Is Heaven Real?
If heaven is real, if it is the utopia that we hope for, if it is a place of eternal bliss in an immortal, powerful, spiritual body, then experiencing the uncertainty and trials that we face now is in fact a “light affliction” in comparison.
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17)
The way our “affliction” is “working for us” is simply that in order for us to get to heaven, we must be born into this “present evil age” and go through some time in this hell of a world in which we live that ends for us all in death. The path to heaven is through this "evil age" to be rescued AFTER we die to an "eternal weight of glory".
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (Galatians 1:3-5)
It is God’s “will” to do just that, and the means by which He does so is the return of Jesus the Savior to save us by resurrecting the dead.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Is heaven real? I don’t know for sure yet, but the Bible says it is and I have chosen to have faith in what it says. For there is no hope or comfort in the alternative.
“…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
Our hope and source of peace and comfort is that the Bible is true, that Christ has been resurrected, the first fruit, and the harvest of all mankind will follow…
“…Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17)
The way our “affliction” is “working for us” is simply that in order for us to get to heaven, we must be born into this “present evil age” and go through some time in this hell of a world in which we live that ends for us all in death. The path to heaven is through this "evil age" to be rescued AFTER we die to an "eternal weight of glory".
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (Galatians 1:3-5)
It is God’s “will” to do just that, and the means by which He does so is the return of Jesus the Savior to save us by resurrecting the dead.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Is heaven real? I don’t know for sure yet, but the Bible says it is and I have chosen to have faith in what it says. For there is no hope or comfort in the alternative.
“…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
Our hope and source of peace and comfort is that the Bible is true, that Christ has been resurrected, the first fruit, and the harvest of all mankind will follow…
“…Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)