NOT LEAVING YET
Daniel Valles 1/20/09   www. informedchristians.com

As a Christian, what is your perspective and attitude throughout your life, activities, career, and family? What are you hoping to accomplish? What are you trying to do? What are you planning to do now for eternity? How does eternity shape your present day decisions?

The reason I ask these questions is because I find a number of Christians who are so caught up with going to Heaven, that they seem to have lost focus that they are still here. For example, I've met with Christians and the church where the overwhelming majority of the songs that they sing are about Heaven. That's great. I'm going there, too - someday.  Until then, I have an address and task down here.  Don't worry, I enjoy singing about Heaven every now and then, too. However, I've observed that many Christians sing them more as escape from duty. There is a thin line between Heaven as an escape from the sin and sorrow of this life and just living a carefree life waiting to go.  Yes, I am incredibly and overwhelmingly homesick for a home and land that I have never seen or visited. I've heard about it. But, I have to recognize that Heaven is not the end-all that most Christians and churches make it out to be.  What?! Heretic? 

Heaven is not the end-all on this side of eternity. It is the end-all on the other side of eternity. Heaven should not necessarily be forefront on our minds on this side; but, once in eternity, it will be near the top of the list. I say near the top because being in the presence of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ will be the preeminent factor in eternity. Everything spins off of that. Heaven, for example. Our relationship and service down here on earth will change our outcome in Heaven. Not every Christian will have the same degree of Heaven. Sure, all born-again believers, washed by the blood of the Lamb, will be there, but some will be squatting on a trailer-sized lot in a pile of ashes - especially if they were in too much of a hurry to get there that they neglected service and opportunities that were supposed to be accomplished prior.

In Philippians 1:23-24, Paul laments, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better..."  But he concludes with, "Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."  There is nothing wrong with having a yearning and desire to be with the Lord. It can be wrong, however, if it makes us lapse and negligent in what is needful. But notice, that he did not mention having a desire to be in Heaven - his desire was to be with Christ! The apostle Paul was willing to accept a delay in getting being with Christ (and also being in Heaven), to accomplish what God wanted Him to do.  He could do so because he had a servant's heart to see what needed to be done. A servant waits for his Lord's beckoning to a task. If a servant is too busy watching the time clock that he misses a call to duty, he is rebuked, not rewarded. Our reasonable task is more exigent and important than even Heaven.

Luke 12:37 warns, "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them."  Yes, we are to look for our Lord's return. Not necessarily as the end of our shift, but as the accounting and rewarding for what we have accomplished.  Matthew 25:21 says, "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." The joy in Heaven is not that we are in Heaven, but the joy will come from our service and how pleased our Lord is with us. No service; no joy. There is a reason Revelation mentions twice that He will wipe away our tears. There will be many tears at the throne for the wanton carelessness and lack of service and duty on our parts. Let us strive so that the joys will overwhelm the sorrows.

I Thessalonians 4:16-18 encourages us with, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."  Our greatest joy and hope in this life is not that we have a house in eternity - that is extra. Our greatest joy, the sum of all our yearnings and desires is to be with the One who died for us, Jesus Christ! That is the reason we are going to Heaven - to see Him!   

I John 3:2-3 exclaims, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." The culmination of life and everything on this side of eternity is driving us to the point where we will one day see Him! The verse doesn't say that when He appears we get to go to Heaven - the climatic point of His return is that we will be face to face with the Holy and True, the Just, the Ever living One, our Saviour, Redeemer, King, The Holy One of Israel, Son of David, the Bright and Morning Star - Jesus Christ.  The One in whom was never any sin nor guile.  At that moment, the little worms that we are will see Him and stand in His presence. Are you in a hurry now?

The passage in I John 3:3 emphasized that just knowing about our divine appointment, and that it is fast approaching, should drive one to "purifieth himself, even as he is pure." If Christians truly got a hold of what that great and glorious day would entail, I believe they would want to delay it for a couple more days.  There is a reason Jesus Christ warned in Luke 12:40:  "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." Are you ready? I don't think any Christian, can truly say they are 'ready'. But we should be in the purification process.  II Timothy 2:19-21 exhorts, "...the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

Heaven may be a Christian's final rest and destination, but it is only the background scenery for a magnificent fellowship and worship.  Let us strive so that our eyes are on our Saviour and Lord, to whom we will have to give account to one day. Let us endeavour that our Lord will say well done. Let us not not get caught up with the accompanying background glory or fringe benefits. That is not what eternity is about. If all you live for is just getting to Heaven, then there will be no "well done".  If so, you will wish that you had not left yet.

Maranatha (our Lord cometh).