I CAN ONLY IMAGINE | Northstar Church

“No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.” – Hebrews 12:22-23

Ever spend a few moments trying to imagine what heaven will be like?

Many people picture heaven as a never-ending church service in the sky. Or they think we will all become angels who float around on clouds playing harps for the rest of time. Neither of these makes eternity seem very appealing. And both are completely inaccurate according to the Bible because we simply cannot grasp just how glorious and full of grandeur heaven will be. Imagine the joy as we live in the presence of God and fellowship with each other.

One of the most fascinating glimpses we have of heaven is in Hebrews 12:22-23, a passage that provides a list of heaven’s inhabitants. We’re going to spend eternity with God, with His angels, with the Old Testament saints, and with Christians through all the ages. Can you imagine being in an environment like that? There will be no misunderstandings. Our relationships will be open, honest, interesting, loving, and uncomplicated by sin or our sinful natures. We will dwell with God, the angels, and one another in perfect compatibility and refreshing intimacy.

We will all be together in heaven. It won’t make any difference when we lived on earth. Imagine meeting or talking to people whom we’ve only read about in the Bible or in books. Imagine meeting Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Imagine having all the time we wanted to talk to Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, or Billy Graham. Or meet with missionaries such as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor, and Amy Carmichael.

No matter how many people we meet, the experience of meeting them will pale in comparison to the wonder of being with God. God’s greatest gift to us is now and always will be nothing less than Himself.

C.S. Lewis once said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” Heaven should always be in our line of sight because this world is not our home. Our true citizenship is in heaven. Focusing on heaven should free us to give to and serve others far more than when we are focused on the things of this world.

Heaven is our future home. That’s where our citizenship is; we’re only travelers on earth. A lifetime here will seem like a mere breath compared to the time we spend in eternity. Whenever you read a Bible passage that describes some heavenly scene or activity, put yourself in the picture, because if you accepted Jesus as your Savior, one day you walk through those gates, step on that street, and come face to face with Jesus.

Discussion Question:

Do you spend time reflecting on what lies in store for you after this life? Do you understand and more importantly own your heavenly citizenship?
Reread 2 Peter 3:10-15: What is going to happen to the earth and everything that goes on here? How should this knowledge shape our lives now?