For to me, to live is Christ, and to die isgain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; 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.

  - Philippians 1.21- 23

...the end of a just man’s life is life eternal rest, perpetual peace, a heavenly home, a blessed eternity, a joy unending.

  - Columbanus, Sermon IX, Irish, 7th century[1]

Here’s a little test you can run in your Bible study group: Ask all those who want to go to heaven when they die to raise their hands. How many do you think you’ll get? Right. All of them.

Now ask them how many of them want to go to heaven today?

Most of us don’t want heaven prematurely, of course. God has blessed us in this life, and we want to enjoy it for as long as we can. This is only right.

Still, I’m not convinced our understanding of heaven is as clear, compelling, and desirable as it was for the Apostle Paul. For him, going to heaven to be with the Lord was far better than continuing in this life. He understood something about heaven and being with the Lord that hasn’t become clear to many of us. Heaven is a great gift, and we want it when our life is over. But today?

I sometimes think we regard heaven as a kind of concession to not being able to live on earth forever. We go to heaven when we die, but most people have no idea of what that means. At best, they think of heaven as streets of gold, lounging around in white robes and strumming harps, being part of a continuous sing-along, and, somehow (who knows how?) thinking this is as good as it gets.

No wonder few people want to go to heaven today! Heaven isn’t really living; it’s just a kind of prolonged spiritual existence without much in the way of variety, diversion, or, well, fun.

We want to live while we can, and when we die, since heaven is the better of two options, we prefer to end up there.

Since it’s no longer an option to continue down here.

But heaven is not the end of the story for those who trust in Christ. It’s an intermediate stop on the longer journey toward the new heavens and the new earth. Rather like crossing the ocean on a luxury liner. The voyage is certainly enjoyable, and you meet new friends and enjoy new experiences, but there’s only so much you can do. It’s when you get to your destination that the real pleasure begins.

Heaven is a place of great joy and rejoicing, because in heaven we are in the presence of the Lord, without interruption, distraction, or impediment of any kind – fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore! (Ps. 16.11)

But because our spiritual imaginations are so impoverished, we cannot imagine, like Paul could, just how precious and incomparable this experience is.

Whatever we will be doing in heaven, while we await the new heavens and new earth, Paul considered it much to be preferred to continuing in this life. Either we don’t understand that, don’t believe it, or don’t prefer it to whatever modicum of happiness we know here and now.

Here’s the point: If we are ready to die at any moment, and to be released from this body into unspeakable, everlasting pleasures and joy, then we will not cherish this life so much that we might compromise our testimony just to cushion or prolong it. Get ready to die, and you’ll live every Kingdom moment to the fullest, come what may.

And as long as you are alive, seek to bear heavenly fruit to feed others, and to give them a glimpse of the joy you know and the joy you anticipate in Jesus Christ.

Heaven is a place of great glory, splendor, mystery, and presence, of eternal rest, perpetual peace, a heavenly home, a blessed eternity, a joy unending.  We should live every day as if we were preparing for that part of our journey, and for the distant shores that await us beyond the heavenly interim.

Psalm 29.1, 2, 10, 11 (Toulon: I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art)
Give praise to God, you children of the earth!
Tell of His strength, proclaim His glorious worth!
Give to the Lord the glory due His Name!
Worship in holiness; His grace proclaim!

Sovereign, the Lord sat o’er the raging flood;
Sovereign forever rules our gracious God!
God will His people bless with strength and peace:
Lord, may Your holy Word to us increase!

Show me a glimpse of the glory and beauty of heaven, O Lord, that I may desire Your presence there more than my life here.

Get to know your coming home
Our workbook, The Landscape of Unseen Things, provides 24 studies to help you become more familiar with that realm of glory where Christ reigns enthroned. These exercises can lead you to clearer and more consistent setting your mind on the things that are above, where Christ is (Col. 3.1-3). The Landscape of Unseen Things is suitable for individual or group study. Order your copy by clicking here.

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T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.