What Heaven Means To The Christian

The Christian has faith in the teaching of God's word that a better existence awaits him at the end of his earthly journey. He believes that man has a never-dying soul, and is confident that there is a land of rest for the righteous. He believes that he shall one day be with God and shall enjoy the bliss of a never-ending day. We might use one word to describe all this - heaven! What does it mean to the Christian?

It means a place to seek and find help from the hand of God. In this life our trials are many; they are difficult, if not impossible, to be borne alone. The Christian knows this, and he also knows where to go for help. He knows that he has the privilege of coming "boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16). One who is not a child of God does not re­ceive the help he needs, for he seeks it in the wrong place. He relies upon the help of self or of other men, and such is vanity (Psa. 60:11). The Christian may do as Jesus did. When in time of trial he sought the help of God (Lk. 22:42). The great apostle sought and obtained help from God (Acts 26:42). Does heaven represent to you a place of great help? If you are a Christian, it does.

To the Christian, heaven means the place of his real citizenship. The land of one's citizenship usually holds a special place to a person. Paul said, "our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20, ASV). The fact that one's name is "written in heaven" is cause for re­joicing (Lk. 10:20). This world is not the Christian's real home - he only treads through it for a short while, only temporarily abiding here. He is but a "stranger and pilgrim on the earth" (Heb. 11:13). Since he is but a "so­journer" here (1 Pet. 1:17) he must have another real home which awaits ­- and that is heaven (Heb. 4:9). To the Christian, heaven means the place of his citizenship.

Heaven to the Christian is an object or hope. One may ask, "why is hope so important?" Without hope, man is a miserable creature. Our journey here would seem futile were it not for heaven to look forward to. Paul talked about "the hope which is laid up for you in heaven" (Col. 1:5). The sinner is a piti­ful object from this view alone - he has no hope in his present state! We need something to stabilize us in time of trouble. We need, as it were, an anchor to keep us from drifting. God has gra­ciously provided us with such an an­chor, and the Hebrew writer calls it hope ( 6:19)! This is what heaven means to the Christian - the object of his hope.

To the Christian, heaven is where his treasures are. He does not spend time laying up earthly treasures. He knows that they are transitory - that if thieves do not steal them, moth and rust will corrupt them. His affections are not on earthly things, but heavenly (Col. 3:1-5). The child of God can look to a heav­enly repository where the things that really count are safe from harm. His possessions are not subject to corruption and thievery, for they are in the store­house of heaven! He has laid up in store "a good foundation against the time to come" (1 Tim. 6:19).

Heaven to the Christian is the place of his eternal home. Home! No words are sweeter than this to the weary, way worn traveler. It is a place whose builder and maker is God. It is a place where no tears ever fall; where no sor­row will ever come (Rev. 20-22). It is a place to which only the Christian has a key (Rev. 22:14)!

These are some things that heaven means to the Christian. Those who are yet of the world do not realize what the wonderful promise of heaven means. It has no meaning to them, and for them we feel true sorrow. But if one will obey the gospel of Christ and live his life in agreement with it's terms, he with all of like precious faith, can truly sing, "Heaven Holds All To Me ... " – Bill Moseley

 

 

 

Have you ever noticed how close some things are to others, and yet so far? For example, it occurs to me that all you have to do is add the "d" to "anger" and it becomes "danger." Or, when people ought to be "united," all at once they become "untied" - all you have to do is turn a couple of letters around. And how about old Satan himself? All he did was add the little word "not" to what God said to Adam and Eve (compare Gen. 2:17 with 3:4).

And so it is with life itself, especially in our relationship with other people. It doesn't take much to alienate the other fellow. Oh yeah, maybe he is too sensitive. But that alienation might not have taken place if you had just paused to say "thank you," or "I'm sorry." How much effort does it take to say these little things?

Why is it that we have trouble with the "little things;" things which have a way, if left unchecked or if we fail to do them, of turning into an avalanche of ill will that buries both us and the .other person? Lord help us to be aware of the "little things" in life that make so much difference one way or the other!

It's not the "big things" that are fixed that cause all the problems; it is the "little things" that go unfixed! Let's learn to be bigger than the little prob­lems that are divisive. - Bill Moseley