WE come one more time to the consideration of our adoption as sons which will take place at the second coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ. At this time we shall be brought to, and enjoy, the liberty of the glory of this wonderful relationship which will unfold in its entirety for us and upon us. We have considered last time the wonder of the fact that we shall receive a new, perfect, resurrection body; and looked at something of the blessing of this new body as it has been revealed in the Scriptures. The Scripture has more to tell us of what it means to live in this body in this heavenly environment, and this is what we are to look at now as far as we are able.

OUR HEAVENLY LIFE.

Life here on earth has always been hindered and upset because of our sinful flesh, and the bondage of corruption that has been placed upon our world due to sin. It is because of this that life on earth has so much pain in it, and even Christian’s groan, even though knowing the new life we have been created to in Christ. All will be different in the heavenly life.

There are passages that we can look at which help us to see what this life will be. There is Ephesians 5:26,27. Christ loved his church and gave his life for his church “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

This statement is given in the context of teaching concerning marriage, and it opens up to us a wonderful life in glory. The church, the saints, the believers, are the bride of Christ. He loved us as his bride when we were in degradation, sin and rebellion. He came into this world to claim us for his own, and so gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, giving his life a ransom for our sins. He did this that we may be beautiful in every way, in appearance and character as his bride for his enjoyment and glory and love. So he makes us holy, washing away all sin and defilement, and presents us to himself as a radiant bride without any blemish or stain, holy and blameless. This is our life in the heavenly glory. It is too glorious for us to imagine. We shall be free from everything that brings any blame or blemish on us in anyway. We shall be beautiful for Christ with heavenly beauty. And Christ has worked all this that we may be his beloved. There could be no greater and more blessed life and relationship than this, to dwell in perfect love and purity with Jesus.

This perfection in Christ is the purpose and end of all the working of Christ by his Spirit while we are here on earth. In Colossians 1:28. Paul says, “We proclaim him (Christ), admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” There is nothing more beautiful that heavenly purity. Christ is working in us to this end, that we may dwell in love with him for ever. In this world of sin, holiness and living in the enjoyment of fellowship with Christ is considered boring, and even unnatural. All that we see offered to people in this world has some flavour of sin about it. This is given to people because it is perceived as what people want to hear. For the redeemed of Christ, things are totally different and opposite. We have been given new life in Christ, and we long for this glorious heavenly life of love and purity, where sin will be no more. This will be what we shall know in the heavenly glory.

We have a vivid experience of life in glory given in Revelation 7:13ff - “Then one of the elders asked me. ‘These in the white robes -- who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

This is such a wonderful and blessed life. God will spread his tent over us. His loving protection will be over us for ever. Life will be one of pure joy, without any of those things which make this earthly life so painful. Christ will be our shepherd - what comfort and caring love is expressed in this. There will be no more sorrow, pain or tears. This is the life we shall enjoy in glory.

We have a similar description in Revelation 21:2-4. “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

This is the same glory. Everything which has soiled and spoiled life in the world will be done away, and the completeness of this glory is seen that death also will pass away, together with all the sorrow and pain death brings. Death came in because of sin, and as a result of sin. In this new order, the heavenly glory, death will be removed and all the pain that comes with death. There will be a more excellent return to what God originally planned before Adam sinned.

We need to dwell deeply on this wonderful truth, and fill our minds and hearts with it. So meditate that we know it is ours through faith in Christ. Then the sufferings of this world, and even pain and terminal illness will be able to be faced with courage and joy, because of this wonderful glory which is to come through Christ.

OUR HEAVENLY INHERITANCE.

For me this would seem enough, and there could be no more greater ecstasy than this, but the Scripture presents us with more. For me it is enough to know that in the heavenly glory I will be loved and have a place and be affirmed in love. I don’t feel I want any more glory. To be beloved of Christ and free from sin to love Christ with all my heart seems to me to be the height of blessing. However the Scripture goes further.

Paul tells us that a crown awaits us in heaven. In 2 Timothy 4:8 we read - “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on the day -- and not only me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” I am not sure I want any crowns so that I have authority to rule, although something like this is involved as we shall see in a moment. But there is something that I do crave with all my heart. The crown of righteousness surely is Christ’s declaration before all the hosts of heaven that his faithful people are not only righteous in his sight, but made righteous now and totally without any stain of impurity. This crown is not so much a crown of authority, but a crown of character and personal beauty. How I want this above all things, to be crowned with righteousness by my Saviour so that I know that I am owned and so am holy at last, and able to come into the presence of my Lord without shame. This crown is surely Christ declaring us to be his pure and holy bride, to be accepted and honoured and loved by all the hosts of heaven.

I believe this gives a right appreciation of what we read in Matthew 25:34. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance. the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’” Our inheritance is a kingdom, but it is Christ and God who are king, we just have this privilege of being by his side as consort. He has the authority, and we affirm that authority.

There is here a return to what was lost by Adam. Adam was given sovereignty over all creation. He named every living being. All creation gave honour to Adam. This he lost when he sinned and he lost it for all his posterity. It was impossible for him to retain it, because the corruption of his nature due to sin would have made him a very poor and cruel arrogant ruler. Now in a better way in the heavenly glory when the saints of God have been given the crown of righteousness, such exaltation is now again possible, but still under the authority and rule of Christ.

It is the revelation of this inheritance spoken of by Peter in 1 Peter 1:3ff that thrills me most - “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the last time.” Here is our inheritance which will be ushered in when Christ returns in glory. It is reserved now in heaven for us, and so absolutely sure. It is an inheritance that will be eternally glorious, because it can not be spoiled. It cannot be reduced in any way. It can not perish or cease to be. It is an eternal inheritance of wonderful glory.

OUR HEAVENLY ACTIVITY.

It may seem to some that this heavenly glory leaves us nothing to do and so will be unattractive. This is not so. We saw earlier in Revelation 7:15ff that we shall be before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. We shall be active in the service of God. We can not possibly appreciate what this service will be here and now, but it will not be idleness, but wonderful and satisfying activity to bring glory to God and enhance the glory of his throne.

Then in 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 Paul chides the believers in Corinth because they were resorting to litigation in the secular courts to settle their differences. He sees this as totally inappropriate in the light of the glory of what we shall be doing in the heavenly glory. Our glory will be that we judge the world, and even judge angels whatever this means. This is an exaltation beyond what we can conceive, but it is a fact of the activity in glory.

OUR HEAVENLY ENVIRONMENT.

There are wonderful revelations of this given in the Bible which show that the whole creation will enjoy and be part of this liberation. The creation is waiting for our liberation so that it may also know the liberation it has been looking for ever since it was subjected to frustration on account of Adam’s sin. Creation will be blessed in a marvellous way, and be returned to the harmony and peace Adam knew in paradise, and this is the environment that we shall live in and enjoy in heaven.

Look at Isaiah 11:6-9. “The wolf will lie down with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, and their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand in the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the see.”

The knowledge of the Lord is the beauty, peace and love of the Lord, and this will be the mind and heart of all creation, so there will be no more of the grief bound up in this present world, where the creation is fighting itself, and we are destroying creation.

You will find the same glorious vista in Isaiah 35 and in Isaiah 66:22-24. Then in Revelation 11:14,15 we have this glorious declaration that death will be no more. Death is the epitome of the suffering and pain of this world. In the heavenly glory it will be no more. This corruption will have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality.

CONCLUSION.