to be ours one day! Satan tries to distract us from that fact and tell us otherwise, but it remains true. Does that fill your heart with delight and long for that day? "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven." 2 Cor 5:1-2.
Why do we still search so hard for joy and happiness on this earth, at the expense of our relationship with God, if we know that the ultimate joy already awaits us in Heaven? Once we realise and are assured of that, we can devote more of our time and energy into seeking God and serving Him and trusting Him to provide all that we need as He has promised to, instead of getting distracted by the many things and cares of this world. We devote so much of our time and energy trying to find happiness here, and so often we end up jaded, bitter and disappointed. Relax, it will come one day! Set your eyes heavenward, and soon the things of this earth will grow very dim. St. Peter described it very succintly when he exhorted us to "as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshy lusts which war against the soul" 1 Pet 2:11. Then we will understand what Paul meant when he said "To live is Christ and to die is gain." Rick Warren in the Purpose-Driven Life describes life here as just a "temporary assignment", until we finally return to our true home in Heaven. Read these quotes:
"And so it is that when a man walks along a road, the lighter he travels, the happier he is; equally, on this journey of life, a man is more blessed if he does not pant beneath a burden of riches." Tertullian
"If a man have Christ in his heart, heaven before his eyes, and only as much of temporal blessing as is just needful to carry him safely through life, then pain and sorrow have little to shoot at." William Burns
But having said all that, we must also realise that eternal life starts NOW. Think about it. The moment you were saved, eternal life has started! We limit our thoughts of heaven and eternal life to after death, and continue on in our mundane, daily lives, oblivious to the all-consuming Love that wants to start transforming us and our lives NOW. No doubt the length of our life here is nothing compared to eternity, but nonetheless it is still part of eternal life. And what happens here has eternal consequences. Jesus Himself commanded us, "DO not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matt 6:19-20
What exactly are these treasures in heaven? I can think of two kinds. One is the many lives that you have touched- souls that you have brought to Christ, souls that you have impacted and encouraged on the way, souls that you have brought hope and joy to on life's long and often dreary road. Listen to Ray Boltz's song Thank You and you will understand more of what I mean. Christ left us with a new commandment- to love our neighbours as He loved us. And indeed as we shine His love into the hearts of men many souls will be touched for all eternity.
The second, quite closely linked to the first, is the work that we have done for Him here on earth. Matthew 25 tells the Parable of the Talents, where three servants are entrusted with some talents by the Master. Two of them gained more with what they have, but the last kept his away and did nothing with it. The first two were commended, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." How much will you give to hear those words from Jesus' mouth Himself? The last servant was greeted with the words, "You wicked and lazy servant..." God has entrusted us with talents here on this earth, to be used for His glory and to touch the lives of others. How are we using our talents? "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will tst each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss..." 1 Cor 3:11-15.
And the third is the character that we build up in our time here on earth. God loves us as we are, but He is certainly not content to leave us as we are. And so our entire life on earth will be a long journey of slowly being changed to become more like Christ. Through the many trials and tribulations, our faith and patience are deepened; the Spirit bears His glorious fruit in us to make us more like Christ. And finally the day we shed our earthly bodies we will become perfect- "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Phil 3:20-21.
At the end of the day we will find that a life that has been transformed by God and lived by a person who has eternity in mind and is becoming more and more like Christ is one of real joy. C.S. Lewis again- "Those who aim for Heaven will get earth thrown in. Those who aim for earth will get neither." But joyful as it is, it is only a sweet foretaste, and will never compare with what is to come after death. Let me end with the reflections of singer Rich Mullins-
"If I weep let it be as a man who is longing for his home"
Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?' But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'" John 6:65-68
Eternal life, eternal life. What do these two words mean to us? As Christians we know that that is where we are bound for, but sadly that is all we know. We have never thought deeply about what eternal life means, or what it is going to be like. "It is because Christians have ceased to think of the next world," writes C.S. Lewis, "That they have become so ineffective in this one."
So what is eternal life going to be like? What is Heaven going to be like? Listen to someone who reflected deeply on this issue and came to his own conclusions. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain," writes the apostle Paul, "But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labour; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." Phil 1:21-24. See the vision as John saw it on the island of Patmos- "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Rev. 21:4-5
Look deep within. Do you find a longing there that has never quite been fulfilled? A longing for eternal love, joy, peace and fulfillment? Men sense this longing, and they try to find it in the things of this earth. But sadly this longing can never be satisfied here, in this earthly body, on this earth. Now no doubt God gives us many blessings and joys in this life, relationships for example. But what I am talking about is a longing for something beyond all that.
In Switzerland I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. It moves me like few things do. But the happiness does not last, as much as I long for it too. And as much as I try to make it last, it does not; in fact, the more I try, the more it doesn't. But the very fact that I long for it to last tells me something- God has planted in my heart the longing for eternity. And this is what I find in His Word- "Also He has put eternity in their hearts..." Eccl. 3:11. It is the same for the most joyful experiences in life- you want them to last forever, but sadly they can't. But the good news is, one day they will. When we step foot in Paradise, and see our Maker, that elusive and boundless joy will finally be ours, not just for a minute or an hour, but for all eternity. This wretched earthly sinful body that has burdened us all our lives will finally be shed. In perfect spiritual communion we shall dwell with God Himself, the origin of all love, all joy, all peace, all things good. My physical words cannot express the sheer delight that we will one day have- "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Cor 2:9
Take a moment to let that sink in. All the joy we've ever hoped for in life, and much much more, is guaranteed to be ours one day! Satan tries to distract us from that fact and tell us otherwise, but it remains true. Does that fill your heart with delight and long for that day? "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven." 2 Cor 5:1-2.
Why do we still search so hard for joy and happiness on this earth, at the expense of our relationship with God, if we know that the ultimate joy already awaits us in Heaven? Once we realise and are assured of that, we can devote more of our time and energy into seeking God and serving Him and trusting Him to provide all that we need as He has promised to, instead of getting distracted by the many things and cares of this world. We devote so much of our time and energy trying to find happiness here, and so often we end up jaded, bitter and disappointed. Relax, it will come one day! Set your eyes heavenward, and soon the things of this earth will grow very dim. St. Peter described it very succintly when he exhorted us to "as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshy lusts which war against the soul" 1 Pet 2:11. Then we will understand what Paul meant when he said "To live is Christ and to die is gain." Rick Warren in the Purpose-Driven Life describes life here as just a "temporary assignment", until we finally return to our true home in Heaven. Read these quotes:
"And so it is that when a man walks along a road, the lighter he travels, the happier he is; equally, on this journey of life, a man is more blessed if he does not pant beneath a burden of riches." Tertullian
"If a man have Christ in his heart, heaven before his eyes, and only as much of temporal blessing as is just needful to carry him safely through life, then pain and sorrow have little to shoot at." William Burns
But having said all that, we must also realise that eternal life starts NOW. Think about it. The moment you were saved, eternal life has started! We limit our thoughts of heaven and eternal life to after death, and continue on in our mundane, daily lives, oblivious to the all-consuming Love that wants to start transforming us and our lives NOW. No doubt the length of our life here is nothing compared to eternity, but nonetheless it is still part of eternal life. And what happens here has eternal consequences. Jesus Himself commanded us, "DO not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matt 6:19-20
What exactly are these treasures in heaven? I can think of two kinds. One is the many lives that you have touched- souls that you have brought to Christ, souls that you have impacted and encouraged on the way, souls that you have brought hope and joy to on life's long and often dreary road. Listen to Ray Boltz's song Thank You and you will understand more of what I mean. Christ left us with a new commandment- to love our neighbours as He loved us. And indeed as we shine His love into the hearts of men many souls will be touched for all eternity.
The second, quite closely linked to the first, is the work that we have done for Him here on earth. Matthew 25 tells the Parable of the Talents, where three servants are entrusted with some talents by the Master. Two of them gained more with what they have, but the last kept his away and did nothing with it. The first two were commended, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." How much will you give to hear those words from Jesus' mouth Himself? The last servant was greeted with the words, "You wicked and lazy servant..." God has entrusted us with talents here on this earth, to be used for His glory and to touch the lives of others. How are we using our talents? "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will tst each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss..." 1 Cor 3:11-15.
And the third is the character that we build up in our time here on earth. God loves us as we are, but He is certainly not content to leave us as we are. And so our entire life on earth will be a long journey of slowly being changed to become more like Christ. Through the many trials and tribulations, our faith and patience are deepened; the Spirit bears His glorious fruit in us to make us more like Christ. And finally the day we shed our earthly bodies we will become perfect- "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Phil 3:20-21.
At the end of the day we will find that a life that has been transformed by God and lived by a person who has eternity in mind and is becoming more and more like Christ is one of real joy. C.S. Lewis again- "Those who aim for Heaven will get earth thrown in. Those who aim for earth will get neither." But joyful as it is, it is only a sweet foretaste, and will never compare with what is to come after death. Let me end with the reflections of singer Rich Mullins-
"If I weep let it be as a man who is longing for his home"
