“. . .denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and Godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”                 (Titus 2:12-13)

Of all the blessings the birth of Christ brings to us, the amazing hope we have in an eternity spent with Him must be among the best.  The composer of Silent Night added a great line when he wrote, “All is bright. . .,” for indeed our hope is as bright and as secure as the promises of God.  Jesus said, “Because I live, you shall live also,” and to ponder our future with Him, as His friend, staggers the imagination.

When we pass through this inevitable, annoying thing called death, we leave the rim of our world and enter a stunning future that knows no end.  We do not cease to be; our personalities are not obliterated.  Who we are as a person remains essentially intact and yet gloriously changed when all sinful influence is removed.  Our identity and character traits, our knowledge and skills honed to perfection, the spiritual gifts we were given, the graces (love, joy, patience) we have allowed Christ to develop in us—all these and more are transferable to, and needed in, the kingdom to come.  We will know, even as we are known.  We will re-join everyone we have ever known and loved and lost, who also knew Christ as Lord.

It’s true.  What we know about heaven is a bit scanty.  But, taken collectively, the words of Jesus paint a tantalizing picture that pulls at our heart and fills it with joy.  He talked about preparing a place for us, of unspeakable rewards for the faithful, of ruling and reigning with him forever, of being given “much” for our faithfulness with “little,” of being given authority to reign over 10 cities, or 5, or over “many things” and of endlessly serving our Great God.

Heaven will be an unimaginable experience of endless creativity on a scale beyond our words to describe, new responsibilities to assume with the whole universe as our workshop, and fellowship to enjoy with Jesus and his friends.  Based on our faithfulness in this life, all of us will be given vital work to do and service to perform, consistent with who we are and what are our gifts in this life. . .in a setting of surpassing joy.

Written about our “Blessed Hope,” the phrase from Silent Night is right on the mark:  “All is bright. . .”

I, for one, can hardly wait.

Don M. Hull (Copyright 2015)