August 1, 2001

  • #7 How We Will Relate to God

    bloomingrose[1]

    How We Will Relate to God

     

    We have been learning that heaven is the eternal dwelling place of God and all the redeemed of all the ages. It is a place where there is infinite perfection of body and soul, a perfect environment of love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and satisfaction. But now we come to the most glorious reality of heaven--our relationship to God.

    A. Our Fellowship with God - The first thing to note is that we will be with Him. Since God is the Supreme Occupant of heaven, being with Him is the supreme joy of heaven. We will have fellowship with the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

    1. Summarized - First John 1:3 defines salvation as having fellowship with God: "Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." When we become believers, we enter into communion with God. God's life becomes ours. We become so identified with Him that "the reproaches of those who reproach [Him] have fallen on [us]" (Ps. 69:9). His will becomes our will and His purpose our purpose. Even though sin hinders our walk with Christ on earth, the deepest part of our regenerated souls is united with the living God and in fellowship with the living Christ. Salvation brought us into communion--we can talk and commune with God. We pray to Him. We hear Him speak in the Word. He moves silently, providentially in our lives to reveal Himself. We enjoy real spiritual communion with God. But that communion is incomplete. Only when we are in heaven will we enter into full, unhindered fellowship with God.

    2. Supported

    a) John 17 - In John 17, our Lord's high-priestly prayer, He asks the Father to return Him to the glory He had before the world began. Anticipating the completion of His work on earth, He was eager to rejoin the Father. In verse 24 He prays, "Father, I desire that they also [all who come to believe in Christ], whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am" (v. 24). We often think about how much we long to be with Christ, but must also remember that He longs to be with us. Verse 24 supplies the reason for Christ's longing: "that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me." Christ wants us to see His glory--to see Him for who He really is. Yet we won't merely see Him; verse 24 says we will be with Him, which implies we will be participants, not mere spectators.

    b) John 14 - In John 13:36-38 Jesus says to His disciples, "'Where I go, you can not follow Me now [a reference to His impending death]; but you shall follow later.' Peter said to Him, 'Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.' Jesus answered, 'Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times.'"

    Then in John 14:1 Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled." He gave that exhortation because the disciples were troubled at the thought of His leaving them. He was their resource for everything. When they needed comfort, He comforted them. When they needed wisdom, He taught them. When they needed food, He provided it. In the three years they had been together, He had become their very lives. So He said, "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:1-2). We will be with the Father and with Christ in the Father's house. Everyone in heaven lives in the Father's house. There aren't many houses--there is one house, the dwelling place of God.

    In verse 3 Jesus says, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself" (emphasis added). Simply put, we're going more to a person than to a place. We will enter fellowship with God and His Son, and we will never leave His presence. Being with God is the essence of heaven. Heaven will be paradise regained but infinitely exalted beyond what Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden. We will enjoy unending fellowship with God. Since God is infinitely perfect, we will never grow bored of being with Him. Forever we will experience the unfolding glories of His infinite Person.

    c) Revelation 21 - In Revelation 21:1-3 John says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.'" The expressions "among men" and "among them" speak of God's intimate presence. God Himself will pitch His tent among men and dwell among them. The glory of heaven is that believers will forever enjoy the pleasure of God's company.

    B. Our Vision of God

    1. Actual observation of Him

    a) Explained - In heaven we will actually see the Lord. However, you may think of several scriptural statements that seem to contradict that. After all, God said, "No man can see Me and live!" (Ex. 33:20). John 1:18 says that "no man has seen God at any time" (cf. 1 John 4:12). First Timothy 6:16 declares that God "alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see." In Exodus 33 Moses asked God to show him His glory (v. 18). However, God explained that He couldn't show Moses His full glory, but consented to show him His back.

    It's true. God is inaccessible to mortal man. Indeed, He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13, KJV). So as long as we are tainted by sin, we can't see God. We will be free from sin in heaven, yet even in heaven we won't see God in His infinity because we will always be finite and therefore incapable of comprehending the infinite. Nevertheless we will see God in a way we can't see Him now. Now we see only a glimpse, like the disciples who saw Jesus pull back His veil of flesh on the Mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-9). They saw a little glow, but not the full blaze of God's glorious presence. Only a glorified, sinless person could endure that. Since our souls and bodies will be perfect in heaven, we will have a greater capacity to see God's revelation of Himself.

    b) Supported - Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The Greek verb translated "see" (hora[ma]o) speaks of a future continuous reality in an environment where we are continually seeing God. Kings of the ancient Orient secluded themselves from their people. It was a rare privilege to have an audience with a king. However believers will forever see the King of Kings!

    The psalmist said, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" (Ps. 42:1-2). He wanted to see God. Philip, speaking for all the disciples, said to Christ, "Show us the Father" (John 14:8). The redeemed have always longed to see God.

    In this life we see God not with the physical eye, but with the heart and mind. We see Him moving in history and in our individual circumstances. We see Him reflected in His creation, providence, and revelation. We see His grace, mercy, and love revealed in the work of His Spirit. But I believe that in heaven we will see God Himself with our physical eyes. In Exodus 33 God told Moses that he would be permitted to see His back. Contrast that with Revelation 22:3-5: "There shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face .... The Lord God shall illumine them" (emphasis added). God will turn on the light of His glory, and through perfect eyes we will see the very face of God. God is spirit (John 4:24) and spirit is invisible, so whenever God manifests Himself it is in the form of light.

    2. Spiritual comprehension of Him - I believe that in heaven believers will also see God with the eye of the mind. In other words, we will comprehend God. First Corinthians 13:12 says, "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known." I believe we will have an instantaneous awareness and knowledge of the fullness of God--as much as human beings have capacity for. So when Christ says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," He is referring not only to seeing God with glorified eyes, but with glorified minds as well.

    We will also see Christ. First John 3:1-2 says, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is." The day is coming when we will see Christ and be like Him. Seeing Christ and the Father will overwhelm and eternally awe us. But understanding that glory will enrapture our minds with delight forever.

    CONCLUSION

    David said, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" (Ps. 17:15, KJV). What really satisfies you? New clothes? A new job? A promotion? A new house or car? A great meal? A fun time? A vacation? David said his ultimate satisfaction would be seeing the face of God and being like Him. As Christians, our ultimate satisfaction should be to know and see our God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Heaven will provide us with that privilege--an undiminished, unwearied sight of His infinite glory and beauty, bringing us infinite and eternal delight. We can understand why Peter wanted to stay on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:4).

    In "My Savior First of All" eighteenth-century hymnwriter Fanny Crosby wrote:

    When my life work is ended, and I cross the swelling tide,

    When the bright and glorious morning I shall see,

    I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,

    And His smile will be the first to welcome me....

    Thru the gates of the city in a robe of spotless white,

    He will lead me where no tears will ever fall;

    In the glad song of ages I shall mingle with delight

    But I long to meet my Savior first of all.

    Those words have special significance--Fanny Crosby was blind. The first person she ever saw was Jesus Christ. What will be our relationship to the Lord in heaven? We'll see Him and be with Him. I hope that's your ultimate satisfaction.

    Pondering the Principles

    1. John 14 reminds us that Christ so longs to be with us that He is preparing a place for us. John's reminder should not only make us eager for heaven, but also motivate us to spend time with our Lord right now. Have you neglected spending time communing with Him in His Word and through prayer? Have other people or activities drawn you away from Him? Begin today reordering your time and priorities to do now what you will do for eternity--be with Him.

    2. First John 3:1-2 assures us that Christ will come for us. Verse 3 declares the appropriate response to His coming: "Every one who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." Your knowledge of Christ's imminent return should push you toward personal holiness. Pursue a study on personal holiness by tracing the words holy and holiness through Scripture, and look through books on the subject at your local Christian bookstore or library.

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