Heaven Study

“Heaven—a Place Prepared for You?”

Study by Pr. Michael W. Wilson

In researching this topic, I have discovered that there are many popular and oft-repeated misconceptions about Heaven:

·      People just lying around on clouds

·      Everyone clad in white robes and sandals

·      Lots of harp music

·      Saint Peter guarding the gate (cf. “keys” in Matthew 16:19)

·      People transformed into angels

·      Mind-numbing boredom

·      Endless inactivity

·      Angelic choirs droning on interminably

·      Long mind-numbing charismatic-style worship services

I have learned that many people are pulled in two different directions when we talk about Heaven. In one way they hope to go there and look forward to it. However, in another way they dread it because of these kinds of misconceptions. Surveys show that even some evangelical, Bible–believing Christians secretly dread the idea of going to Heaven. They say that they might even prefer annihilation to spending an endless eternity sitting on a cloud playing a harp. However, the only way a person could come to such a ridiculous conclusion would be if he/she is biblically ignorant and has bought into the baloney from the world that Heaven will be boring and monotonous, just one long church service with endless preaching and choir concerts.

Well, I have good news for you if you are one of those people who has been dreading Heaven. The good news is that nothing could be further from the truth. Heaven will be exciting, beautiful, fun, satisfying, restful, stimulating, challenging, and delightful. One of my favorite passages is 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 where Paul says, “…but just as it is written, [quoting Isaiah 64:4 and 65:17] No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, ¹⁰ but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit” [in the Word]. Paul is telling us that the wonder and beauty and excellence of Heaven go far beyond the best that you can even imagine. In John 14:1-6 Jesus told His disciples that He was going back to the presence of the Father to prepare a place for us. He said, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  ² 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.  ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.  ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.”  ⁵ Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”  ⁶ Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” You can be sure that He wasn’t talking about just throwing something together. Jesus doesn’t make junk! That place He’s been preparing for us will be better than anything you’ve ever dreamed.

In this study I want to broaden your horizons about this place called Heaven. But what does the word mean? The Greek word is ourenós (ourhnos) and it is used in several different senses in the New Testament. In fact, the Bible speaks of three different heavens, three separate domains: 

First, it refers to the atmosphere around our earth, i.e., the firmament, the clouds, and the sky where the birds fly. This is often referred to as the “terrestrial heavens.”

·      Acts 1:9-11, “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  ¹⁰ And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.  ¹¹ They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?  This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven [or, the heavens], will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Notice that ourenós is used 4 times in these three verses.)

Secondly, heaven sometimes refers to what we call outer space, the realm of the planets and the sun, moon, and stars, as far out as we can probe. We refer to this as the “telestial heavens.”

·      Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

·      Psalm 19:1, “The heavens [the realm of the planets and stars] are telling of the glory of God; and the firmament [the earth and sky] is declaring the work of His hands.” 

Thirdly, the word Heaven is used to refer to the dwelling place and throne room of God Himself, wherever that might be. This is sometimes called, the “celestial heaven.”

·      Psalm 11:4, “The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in Heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”

·      1 Kings 8:30, “Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in Heaven, Your dwelling place; hear and forgive.”

·      Matthew 6:9, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.’”

·      2 Corinthians 12:2-4, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the Third Heaven.  ³ And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”

It is this last definition that interests us for the moment. You may have noticed that when I use the word with this last meaning I always capitalize it, following an ancient custom of theologians and Bible teachers. That is because Heaven is not merely a state of mind or state of being. It is not a concept or a dream. It is a place, just as surely as Boston is a place, or New York City. When I capitalize the word Heaven, it reminds me that it is as real as the earth I am standing on right now.

What is God’s dwelling place like? The Bible itself gives us some clues. The psalmist in Psalm 84 says, “How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord.” God, the Creator of all that is breathtakingly beautiful is not going to live in a dump, you can be sure of that. He is surrounded by beauty and majesty. It is going to knock your socks off when you see it! 

Just for a moment let’s recap some of the events that will lead up to God ushering in the Eternal State. Paul describes in detail what it will be like when Christ comes back to claim His Bride, the Church. That is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. When Christ comes in the clouds to call us home to be with Him, millions of people from all over the world will disappear from this earth in a moment of time. We often refer to this event as the Rapture, or the catching away of the Church. Following the Rapture there will be a 7-year period spoken of in Scripture as the Tribulation in which the Antichrist will arise and try to pass himself off as the Christ. Those 7 terrible Tribulation years will end with the glorious return of Christ in power and glory and the great battle that the Bible calls Armageddon, when Christ and the heavenly host will defeat the armies of the Antichrist that will come against Israel to try to destroy her. The Bible teaches that the Tribulation will be followed by the Millennium, the 1,000-year Kingdom when Christ Himself will rule and reign over the whole earth “with a rod of iron” from Jerusalem, seated on the throne of David, as foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures. 

But eventually we get to the good part, after Christ puts an end to sin and death and the grave. Satan and his minions will be judged and thrown into the Lake of Fire. The day will come when the earth will be cleansed, time will be swallowed up in eternity, and God’s children will be home at last, nevermore to be separated from Him or from one another.  

But I need to stop for a moment and clarify something.  If you died today, where would you go? That’s not a trick question. If you are a Christian and have received Christ as your Saviour and Lord, then you will go immediately to be with Him. The Bible says, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” wherever that might be. It would happen in a heartbeat, and you would simply awaken in His presence. 

On the other hand, if you are not a child of God then upon death you will instantly find yourself in a place the Bible calls Hades (or Sheol, or Gehenna). It is the place where unbelievers are held until the final Great White Throne Judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15. It is sort of like Hell’s waiting room. 

My point is that neither of these places is the ultimate dwelling place of either saints or sinners. The day will come as described in Revelation 20:13 when Hades will be emptied out and, after hearing judgment pronounced upon them, those who have rejected Christ will be thrown into Hell, also referred to as the Lake of Fire.

Believers, on the other hand, are also not yet at their destination. Upon death they go to be with the Lord, but the Bible makes it clear that the present Heaven is not the final Heaven. God is going to make “a new heaven [starry heaven] and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1) and He will make His abode with men, according to the last chapters of the Book of Revelation. It says that “the New Jerusalem will come down out of Heaven from God.” 

God has deliberately left us in the dark about some of the details. Oddly enough, the Bible reveals more about Hell than Heaven. I believe that is because the Lord is so intent on no one going there. The Bible says, “He desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.” We do know, however, that God is going to do an amazing “do-over” of this planet. Revelation also talks about a heavenly city called the New Jerusalem that apparently will come down and hover over the earth in approximately the place where the old Jerusalem used to be. The New Jerusalem is described in detail in Revelation chapters 21-22. According to Revelation 21:16 it will be enormous, approximately 1,500 miles cubed (= 1,500 miles X 1,500 X 1,500). The Lord Himself will inhabit it along with the people of God, and the angels will go in and out freely (see Revelation 21:24-27, “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ²⁵ On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. ²⁶ The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” 

It will be massive in size, and breathtaking in beauty! Yet there will be a perfect harmony between this marvelous city and the recreated earth over which it will hover. From the description in God’s Word, I have concluded that we will have free and unfettered access to both places. Perhaps we will live in one and play in the other. I don’t know, but it will be incredible! 

But do not just take my word for it. Look it up for yourself in Revelation 21. But just a word of warning—do not think that you are going to understand all this completely. We can read the descriptions in the Word, but we have nothing in our experience to which we can compare these things. In fact, the Bible tells us that we don’t have the ability to take it all in right now. Earlier, I cited 1 Corinthians 2:9 where the apostle Paul, quoting Isaiah, writes, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, ¹⁰ but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” That tells me that the best things I have ever tasted, the sweetest sounds I have ever heard, the most beautiful things my eyes have witnessed, and the most fantastic things my mind has conceived—all these experiences and imaginations fall far short of the reality of what awaits me in Heaven. It is better than anything we can imagine! 

As we already said, there are many popular ideas floating around out there about what Heaven is like. Sadly, most of them are wrong. But how is Heaven characterized in Scripture? That is more important.

A.   In the Bible Heaven is described as a real place, not imaginary.

·      John 14:1-3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  ² 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.  ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” 

B.   Heaven is described as a kingdom, with its King.

·      Matthew 18:1-4, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  ² And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, ³ and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  ⁴ Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

·      2 Peter 1:10-11, “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” 

C.   Heaven is described as a city, with its citizens.

·      Hebrews 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.  ⁹ By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for The City which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

·      Revelation 22:1-5, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, ² in the middle of its street.  On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  ³ There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bondservants will serve Him; ⁴ they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.  ⁵ And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” 

D.   Heaven is described as a country, with its laws and customs.

·      Hebrews 11:16, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” 

E.   Heaven is described as a home, with its happiness and security.

·      John 14:2, “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.”  

F.    Heaven is described as a resting place, with its contentment.

·      Revelation 14:13, Then, I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.”

·      Hebrews 4:9, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.”

G.   Heaven is described as an inheritance, with its possessions.

·      Colossians 1:9-12, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

·      1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  

Maybe you are thinking, “Wow! Heaven sounds like a cool place. Maybe I’ve been wrong in my opinions about it.” So, the next logical question is, “Who gets to go there? Who will be in Heaven?” Well again, let’s turn to the only legitimate source of information about Heaven, the Bible, the Word of God. What does the Bible tell us about who will be the residents of Heaven?

A.   God Himself will reside in Heaven.

·      Matthew 6:9, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.’” 

·      Isaiah 6:1-4, “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.  ² Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  ³ And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”  ⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” 

B.   The Lord Jesus will reside in Heaven.

·      Acts 3:19-21, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, ²¹ whom Heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”

·      Hebrews 6:19-20, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, ²⁰ where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” 

·      Hebrews 9:12, 24, “…and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption… ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” 

·      Hebrews 10:12, “…but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.”

C.   The angels will reside in Heaven.

·      Matthew 22:30, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in Heaven.” 

·      Matthew 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in Heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in Heaven.”

D.   The “redeemed” will reside in Heaven.

·      Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” 

·      John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” 

·      Revelation 21:22-27, “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  ²³ And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  ²⁵ In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; ²⁶ and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; ²⁷ and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” 

Frequently Asked Questions About Heaven

Frankly, I probably do not know a lot more about Heaven than you do. The answers I give here are speculative at best, although I hope, in keeping with the Word of God. I want to deal with some of the most asked questions, but keep in mind that my answers are subject to review and revision. But I hope they begin to make you homesick for that place Jesus is preparing for His children. 

Question #1: Will there be animals in Heaven?

I believe there will be, for at least four (4) reasons. First, God made a lot of animals, so He must like them too. Secondly, they give us tremendous pleasure, comfort, and joy and I cannot imagine Heaven without them. Thirdly, Revelation speaks of at least four horses in Heaven (Rev. 6), and according to 19:11 Jesus Himself will ride the white one. And fourthly, Eden was full of animals before the Fall, and I believe the New Earth, being basically a recreation of Eden, will have them too. But I do not believe that we will eat them.

Question #2: Will we eat and drink in Heaven?

I believe that we will. What would a Marriage Supper be without real food? And think about this—in the Garden, before Adam and Eve sinned, they ate all they wanted and enjoyed it. The glorified bodies that we will receive when we go home to Heaven will be like Adam’s body before the Fall. I believe that they will be capable of the same things we can do now, only better. We are an earthly people, specially created for terrestrial existence. I believe that we will eat for pleasure and for fellowship, not out of necessity. But there will be no gluttony and no heartburn J.  

Question #3: Where will we actually live? in the New Jerusalem or upon the new earth?

God went to a lot of trouble to make this physical earth a fit habitation for us. In Revelation 21:1-4 the apostle John writes, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” 

The new heaven and new earth mentioned here refer to the starry heavens, and our own planet with its atmosphere. Through man’s greed, destructiveness, and poor stewardship they are so messed up that God will have to do an “extreme makeover” on them to get them back to the way they are supposed to be, the way they were in the beginning before sin entered the picture. If you think the world that we have now is a beautiful place, just wait until you see what God is going to do next! 

Many people have a misconception of what Heaven is truly like. Revelation chapters 21-22 give us a detailed picture of the New Heaven and the New Earth. After the end times, the current heavens and Earth will be done away with and replaced by the new. The eternal dwelling place of believers will be the New Earth and the New Jerusalem. This is the “Heaven” on which we will spend eternity. It is the New Earth on which the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, will reside. 

Heaven, made up of the recreated earth and the incredible New Jerusalem will be a physical place in which we will dwell with glorified physical bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:35-58). The concept that Heaven is “in the clouds” is unbiblical. The concept that we will be “spirits floating around in Heaven” is unbiblical. The Heaven that believers will experience will be a new and perfect planet on which we will dwell. The New Earth will be free from sin, evil, sickness, suffering, and death. I believe it will be very similar to our current Earth, but without the curse of sin. 

Question #4: How will we spend our time in Heaven?

Do not make the mistake of thinking that we will spend eternity sitting around playing golden harps. Do not fall for that old malarkey! I find four mentions of harps in Revelation but there is no indication that we will all play them or that they will be an important part of our regular routines:

·      Revelation 5:8: Describes the twenty-four elders holding harps and golden bowls of incense, representing the prayers of the saints.

·      Revelation 14:2-3: Describes a sound from heaven “like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,” associated with a new song.

·      Revelation 15:2: Mentions those victorious over the Beast standing on a sea of glass, holding harps given by God.

·      Revelation 18:22: Mentions that the sound of harpists will no longer be heard in the fallen Babylon. 

I am certain that we will have plenty to keep us busy. Apparently, God is going to provide us with a new earth, similar to Eden. Before the Fall Adam and Eve had work to do, things to accomplish. I believe that we too will have jobs to do. But it will not be drudgery. Work will bring us joy and a sense of real accomplishment. I believe we will learn new things. In no place does the Bible lead us to conclude that we will have immediate knowledge that we did not have before we went to be with Christ. I believe that we will take classes, be instructed by angels, and maybe even go to demonstrations and seminars where the Lord Himself will show us how He made the mountains and the seas. We will learn, we will grow, we will be amazed repeatedly, finding never-ending reasons to praise God and marvel at His greatness.

Heaven will not be boring. It will not be an endless, monotonous church service. It will be life in Technicolor, sound in THX! We will have bodies that do not get sick, do not die, do not sustain injury, and do not have our present limitations. We will have minds that are not clouded by sin and pride and stupidity. We will be free to learn, to grow. We will not be plagued by the character faults that presently limit our ability to relate well to one another. There will be no sin, and therefore no jealousy, no mistrust, no envy, and no anger. We will not be plagued by sexual perversions that cause us to see people as objects rather than as amazing creatures made in the image of God.

We will make new friends. We will laugh a lot. We will not grow tired and weak and sickly. We will be able to develop the talents and abilities that God has given us and will do it all for His glory. Those who wrote good songs on earth will write even better songs and will sing and play them to the praise of God alone. Those who painted well will do it better, and their pictures will not be about human angst and pain, but about beauty, and majesty, and truth. I personally want to learn to fly. I am planning to sign up for a class. And I bet there will be one, with no long waiting list! 

Question #5: Can people in Heaven look down and see those of us who are still on the earth?

Hebrews 12:1 starts out, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...” Some understand the “cloud of witnesses” as being people looking down on us from Heaven, watching everything we do. I do not believe that is the correct interpretation. Hebrews chapter 11 records many people whom God commended for their faith. It is these people who are the “cloud of witnesses.” However, they are “witnesses” not in the sense that they are watching us, but rather in that they have set an example for us, and we should be watching them...they are witnesses for Christ, and God, and truth. Hebrews 12:1 continues, “...so let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” 

The Bible does not specifically say whether people can look down on us who are still on the earth. I would guess that they cannot. Why? One, they would sometimes witness us sinning, which would be distressing for them. Two, they would sometimes see things that would cause them grief, such as murders, car accidents, and natural disasters. Three, I believe that people in Heaven are so occupied with worshiping God that they truly do not care what is happening here on earth. The very fact that they are free from sin, in Heaven, and in God’s presence is enough for them to be happy. 

Question #6: Are there different levels of Heaven?

The closest thing Scripture says to there being different levels of Heaven is found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, where Paul writes, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” Some interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of Heaven. They claim that these supposed levels of Heaven are divided into a level for “super-committed Christians” or Christians who have obtained a high level of spirituality, a level for “ordinary” Christians, and a level for Christians who did not serve God faithfully—A students, C students, and D students, so to speak. 

However, Paul is not saying that there are three Heavens, or even three levels of Heaven. Paul was saying that God took him to the “celestial” Heaven, the realm in which God dwells. The concept of different levels of Heaven is foreign to Scripture. There are different levels of reward in Heaven (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5), but only one “level” of Heaven. 

Question #7: Will there be marriage in Heaven?

The Bible tells us in Matthew 22:30, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in Heaven.” This was Jesus’ answer in response to a question concerning a woman who had been married multiple times in her life. To whom would she be married in Heaven? Evidently, there will be no such thing as marriage in Heaven. This does not mean that a husband and wife will no longer know and love one other in Heaven. This also does not mean that a husband and wife could not still have a close relationship in Heaven. What it does seem to indicate, though, is that a husband and wife will no longer be married in Heaven, at least not in the sense that we understand marriage today. There is no purpose for marriage in Heaven since there is no procreation or loneliness. 

Question #8: What will we look like in Heaven?

We are not told exactly what we will look like in the next life, as to what age we will appear to be, nor if we will look thin or fat. But while many believe that we will bear some resemblance to what we look like now (based on the analogy that each seed bears its own type of plant, i.e., a corn seed produces a corn plant, for example; see 1 Corinthians 15:37-38), we do know that in whatever ways our appearance or health has been altered as a result of sin (whether because of overeating or not eating right, hereditary malformations, injuries, aging, etc.), these traits will not be carried over into our appearance or health in the next life. More importantly, the sin nature, inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12) will no longer be with us, for we will be remade after the likeness of Christ (1 John 3:2). Because we have this sure hope in Christ in the next life, we are encouraged to purify ourselves now, even as He is pure (1 John 3:3). 

Question #9: What age will everyone be in Heaven?

The Bible does not specifically answer this question. Will babies and children who die still be babies or children in Heaven? What about elderly people who die, do they remain elderly in Heaven? First, everyone will be given a resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). Of that, I am sure. My guess is that infants and children will be resurrected as an infant or child but will be allowed to grow up in Heaven until they reach the “ideal age,” whatever that is. However, they also may be “fast-forwarded” to the “ideal age”, just as those who die at an old age will be “re-wound” to the ideal age. I do not think there will be any people with elderly bodies in Heaven. But what is the ideal age? Again, I do not know, because this concept is not specified in Scripture. I would guess around 30. Some guess 33 since that is approximately the age Jesus was when He died. 1 John 3:2 declares, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 

Question #10: Will we have physical bodies in Heaven?

I believe that we will. The key text for this is 1 Corinthians 15:35-50. Verse 49 tells me that we will have a body like Jesus’ resurrected body. And Jesus, after His resurrection, invited His disciples to touch Him and to watch Him eat, demonstrating that He was not merely a spirit (Luke 24:37-43). Rather, I believe that a natural body is that which is fitted for this present life in our present physical universe, whereas the spiritual body we will possess will be that which will best suit us for the eternal existence we were destined for in Christ in our eternal abode. Jesus’ resurrected body could enter locked rooms at will (John 20:19). Thomas, in John 20:27 physically touched the body of Christ following His resurrection. Our earthly body limits us in ways (and/or dimensions) that our spiritual body will not. 

We can expect that all believers’ resurrections will be like that of Christ’s. What a wonderful truth! The Bible is not specific, but it seems that we will be able to eat, for example. John, in Revelation 22:2, writes of his vision of the eternal state where he saw “in the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.” This seems to be a reversal of the Genesis 3 punishment where Adam and Eve, and hence all of mankind, were banned from eating from this tree. As for hunger and thirst, it appears that there will not be any.  Isaiah 49:10 says that there will be no hunger or thirst in the Millennial Kingdom. This is speaking of mortal men during that period, not of translated saints, but by extension it can be said that if mortals on earth during Christ’s Kingdom do not hunger, then surely there will be no hunger or thirst in Heaven (see also Revelation 7:14-16). 

Finally, Job, in Job 19:25, states that he knows for sure that even after he dies, and his skin is long gone, that “…in my FLESH I shall SEE God.” 

1 Corinthians 15:43 also describes the transformation from “sown in dishonor” to “raised in glory.” Philippians 3:21 says that Jesus “...will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body...”  I believe that our decaying bodies are described with the word “dishonor” because they bear the mark of the results of sin. We can all likely picture in our minds the lungs of one who has ruined his health through smoking, or a brain that is no longer able to form complete thoughts because of drug abuse or Alzheimer’s disease. In the same way, the decaying physical body is the direct result of man’s sinfulness. Had there been no sin, there would be no decay and death (1 Corinthians 15:56). But God, through Christ’s transforming power, will raise up His children in Christ with new glorious bodies, no longer bearing any effects of sin, being completely free from the ravages of sin and possessing the glory of Christ instead.

Question #11: Will we remember our earthly lives when we are in Heaven?

Isaiah 65:17 quotes God as saying, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Some interpret Isaiah 65:17 as saying that we will have no memory of our earthly lives in Heaven. However, one verse earlier, in Isaiah 65:16 the Bible says, “…For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.” It is likely only our “past troubles” that will be forgotten – not all our memories. Our memories will be cleansed, redeemed, healed, and restored – not erased. There is no reason why we could not possess many memories from our earthly lives. The memories that will be cleansed are the ones that involve sin, pain, and sadness. Revelation 21:4 declares, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

Question #12: Do we become angels after we die?

Absolutely NOT. As I read the Bible, angels are beings created by God (cf. Colossians 1:15-17). In this passage Christ is the agent of creation (Colossians 1:12-17). Angels are entirely different from humans. They are God’s special agents to carry out His plan and to minister to followers of Christ (Hebrews 1:13-14). 

Humans are created in the image of God to serve and enjoy Him forever. Adam and Eve represented all humanity. They, however, yielded to Satan’s temptation, sinned, and thusly needed God’s redemption. Eventually, Christ came – “God with us” – “the God-man” – to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, namely provide us forgiveness and eternal life through His death and bodily resurrection. Those who accept Christ as Savior, receive Christ’s new life, resurrection life, along with Christ indwelling them spiritually. 

Eventually, the physical body of the believer in Christ will die. What happens then? The spirit or personality of the believer goes to be with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8). The believer does not become an angel. It is interesting that both Elijah and Moses were recognizable on the Mount of Transfiguration. Perhaps believers take on a temporary “body” while in the presence of the Lord after death while awaiting the return of Christ. 

Question #13: Will there be such a thing as gender in Heaven?

Matthew 22:30 possibly speaks of people after the resurrection not participating in marriage—they become “like the angels.” However, this does not mean people are genderless. The masculine, not neuter, pronoun is used many times to describe angels (and HE was like...HIS appearance was like, etc.). So, there is no real indication that the angels are genderless beings. Nor is there sufficient evidence to conclude that all angels are masculine.  There may be female angels.  We simply do not know. There is nothing in the Bible that indicates people will lose or change sex in eternity. Remember that gender is not bad, it is a good thing. God created Eve because Adam needed someone to complement him. Marriage (impossible without different genders), the model relationship between a man and a woman, is a picture of Christ and the Church. The Church is the Bride and Christ is the Groom (Ephesians 5:25-32).

Although it is not explicitly taught in the Bible, it seems most likely that people retain their gender after death. Our genders are a part of who we are. Gender is more than physical—it is part of our very nature and part of the way we relate to God. Therefore, it seems that gender will be perfected and glorified in eternity. I think it is also worthy to mention that Jesus retained His gender after His death and resurrection. 

Question #14: Will we be able to see and know our friends and family members in Heaven?

Many people state that the first thing they want to do when they arrive in Heaven is see all their friends and loved ones who passed on before them. I do not think this will be the case. Yes, I do believe we will be able to see, know, and spend time with our friends and family members in Heaven. In eternity, there will be plenty of time for that. However, I do not think that it will be our first, nor primary focus in Heaven. I believe we will be far more occupied with worshiping the Lord and enjoying the wonders of Heaven than with visiting in the neighborhood, though that will be wonderful too. 

What does the Bible say about whether we will be able to see and know our loved ones in Heaven? The Bible declares that when we arrive in Heaven, we will “be like Him [i.e., Jesus]; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Just as our earthly bodies were of the first man, Adam, so will our resurrection bodies be just like Christ’s (1 Corinthians 15:47). “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:49, 53). Many people saw and recognized Jesus after His resurrection. So, if Jesus was recognizable in His resurrection body, I see no reason to believe that ours will be any different. 

Question #15: Can people who commit suicide be saved and go to Heaven?

Simply, yes, despite the centuries old teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that suicide is a mortal sin that automatically damns the soul to hell. There is no biblical support whatsoever for that teaching. But we must recognize that people who commit suicide are not in full control of their reason and thus are not fully responsible for their actions. Suicide is a dreadful mistake, of course, and a terrible thing. It has been described as “a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” But the only thing that locks Heaven's door to a person is their rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior. 

Sadly, sometimes even believers become so depressed and sad and lonely or so mentally ill that they will take their own lives. It is always tragic and brings terrible pain to those left behind, but contrary to popular belief, nowhere in Scripture is suicide even mentioned, and furthermore, nowhere in the Bible is it ever declared to be a sin, although I personally believe that it is. Suicide ignores the notion of God’s sovereignty and the recognition that He is the Giver of Life. For that reason, we should submit ourselves to Him regarding the time when our life shall end. He is the One who measures out our days. I do not believe it is our prerogative to decide to end our lives and show up in Heaven early. 

CONCLUSION:

This brings me to one last question. When you die will you go to Heaven? Or if you should live long enough to see the Lord when He comes back for His Bride, when the trumpet sounds and the angel shouts, will you go with Him, or will you be left behind? The Bible is clear that only those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will go to be with Him. Salvation is not based on good works, religious sincerity, or blind faith. It is by grace, through faith in Christ alone. Lots of people have faith in lots of different things. But if you have your faith pointed in the wrong direction then you are simply deceived. The Bible says in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved.” 

Make no mistake. If you reject Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are also rejecting Heaven and all the joys that await the child of God. You will not be there! You will not live to see it. You will condemn yourself to an eternity in Hell separated from Christ and the loved ones who have put their trust in Him. The choice is simple. The choice is clear. Heaven is a real place, but so is Hell. Both will be populated for eternity. What will you do with Jesus today? Your decision will determine where you go on that day.

Here is one more Scripture for you. This is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.  “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep [i.e., who have died trusting in Christ], so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we, who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” 

The doctrine of Heaven is not intended to frighten you but to thrill you. Heaven will be better than anything you can envision or imagine. It will be intensely beautiful, exciting, challenging, and never boring. It will be a place of joy and laughter and fun. There will be no tears. There will be no sorrow. It will never grow old or become commonplace. Remember, God does not make junk, and Jesus has already invested 2,000+ years preparing a place for you, and you do not want to miss seeing that! 

1 Peter Study #11

“Living in Light of the Master’s Return”

1 Peter 4:7-11

Study #11 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

Some people work better when they are under a deadline. They need that added pressure to get them up and going and motivated to accomplish their goal. Just having a doomsday date marked on the calendar is the extra push that they need. I’m one of those people, or at least I used to be. In college I was just way too busy with working two jobs, dating, going to classes, etc. Writing assignments and final projects had a way of sneaking up on me. But seeing the due date marked on the calendar with flames and arrows around it helped to motivate me to make time to get the work done, to quit procrastinating and get down to business.  

TRANSITION:

In our text for this study Peter reminds us that the time is short, that Jesus could come back any day now, and we don’t want to be caught napping or goofing around. As Christians we have been commissioned by God to carry out certain responsibilities, to fulfill certain missions. We have been given our orders, but no timeline has been given, no deadline spelled out. For some of us that takes away the sense of urgency to stay busy doing the will of our Father. But Peter reminds us that the Master will indeed return. In fact, it might even be today, or tomorrow. We don’t know for sure, but he urges us to get back to work and quit lollygagging around.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 7: The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.  

• “The end of all things is near” – Peter and the rest of the 1^st century Christians believed that the end of the world was near and that Jesus would soon return to take them home to be with Him and to judge the wicked. This was especially true of those who were experiencing persecution for their faith and their testimony. They kept questioning, “When, O Lord, will You appear and free us from our suffering?” But here we are, 2 millennia later, and Jesus has still not returned. This has caused some people to doubt the promises Jesus made and the veracity of the Scriptures. Peter himself will address this issue in 2 Peter 3:9. Listen to his explanation: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” The apostle Paul weighed in on this question as well, in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  
• “…therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” – None of us knows when Jesus when will return or when the world will end. We just know, by faith, that these events will occur in God’s own perfect time. Throughout the centuries believers have been encouraged to live every day as if this might be THE DAY, their last day on earth. Peter says, “therefore, be of sound judgment.” That means, “keep your head about you and don’t run off half-cocked and act stupidly, thinking that Jesus is going to show up any minute.” We are enjoined in Scripture to live wisely, soberly, redeeming the time, making every minute count for the Kingdom, and buying up every opportunity to share the Gospel. But we should not be like those early Adventists who sold their houses and properties and went out to the fields in their white robes to await His appearing. No, we are to keep busy, going about our work, being faithful every day with the intention that if He should come today, He will find us working in His harvest field, doing what He has told us to do.
• “…be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” – The knowledge that Jesus could return today should drive us not to frenzy or fear but to increased serious, watchful prayer, preparing our hearts and minds for the return of Jesus Christ. But this also means carefully watching ourselves and keeping an eye on the world around us, constantly measuring our readiness for Christ’s return.  

Verse 8: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

• “Above all…” – Peter’s words here remind me of what Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12-14. In that context Paul is urging the Colossian believers to “put off” the old sinful works of the flesh and to “put on the new self” since they are new creations in Christ. Then he come to verses 12-14, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” These words, “beyond all things” means over the top of all the other layers, the way we put on an overcoat as the last piece of clothing, tying the whole ensemble together, being the most visible garment because it is the one on the outside. Paul lists a bunch of beautiful Christian virtues that should identify each one of us. Each one is like a layer of clothing. But then he says, “Above all these, beyond these, over the top of all these” put on love which unifies the whole outfit.
• Here in 1 Peter 4:8 our friend Peter is saying the same thing, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another.” In other words, make love the priority in dealing with people, especially those in the Family of God. And “keep fervent” means to stay intent, earnestly, persistently, not giving up. Peter uses the Greek word ἐκτενής (ektenēs), which literally means “stretched out.” Some people are hard to love, so it stretches us. We really have to work at it. Sometimes it stretches us almost to the snapping point. We reach out thinking we’ve reached about as far as we can go. But Peter comes along and says, “Stretch a little farther, love a little more. Come on, you can do it.”  
• “…because love covers a multitude of sins.” – Indeed, this is true. When we love someone, we can overlook many of their little character flaws, foibles, and idiosyncrasies. Married people must learn this if they want to have a long happy marriage. Otherwise, they will pick each other apart like fighting cocks. The same holds true in the Body of Christ. We are all imperfect people, beloved of God, and in the process of being made perfect. But that process will only reach completion when we walk through Heaven’s gate. Meanwhile, we must learn to love one another, warts and all, and to forgive one another’s imperfections. In a loving church fellowship, many small offences, and even some big ones can be overlooked or forgiven and forgotten. But if there is a lack of love, every action and every word can end up being misunderstood and causing division in the Body.

Verse 9: Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 

• “Be hospitable to one another” – The Greek word for hospitable is φιλόξενος (philóxenos), which literally means “loving guests or strangers.” If you love guests and are fond of having visitors into your home and serving them, then you just might have the spiritual gift of hospitality, which is absolutely wonderful. But how about those of us who don’t have that particular spiritual gift? We sweat bullets at the thought of people dropping by without advance notice, for fear that they’ll catch us at a bad time when our house is a mess. Here Peter makes this a command, an order. Whether or not we have the gift we are commanded to practice hospitality toward one another.
• “…without complaint.” – Moreover, we are to practice hospitality without moaning and groaning about it. Peter says, “Stop you bellyaching! Just do it!” Even if your home is plain and simple, and maybe even a little messy, if it’s filled with love and the presence of the Lord Jesus it can be a refuge from which to minister to other people. And if we are really being honest, our discomfort at the thought of someone seeing our home in its “natural state” is really just an issue of pride. We worry about what people will think of us if they see our things in a mess. That’s our pride showing and we need to confess it to God and repent of it.

Verse 10: As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

• “As each one has received a special gift,” – This letter was written to Christians, so the “each one” must be understood to mean “each believer.” Peter is not applying this to humanity in general. Non-believers do not receive spiritual gifts from God.
• “…has received a special gift,” – This passage goes hand and hand with Paul’s teaching about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14. According to God’s Word every true Christian has received at conversion at least one spiritual gift or special enabling, graciously given by God through the Holy Spirit, to enable us to serve God and to edify and bless others in the Body of Christ, the church. Some have tried to take all the various N.T. passages that teach about spiritual gifts and compile a master list of all the possible options. Then they hold classes and seminars with surveys and questionnaires to try and figure out exactly which gift a person might have. I don’t find that helpful. I believe we discover our gift(s) through serving in the Body and observing what gives us joy and results in fruitfulness and blessing.
• “…employ it is serving one another” – To “employ it” means to “use it.” Like muscles that need exercise lest they atrophy, spiritual gifts need to be put to work for them to fully develop and grow strong. And Peter is specific in saying, “use them to serve others.” The spiritual gifts are not little treasures that we can hoard and hide away, just taking them out once in a while to admire them. They are not like Gollum’s “my precious.” No! They are to be used primarily to bless and help and serve others in church.   
• “…as good stewards” – Stewards are trusted servants that have been put in charge of the safety and wise investment of their Master’s wealth and possessions. The main qualifications for a steward are honesty, wisdom, selflessness, diligence, and faithfulness. In the context, Peter says that we should demonstrate these qualities in our service toward members of the Body of Christ.   
• “…of the manifold grace of God.” – This phrase describes what we are stewarding. God has graciously given us gifts to pass on to others. We are to be conduits through which the grace of God can pass on its way to others. Unfortunately, more often than not we see ourselves as reservoirs or storage tanks where the grace just accumulates, blessing no one but ourselves. In describing the grace of God Peter employs the adjective ποικίλος (poikílos), which means “many colored, variegated.” It’s the word that describes the flashing colors that can be seen from the facets of a diamond as it reflects the light. The grace of God comes in endless variety, but it is all beautiful and awesome to see and experience. You and I are to be stewards of this grace, looking for ways to share it with others that they might be blessed and that the church might be edified.

Verse 11: Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  

• “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;” – Continuing with this topic of spiritual gifts, Peter gets into some specifics. Spiritual gifts seem to fall into two categories: (1) speaking gifts, and (2) serving gifts. Into the first category we might put gifts like preaching, teaching, exhortation, prophecy, and evangelism. The serving gifts are things like hospitality, administration, mercy, helps, giving, faith, discernment, etc. One is not better than the other, they are just different. All the gifts have the same goals: to glorify God, to bless and strengthen believers, and to build up the church. Here Peter urges those with speaking gifts to always remember that they are to be speaking God’s eternal truths, not their own thoughts and ideas. It is an awesome weight of responsibility to be a preacher of God’s Word and to stand behind a pulpit to declare, “Thus saith the Lord.”
• “…whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;” – Likewise, those with serving gifts must recognize that they must serve in the Lord’s strength, and not their own. God will supply the strength to do the work that He has called us to perform, but we must learn to rely on Him and to do it in the “power of His might.” If we try to serve in our own strength the results will be anemic and fleeting. When we rely on Him the results will last and continue to bear fruit.   
• “…so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,” – Here Peter lays out the goal for all the gifts; namely, that whether we speak or serve we do it all to the glory of God. In this Peter is in perfect agreement with Paul words in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”    
• “…to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – Peter gets carried away with the awesomeness of this thought, that we have the privilege to serve the King of kings and Lord of lords. That kind of servitude is not drudgery, is not tiresome, and is not demeaning. It is an honor of the highest order. This thought leads him to offer up a paean of praise to the Father and the Son.

CONCLUSION:

If you were told by your doctor that you only have one week to live, maybe less, how would that information change your schedule over the next few days? Would you do anything differently? Is there something you would stop doing? Are there things you would definitely do as priorities? Would you change your diet? Are there letters you would write, or phone calls you would make? Are there people you would thank? Are there financial loose ends that you would tie up?

In these verses Peter is urging us to begin living as though our days were numbered, as though we were really in the Last Days, because in fact, we might just be. None of us knows when Jesus will return. It could easily be today. He urges us to use every opportunity to love others and to serve them while we still have a chance. Believing that the time is short he encourages us to look for ways to show kindness and to minister to others in the Body through kind words and loving deeds, using our speaking gifts and our serving gifts to benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, I ask you again, if you knew that Jesus was going to return a week from Friday would that fact change your schedule, your calendar, your agenda, your priorities, and your to-do list?

To be honest there are things I have put off, sins I have not confessed, people I have not spoken with, issues I have skirted around, and forgiveness I have not asked for, always procrastinating, thinking I still have plenty of time. Now friends, if you’ll excuse me, there are some things I need to go deal with.

1 Peter Study #10

“Living in the Light”

1 Peter 4:1-6

Study #10 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

Unlike some of the other New Testament letters, First Peter does not have a clear, single overarching theme. But if I had to pick a theme, I think it would have to be “Holy Living in a Blighted World” or something like that. But in the letter Peter deals with several important topics, touching on subjects he thinks his readers need to understand in greater detail. A simple outline of the letter looks something like this:

A.    Peter’s introduction and greeting (1:1-2)

B.    God’s amazing mercy and our sure salvation (1:3-12)

C.   Believers required to live holy lives (1:13 - 2:3)

D.   Word pictures describing who we really are (2:4-12)

1.    A spiritual house (2:4-8)

2.    A chosen people (2:9-10)

3.    Aliens and strangers (2:11-12)

E.    Living in submission to authority (2:13 – 3:7)

F.    Instructions about suffering (3:8-17)

G.   Imitating Christ’s example (3:18 – 4:6)

H.   Instructions about living in the End Times (4:7-11)

I.      Sharing in Christ’s sufferings (4:12-19)

J.     Exhortation to pastors and elders (5:1-4)

K.    General exhortations to all believers (5:5-11)

L.    Peter’s purpose in writing the letter (5:12)

M.   Peter’s closing and goodbye (5:13-14)

TRANSITION:

What was your life like before you came to faith in Christ? Were you a down-and-out sinner, living it up in the world, doing anything and everything that suited your fancy? Or were you more of a “goody two-shoes,” raised in a quiet, religious family, mostly shielded from worldly influences and never getting involved in deep sin? Did you become a believer as an adult or as a child?

I can remember as a kid sitting in testimony meetings in church, usually in Sunday night services, when the opportunity was given for anyone to share their testimony. The stories ranged from A to Z, from the most lurid accounts of people who turned to Christ out of awful circumstances, to others who were raised in Christian homes and “accepted Jesus” at age 7, never having tasted of the world’s forbidden pleasures. I remember hoping that I too would someday have an exciting testimony to share. Those seemed, by far, to be the most interesting ones.

I have since learned, and Peter would agree, that there is no merit in having a hair-raising, shocking testimony. In fact, blessed is the person who never plumbed the depths of sin and fell prey to the lying promises of the world, the flesh, and the devil. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,  

• “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose” – We are called to have a similar commitment to Him, that is ready to endure suffering for the sake of the Gospel. This is what Jesus was talking about when He told us that anyone who would come after Him must take up his cross and follow (Matthew 16:24). Taking up the cross means absolute commitment without looking back. However, many believers are defeated in the battle against sin because they refuse to sacrifice anything in the battle. We want easy, painless victories. But the Master calls us to have the kind of attitude that is ready to make personal sacrifices in the battle against sin.
• “…because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,” – Peter is not saying that those who have suffered for Christ and the Gospel have somehow become sinless. Suffering does not produce sinless perfection. But it does separate the sheep from the goats. Suffering for the Lord seems to have a purifying effect because it weeds out the fake Christians from the true believers. It was true of the persecution of early Christians in Jerusalem. It was true in the time of the Roman persecution. It was true during the Spanish Inquisition. It is still true today in places like North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan, the 10 most dangerous places for Christians in the world today (in order). People who have physically suffered for Christ have a much more focused Christian life. They no longer have time for, or interest in, the worldly pleasures that call out to the rest of us.    

  

Verse 2: …so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

• “…so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh” – I see two possible meanings here: (1) Since Peter seems to be talking in this section about the Last Days and how Christians should live in light of Christ’s return, he might be speaking about the “rest of the time” before that blessed event. Peter might have been thinking, “Jesus is coming back soon so we should make the most of the time we have left.” That would make sense. Or (2) Peter might be referring to the time that the individual suffering believer has left before the Lord takes him home. Personally, I think this second option makes more sense in the context because it ties in directly to verse 1.
• “…no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” – This whole section is a call to godly living and a break from our old manner of life. As unbelievers our natural inclination was to follow the desires of the old life, to chase after whatever made us feel good and gave us a thrill. That’s how we were before we met Jesus. We were dominated by the worldly cosmos, our selfish sinful flesh, and demonic temptations. But we have been changed by the grace and power of God. We no longer are bound to follow the lusts that are common to men but now we can live to do the will of God. We are no longer slaves, but free, free to honor God and do what He created us to do.

Verse 3: For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 

• “For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles” – What does Peter mean by this? He’s saying that we have already had plenty of time to sow our wild oats and live like senseless, unthinking beasts. He is using the word “Gentile” as a synonym for “unbeliever.” His point is that now it’s time to get serious about living for God rather than living for ourselves. We’ve tasted what the world has to offer and discovered that it leaves a bitter taste and a massive headache. Peter is urging all of us who claim to be Jesus-lovers and Jesus-followers to grow up and cowboy up and take our stand with the Lord Jesus to live for God, to live like real Christians. He is urging his readers to stop being double-minded and start living in a way that is pleasing to God. Sadly, many Christians seem to think that they have not spent enough time experiencing what the world offers. They want to experience just a little more of the world before they fully commit. But this is a tragic mistake and is a path that leads to heartache, guilt, brokenness, and estrangement from God.  
• “…having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.” – This is not the first time in this letter that Peter has urged us to refrain from sin.

o   1 Peter 1:14-15 – “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”

o   1 Peter 2:11-12 – “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. ¹² Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles [i.e., unbelievers].”

·       “…having pursued a course of [sins]…” – This is one word in Greek, namely poreuo (πορεύω) which means “to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one’s journey.” The tense of the verb (i.e., Perfect Middle Participle - Accusative Plural Masculine) implies that this described the person’s old life, his old habits over an extended period of time. Peter is not talking about a one-off sin, but a pattern of sinning, a lifestyle. “Pursuing a course” implies choice, planning, and determination.

·       “…sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.” – This is an ugly list of ugly sins. They are all sins of the flesh, sexual and sensual. The first word on the list translated as “sensuality” is the Greek word aselgeia, ἀσέλγεια, variously translated in the N.T. as “unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, or insolence.” It means to live without any sense of moral restraint, especially regarding sexual immorality and violence. This word pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the words on the list.

 

Verse 4: In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;

• “They” vs “you” – I want to point out the interplay of these two words in verses 3-5. The “you” includes Peter’s readers including those of us who are still reading his words today, nearly 2,000 years after they were penned. “You” refers to believers. But now look at verses 4-5. He switches to talk about “they and them.” To whom is Peter referring? He refers to unbelievers, specifically perhaps to the ones who knew us before we came to faith in Christ and were converted, but it could refer to unbelievers in general. There are many different ways to categorize humanity: males vs females, educated vs unlettered, Western cultured vs Eastern cultured, etc. But another way to look at the world is… those who know Jesus vs those who do not know Him, believers vs unbelievers, Christians vs non-Christians. This is the distinction that Peter is drawing, and it echoes what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14 – “But a natural man [i.e., an unbeliever] does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” People of this world in their natural unconverted state cannot relate to people like us. They cannot figure out what makes us tick and it drives them nuts. They do not understand why we no longer like the things we used to like, laugh at the dirty jokes we used to laugh at, go to the places where we used to go, and do the things we used to do. They accuse us of “getting religion,” being “holy joes,” and thinking we are “better than other people.”
• “In all this…” – Refers to this whole situation of no longer being the same people that we were. Knowing Jesus changes you. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul tells us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” This blows the minds of unbelievers.
• “…they are surprised that you do not run with them…” – They are surprised, because they just don’t get it. If fact, they are incapable of truly understanding it. They cannot grasp why you don’t want to run with them anymore.
• “…into the same excesses of dissipation” – For the Christian, life can be divided neatly into two parts: (1) B.C. = before Christ, that is, before knowing Him as Savior and Lord; and (2) A.D. = Anno Domini, in the year/time/epoch of Christ’s lordship over my life. Once that change happens, that miracle occurs, we no longer are the same person, and we no longer are satisfied to do the things we used to do. The old sins aren’t fun anymore. The old places don’t attract us anymore. The old crowd doesn’t make us laugh anymore.
• “…and they malign you;” – Because they don’t understand you and have no explanation of what they observe, they speak evil of you. That’s what “malign” means. It is the Greek word, blaspheméo (βλασφημέω) and it means “to speak reproachfully, to rail at, to revile, to calumniate, or to blaspheme.”

Verse 5: …but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  

• The day is coming when every unbeliever will stand before the Righteous Judge to give an account of his or her life. That will happen at the Great White Throne Judgment spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15. Listen to what God’s Word says about that awful day: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Verse 6: For the Gospel has for this purpose been preached, even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

• This is not a simple, clear, straightforward statement. This becomes obvious when you see the various ways that it has been translated into the various versions.

o   NKJV = For this reason the Gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

o   NLT = That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

o   NIV = For this is the reason the Gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

o   ESV = For this is why the Gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

o   CSB = For this reason the Gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards.

o   AMP = For this is why the good news [of salvation] was preached [in their lifetimes] even to those who are dead, that though they were judged in the flesh as men are, they may live in the spirit according to [the will and purpose of] God.

·       To make sense of this verse we must view it in its context. Peter has been talking about the fact that Christ suffered and died for us physically (i.e., in the flesh) so that we might become spiritually alive now and also to live with Him in the spirit forever after we die. By His physical death on the cross He has given us spiritual life and the power to live as overcomers. Therefore, we are no longer slaves to the flesh. For this reason, in verses 1-5 Peter urges us to live godly lives following Christ’s example rather than live the way we used to live before we were saved. He calls us away from that old life to live as new creations in Christ.

·       In verse 6 Peter turns around and looks backward at what God has been doing for a long time. “For the Gospel has for this purpose been preached, even to those who are [now] dead,” The Gospel has always been preached for the same purpose: namely, that men and women might repent of their sins and turn to God for salvation. That’s why Noah preached. That’s why the prophets preached. That’s why Jonah preached in Nineveh. In 1 Corinthians 1:21 Paul says, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”

·       That is true of people down through the ages, those who are long dead, but who heard the saving message in their own time. The Gospel was preached to them so that even though they passed through physical death, which is the fate of all men, they would spend eternity being spiritually alive in the presence of God. Or as Peter puts it, “…that they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.” God’s will, God’s plan has always been and will always be to save sinners through the preaching of the Gospel about His Son, Jesus, who bore our sins on the cross.