Sunday, July 22, 2012

Belief in Heaven


I was recently counseling a couple that had lost a loved one and as I was talking with them about the memorial service it became apparent that their view of Heaven was not Biblical.

There had been some Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) influence in the family, which was unfortunate.  Unfortunate for this couple was now a little unsure about the Biblical teaching of Heaven.  This JW religion that they had been exposed to is one of the more harmful cults competing with Biblical christianity.  Jehovah's Witnesses appear and even claim to be Christian but are spiritually bankrupt.  In many ways they are the poster child for 2 Timothy 3:5, “having a form of godliness but denying its power”.  Paul finishes this verse in his letter to Timothy with good advice with respect to our dealings with those that adhere to Jehovah’s Witnesses teaching, “Have nothing to do with them!”

I believe that our belief in and about heaven has an impact in and how we live our life on earth.

For example, how are we to deal with trials and suffering?  The Apostle Paul said, "For momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison" (2 Cor. 4:17).

In essence the Apostle tells us that the knowledge of the glory of heaven provides a remedy to the trials of life.   Rather than grieving like the unbeliever over loss of property, relationships and life itself, we are to encourage one another.   We are to believe and act on the belief that there will be a time when the Lord Himself will bring in a grand finale that will usher in a time of being together with the Lord and our loved ones and those that have gone on before us.

Finally and in direct contrast to the teachings of the JWs, when we leave our bodies, when we die, we are immediately present with the Lord.   Paul was torn between two realities.  If he died, he would be with Christ (immediately, not after some undetermined time of soul sleep) which would be “better by far” (Phil. 1:23) or he could remain in his body and be of good use to those in his flock.

Understanding the reality of heaven and a faith and forever being with the Lord will change both our attitude about and our appetite for the things of this world. 

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