Articles
The Importance of Heaven
If you ever visited another country, you know how intriguing it can be – Different language, different culture, different sights, different smells, different food. It is all wonderfully fascinating. But while there, you are always aware of the fact that you are not from there. And you are not actually living there. You’re just visiting. In fact, it doesn’t need to be another country for that to be the case. Any trip away from home causes the same emotions. And with most trips away from home, even after wonderful vacations, we are usually happy to be home again.
In (Philippians 3:17-4:1), Paul tells us that, as Christians, our whole life is to be viewed like this. Paul tells us in verse 20 that: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, we live here on earth, but we are just passing through, on our way home. And our true home is in heaven. That is where our citizenship lies, and we are eager for our Lord to take us there. So, it makes sense that we discover everything we can about our eternal home. I have heard some claim that there is very little written about heaven in the Bible. That idea doesn’t seem to line up with reality. I have read that out of 7,957 verses in the New Testament, almost 5 percent instruct us to place our hope in heaven. For perspective, there are about 150–160 verses on Hell and some 30–40 verses about marriage. So, even if these stats are half right, the hope of heaven is described more commonly than we might think.
What about us? If someone asked us to describe heaven, would we have anything to say? And would what we say confuse people, leave them still wondering, or cause them to long for such a place? Is our picture of heaven clear, or vague and fuzzy?
Heaven is a very important and practical topic. Over and over again it is the reward held out to the faithful, especially those who are suffering and struggling in difficult circumstances (Matthew 5:12 “for your reward in heaven is great”; 2 Corinthians 4:17 “an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison”). The hope of heaven is what kept many people going in past ages (Hebrews 11:13-16).
Paul highlights the importance of heaven in Colossians 1:3-5: “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love of that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” -ESV This translation is not off. In using the word “because” Paul is using a preposition which indicates causation or reason. Paul grounds their faith in Christ and love and his thanksgiving in the Colossian church’s hope laid up for them in heaven. Make no mistake. The subject of heaven was (and is) that foundational. It’s that important.
More to come in future articles.
-Scott
