When do we go to heaven?

When do we go to heaven?

This might be a pretty good question.

At our church, our pastor has been preaching through the end of Revelation.  In our Bible study, we have been studying Matthew, and last week we did Matthew 24.  Most of the scripture I've been reading lately is about the End Times.

The End Times are not my favorite...

(1) Because they are scary to think about, and

(2) Because nobody really understands or agrees about how they will come to pass.

Back when God blessed me with a Bible study to lead, my ladies used to ask me about Heaven and the End Times, and it took me a long time to figure out what they were asking.  However, when I finally understood their question, I thought it was a good one.  Also, I did not know the answer.

Their question was:
If God makes the New Heavens and the New Earth after the end of time,
and if that is when He gathers the believers, living and dead, to join Him for all eternity in glory,
if that is when eternal life begins, then...

Where do we go when we die?  

At the point of death, where is a person?  When we stand around the casket at a funeral, is the person's soul in heaven or hell?  Or is the person somewhere else, awaiting eternity and the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20?

When do we get to heaven?

I think our assumption that, "You go to heaven when you die," comes from a number of origins.

First and probably most valid is the scripture found in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 from which comes the adage, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."  What scripture actually says is this:

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8, ESV)

That's Bible, and it's true, but it isn't completely clear, in my opinion.  Still, it does definitely suggest that when our souls leave our bodies they are immediately at home with the Lord.

Another source of this assumption is the story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16:19-31.  Lazarus, the poor beggar who suffered on earth, died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.  The rich man died and went to Hades where he was in torment and anguish.  Here, clearly, at the point of death the people were ushered into either comfort or punishment.  This story invites some questions, though.   First, is it a true, literal story, or is it a parable?  Jesus mostly told parables.  Second, this story -- even if it is a true, literal story -- happened before the death and resurrection of Christ.  Abraham was the great father, but would he still be, in the wake of the crucifixion?  Would people who die in our time still be ushered to the side of Abraham?  Perhaps.  (see Galatians 3:29)

There is one more thing that supports the assumption that we go to heaven immediately upon dying:  the deathbed stories of people who talk about taking Jesus' hand and walking up a tunnel into the light.  Some of them get partway there and return to tell about it.  Some of them speak of what they see as they are dying.  It is, certainly, an undeniably recurring theme from hospice rooms.

A person's understanding of how it all works will necessarily hinge on his interpretation of the End Times, and whether he takes a pre-, post- or a- millennial view of things.  I think I will try to do a lay-woman's explanation of the differences between these views over the course of the next few posts.  It's too much for today.

In the meantime, we can rest assured of one thing:  Jesus promises that His followers will enjoy eternal life with Him.  As God is faithful to His promises, we can bank on eternal life.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  (John 14:2-3, ESV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16, ESV)

 

Fear

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

1 John 4:18, NLT

I wrote a little bit about this once before.

It comes up again, because I've been going to a Bible study, and we've been forced to confront our weaknesses and where we need to grow.

I am a fearful person.  Here is a partial list of things I am afraid of:

• pain
• something bad happening to my children, any one of them
• something bad happening to anybody I love (family members and/or friends)
• heavy traffic
• driving on slippery roads with no visibility
• getting lost
• strange, unexplained noises at night
• big bills
• making mistakes
• being disliked
• being treated unkindly
• leaving something hot plugged in and turned on after I've left the house
• losing things
• being burgled
• cats
• cliffs
• deep, murky water
• getting stranded in the desert on a 108 degree day without water
• my furnace failing
• change
• did I say pain?

Unfortunately, I also have a vivid imagination, so at any given time, I could be imagining any number of disastrous scenarios in multicolored extravagant detail, giving myself a stomach ache, heart palpitations and damp spots under my arms.

I need God to help me overcome my fears.

Things I know are true, that should help me trust God and not be afraid:

• God loves me.
• God is sovereign.
• Nothing is impossible for God.
• Nothing happens without the permission of God.
• God loves me.
• God is for me (He's on my side).
• God is always with me; He will never leave me.
• Nothing escapes God's attention.
• God loves me.
• God is compassionate.
• God forgives us in Christ; He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
• God has a purpose for me, for my life.
• God will fulfill His purposes.
• God loves me.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

Psalm 56:3, NLT

Since he did not spare even his own Son 
but gave him up for us all, 

won’t he also give us everything else?

Romans 8:32, NLT

Give all your worries and cares to God, 
for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7, NLT 

I should not live in fear.  God knows everything that is going to happen to me, even before it happens, and He has it all under control.  Whatever He brings into my life, He will stand by and carry me through.  He is not looking to punish me.  I am His beloved child, bought with the precious blood of Christ.  Jesus already took my punishment.  I may need to be taught, disciplined, pruned so I can be more fruitful... but He is not out to get me, only to purify and perfect me for His purpose and His Kingdom, neither of which can fail.

His victory is certain, already accomplished at the cross.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21, ESV

Please God, help me not to be afraid.

My verse for the year

I figured out which verse I'm going to cling to this year.

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, 

so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. 

But take heart! 

I have overcome the world.”

~Jesus

This is both utterly realistic and perfectly, reassuringly hopeful:

In this world I will have trouble.
In Jesus I can have peace.
Jesus has already overcome the world.
I can be encouraged and full of confidence
(that's what it means to take heart)...
even though there will be trouble in this world.
This world is not my home.
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me, 
and where He is, I will someday be also (John 14:1-3).

You can have all this world, give me Jesus.

Exploring forgiveness some more

Yesterday at Bible study we looked at the parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matthew 18:21-35).

Here's a synopsis of the story:

A man owes the king millions of dollars.  The Greek says 10,000 talents of silver, which is equal to 375 tons of silver.  If the price of silver is $20/ounce (it recently dropped from $30 to $19), that would come to $240 million dollars, significantly more money than most people could earn in 100 lifetimes.  As a woman in my group pointed out, "You aren't going to Dave Ramsey your way out of this one."

The king calls in the debt and, of course, the man can't pay it.  Therefore, the king is going to do the fair and just thing: sell the man and his family into slavery to recompense the debt.

The man fell down before the king and begged for mercy, pleading for time to pay the debt.  The king felt pity for him and let him go, forgiving the debt.  The king told the man that he didn't need to pay back what he owed.  There was no possible way he could have, anyway.

Immediately after this, the man went out and found a fellow who owed him 100 denarii.  Apparently, a denarius was a laborer’s full day’s wage.  Supposing $40,000 is the yearly salary of a "laborer" and you break it down to daily wages: we're talking about $154 a day, figuring a five day week.  So this debt was something on the order of $15,400.  It's a significant debt, about the price of a modest car.  In a few years, you could "Dave Ramsey your way out of it," if you knuckled down, tightened your belt and worked hard.

So the man who has been forgiven a debt of $240,000,000, who had his slate wiped clean, who had received mercy for himself and his family, this very man goes out and collars a fellow who owes him $15,400 and calls in the debt.  He shows no mercy.  He will not wait.  He has the fellow thrown into prison because he cannot pay.

Other servants of the king saw what had happened and they were very upset about the injustice of what this man, this forgiven man, had done.  They went to the king and told him about it.

The king called in the man he had forgiven and said to him, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.  Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?"  (Matthew 18:32-33 NLT)

The Bible goes on to say: 
"Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart." (Matthew 18:34-35)

OBSERVATIONS.

observation #1
I once heard a sermon about how the sin we commit is measured most accurately by considering what we have transgressed against.  It's like how you would rather rear-end somebody's winter-rat car than somebody's brand new BMW.  It is not as disastrous to spill paint on the floor of the shed in your backyard as it is to spill paint on your great-aunt's antique Persian rug.  If you're going to break a window, break the windshield of your car, not the stained glass in Notre Dame cathedral.  The depth of a transgression is measured by what is required to make restitution.  If you spill a bottle of make-up on somebody's blouse, you can buy her a new one (or maybe you could even just launder it for her).  However, if you spill a bottle of make-up on someone's wedding gown an hour before she was supposed to walk the aisle, you are in a heap of trouble.

Notice that in all my examples, the offensive act is the same:  hitting a car, spilling paint, breaking a window, spilling make-up.  The offensive act is not the issue.  The object of the act is what determines whether it is a major or a minor offense.  Now consider that we have all sinned against an infinitely perfect and holy God.  This is like being $240,000,000 in debt to someone.  We are utterly helpless to make amends.  There is no way that we can make this right, nothing we can do to make up for our offense against perfect holiness even if we worked with all our strength for all our living days.

Yet, in Jesus, God forgives us.  Jesus paid the debt that we are helpless to pay, that we could never pay.  Jesus paid it for us, and we are free from condemnation.  "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1 NLT)

If we receive this forgiveness from Jesus, how dare we hold a grudge against a fellow human?  When someone wrongs me, he wrongs an imperfect person.  I am flawed by sin, and I myself have wronged people many times, both knowlingly and unknowlingly.  How dare I withhold forgiveness, when I have received so much?

Besides, for those who withhold forgiveness, God has torture and punishment in store.  It's a frightening thought, but it's what the Bible says (Matthew 18:34-35).  I don't think this means that you can lose your salvation by refusing to forgive someone.  I do think it means that if you staunchly refuse to forgive someone, you may not have experienced the forgiveness of God yourself, in which case you probably are not saved.  So be careful!

We need to meditate on what it means to be forgiven by God, the depth of what He has done for us, and the way in which He has done it: the death--in our place--of His only begotten Son.

observation #2
The characters in this parable threw themselves before their debtor and plead for mercy.  Mercy was granted in one instance and denied in the other, but in both cases, the person who owed the debt knew and did not quibble over whether he owed a debt; he just asked for mercy.   I think this indicates that we are absolutely without excuse if we withhold forgiveness from someone who asks for it.  

It is harder to forgive those who don't ask, who aren't sorry.  We need to forgive them anyway, but the results are not the same.  We can always forgive, because it only takes one to forgive.  We cannot always see a relationship reconciled, because it takes both sides to mend and heal.  Jesus extends His offer of forgiveness to the whole world from the cross where He died for all our sins.  However, only those who believe and receive His forgiveness will be given eternal life.  Similarly, we can offer forgiveness to those who do us wrong, but only when they come to us to receive our forgiveness can our relationships be healed and reconciled.  We do well to understand the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, and to do what we can while leaving the rest in the hands of God.

Jesus the humble

It almost seems wrong to call Jesus humble.  Jesus has absolutely no reason to be humble; He is the Almighty God of the Universe.  All things were created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

Yet, He is humble.  He is meek.  To be meek is to contain one's power and strength out of kindness and consideration for another.  Jesus is the very epitome of meekness.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. 
Be humble,
thinking of others as better than yourselves.  
Don’t look out only for your own interests,
but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
~Philippians 2:3-8 (NLT)

Jesus gave up His divine privileges and came to earth to serve men, to serve us.  He was not born a king or an emperor.  He was born in a barn.  He had a humble birth.

She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
~Luke 2:7 (NLT)

Jesus did not align Himself with the strong, mighty and influential.  He spent time with people whom others shunned.  He did not choose His friends on the basis of what they could do for Him, how they could help Him climb some ladder of success.  He had humble friends, humble relationships.  

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.  But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" 

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
~Matthew 9:10-13 (NLT)

Jesus didn't come to earth with a scripted agenda and a long list of tasks to delegate.  He didn't come commanding people around and expecting them to shoulder the grunt work while He sat on a throne and gave orders.  He spoke gently and shared the load.  He had a humble approach.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) 

After Herod executed John the Baptist (Jesus' cousin), Jesus tried to get away to mourn.  But even in the midst of His sorrow, Jesus had compassion on the crowd who followed Him.  He sympathized with their weaknesses and their longings.  He set aside His own needs: to grieve, to rest, to be alone.  Instead He served the masses, healing them, teaching them, and at the end of the day feeding 5000 people a banquet that He Himself miraculously prepared.  He had a humble attitude; He did not selfishly demand time to care for Himself, nor did He consider any form of service as too lowly for Him to perform.

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. 

They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!
~Luke 9:16-17(NLT)

There are many, many examples of how Jesus demonstrated humility while He was on earth.  For instance, I love the story of how He roasted fish over coals on the beach for his disciples' breakfast... after He had risen from the dead (John 21:1-14).  He had been raised from the dead and glorified; yet, after winning the ultimate victory over sin and death, after bearing the sins of the world and then being restored by the power of God Himself, Jesus was willing to cook for His friends.

But I will leave you with my favorite picture of the humility of Christ:

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.  So...

     Honestly, what would you expect to come next?  
     He has ultimate authority, 
     came from God, 
     is going back to God, 
          so...

he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 
~John 13:3-5 (NLT)

Jesus got down on the floor and washed his disciples' dirty feet with a towel that He was literally wearing.

How can you help but love Him? 

Jesus the Almighty

It is one thing to know that someone deeply loves you and wants to take good care of you.  It is one thing, a very nice thing, in fact.

It is another thing, and a better thing, to know that someone who deeply loves you has the absolute unlimited power and authority to be able to take good care of you.

Jesus loves me.  And Jesus has the power to take care of me.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, 
“Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 
So they got into a boat and started out. 
As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. 
But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. 
The boat was filling with water, 
and they were in real danger. 
The disciples went and woke him up, 
shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” 
When Jesus woke up, 
he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. 
Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. 
Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” 
The disciples were terrified and amazed. 
“Who is this man?” they asked each other. 
“When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”
 ~Luke 8:22-25 (NLT)

As a child and ever since, I have never been very afraid of storms.  Sometimes the power of the wind awes me, but I always seem to feel the power of God in the weather.  I cannot fear it with the abject terror that I have of things like dark parking lots, congested city bridges and youths of ill-repute sauntering down dubious urban streets.  Jesus controls the weather.  The wind blows where He sends it, and the rain falls when He tells it to fall.

When Jesus gives a command, even the wind and the waves obey Him.

Jesus is Almighty and able to take care of me in every situation that He allows into my life. 

Here we see Jesus commanding the weather, but the Bible also tells us that He controls the hearts of men.  I do not need to fear even the criminal who may be hiding in the dark parking lot, the crazy drivers on the bridge, or the youths in their low-hung pants.  God has perfect power over them, too.

Of course, I should still be careful.  Just as I should leave the seashore when a hurricane is rolling in, I should not place myself in situations where obvious danger lurks, just to test the providence of God.  But when He brings a storm, or another fearful situation, I can rest in the knowledge that:

1. He is omniscient.  He knows everything about everything that is happening to each of us, all of the time.
2. He loves me, and His heart is full of kindness and compassion.
3. He is omnipotent.  He has all the power and all the authority.  Nobody can thwart Him in caring for me, protecting me, and comforting me.

God has spoken plainly, 
and I have heard it many times: 
Power, O God, belongs to you; 
unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
~Psalm 62:11 (NLT)

Jesus the compassionate

I am having rather a bad day.

I needed to shop for health insurance on the national health insurance exchange.  That in itself is a bad day.

Then I found out that they've made dental insurance for children under 21... mandatory.  We have never purchased dental insurance, because we can do math.  When you add up the cost of the monthly premiums over 12 months, it far exceeds the cost of simply paying out-of-pocket for your dental care.

But now it doesn't matter.  If you have any kids under 21, you have to buy them a policy.  If you don't, they won't sell you a regular health insurance policy.  You can buy the dental policy from a different company, but you have to provide proof that you purchased it, or you can't buy health insurance.  And you have to buy health insurance.  This makes me want to scream and tear my hair out.  We are no longer free, people.  We are no longer free.  We are not allowed to make our own decisions anymore.  It's just a matter of time before we aren't allowed to read the Bible.  Mark my words.

So we must remember that Jesus is God, and that He is sovereign.  He loves us, and He already died on the cross to save us.  We are living in a non-permanent age, and the end of this age will come.  At that time, if our faith is in Jesus, we will be ushered into a New Heaven and a New Earth where there will be no more stress, no more sickness, no more pain, no more injustice, no more frustration and no more worry.  There won't be any more health insurance or even any need of it, and to that I say, "Hallelujah."

In preparation, we need to soak our souls in the Word of God.

We need to fall deeply in love with the Christ who gave Himself for us.

We need to shore up our confidence in the omnipotent God who rules the Universe, even though He often seems to let the evil side run with slack.  We must have faith that He has good reasons, and His purpose will stand.  He is wise, loving, just and almighty.  Evil will only continue for as long as He allows it to continue, and then it will come to a decisive end, like a millstone cast into the sea (Revelation 18:21).

We need to know the promises of God and trust in them, because it's going to get worse before it gets better and we need to stand firm through everything that comes.

It helps me to look at scriptures that expose Jesus' heart to me, places where I see His love, kindness and tenderness displayed.  This helps me to love Him and trust Him.  Here's one of my favorites:

Soon afterward 
he [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, 
and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.   
As he drew near to the gate of the town, 
behold, a man who had died was being carried out, 
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow,
and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.   
And when the Lord saw her, 
he had compassion on her 
and said to her, “Do not weep.”   
Then he came up and touched the bier, 
and the bearers stood still. 
And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”   
And the dead man sat up and began to speak, 
and Jesus gave him to his mother.  
~Luke 7:11-15 (ESV)


In this story,
nobody even asked Jesus to do anything.
He just saw,
was filled with compassion,
and acted.

He resonated with the woman's sorrow and hopelessness.
Not only had she lost her beloved son--
she had lost her only source of provision.
But Jesus came to restore the lost,
so He gave her back her son,
her hope,
her joy.

Jesus did not worry about the law that forbade
touching a dead body (Numbers 19:11-13).
Jesus did not make a big deal
about attracting attention,
but neither was He afraid
to step out in front of a crowd of people,
to halt a funeral procession
for the purpose of doing good.

Jesus had a tender heart for the widow
and He has a tender heart for us.
He longs to fill us with hope
and joy,
and He has the power to do it.

This is our Jesus, and we can trust in Him.

My day just got a little bit better.  Or maybe a lot.