Heaven, A Permanent Place  PRO

Heaven, A Permanent Place

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going... I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:1-4, 6)

In this text we read that Jesus twice referred to Heaven as being a place. The Holy Spirit later moved the apostle Peter to give us additional revelation about the place where the born again Christian will spend eternity. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us 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." (1 Peter 1:3-4) Peter gives us truth in this portion of Scripture that will take an eternity to fully grasp. One powerful truth is that we will be living face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father forever. There is no greater privilege given to man.

Peter reveals something else worth meditating on as we consider our inheritance of eternal life. It will "never perish, spoil or fade." It will last forever. All that God gives us as we minister with Him throughout eternity will stay with us. There is no threat of losing anything or of losing the blessing of His presence. Once the child of God is received into heaven, their inheritance is sure and imperishable. It will not age, deteriorate or die; there will not be even a seed of corruption within it. This inheritance will never spoil or be defiled. Our resurrected bodies will never be polluted or corrupted with sin again. Residents of heaven will not need to pray for those who are sick or dying. Pharmacies and hospitals will be nonexistent. Accidents will not happen. No tears will ever be shed again over a lost loved one or over lost possessions.

Note that Peter tells Christians that this is a "living hope." The word "hope" here is used differently than the way we normally think of hope. For example, many students have graduated high school and gone on to college "hoping" to graduate in four years or so. This is only an expression of a strong desire to attain a certain goal. These people have no absolute certainty that they will be able to do so, for they may be forced to sit out a semester or year because of financial hindrances, health needs, or...