Think Well About Heaven

Saints, do you ever think about heaven? Do you spend time imagining what the new heavens and new earth will be like? Do you consider what the forever-pleasures at God’s right hand will be like? Do you think much about heaven?

Paul thought much about heaven. In fact, heaven dominated his thoughts. In Philippians alone, Paul says, ‘My desire is to depart and be with Christ which is far better’ (Philippians 1:23). That’s a Christ-centered way of saying, I long for heaven. Later he says we are citizens of heaven (3:20). And he describes his whole life as a sprint toward the finish line of ‘the upward call of God’ (3:13–14). That ‘upward call’ is the heavenward call — the summons to come further up and further in. Clearly, the hope of heaven consumed Paul’s thinking. Why? Because he thought well about heaven. 

Saints, if we learn to think well about heaven, we will not be able to avoid thinking much about it. Paul himself teaches us how to think about heaven when he says,

“No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10)

This means heaven will be better than the best things we experience now, better even than the wildest joys we can imagine. Everything now is but a taste test, echoes of the music, bright shadows of the far better country to come.

So I take Paul’s statement as a challenge because it means I can look at every good thing now and every good I can imagine, and I can say of it, “Heaven will be this, but better.” Saints, I exhort you to think well about heaven by enjoying all the good things in this life now, imagining the best possible version of them, and saying, this but better. 

Let me apply this way of thinking well about heaven to three of the best things we enjoy now:

1. This body but better.

In heaven, we will enjoy new bodies. If we have allowed the world to shape our view of heaven, that may sound strange, but we must be careful not to be more spiritual than God. He hand-crafted our bodies. He called them very good. And by taking on human form, he forever hallowed the body. And so we will have bodies for eternity. New bodies. Better bodies. Bodies with glorified senses. Bodies without disease or pain. Bodies like Jesus has (Philippians 3:21). And so when you enjoy your body at its best now in eating and sleeping and sex and running and sports and singing and hugs and work and laughter, imagine this body but better.

2. This Earth but better. 

Biblically heaven is shorthand for the new heavens and the new earth. In the end, heaven is not the opposite of earth; heaven is earth redeemed and remade and married to the new heavens. Oh, that is good news because the human heart is haunted by the longing for what was lost in Eden. We are homesick for the garden-city because God created us to enjoy God’s presence with God’s people in God’s place. A place Jesus went to prepare. An earthly place with glorified trees and mountains, with unfallen culture, with music and apricity and the smell of bacon. 

The new earth will be just that — new, but not utterly different. When this earth is renewed, no good will be finally lost, no beauty obscured, no truth forgotten. And so every time you encounter a glimmer of the gigantic glory of God here, think to yourself, this earth but better. But of course, the place is nothing without the person.

3. This joy in Jesus but better.

Friends, we enjoy Jesus now. We are, after all, Christian hedonists. But in heaven, our joy in Jesus will deepen and sweeten and blossom. Our happiness in him will increase forever in every conceivable way. Why? Because we will see Jesus face to face. Our God will dwell with us bodily, and then we shall indeed gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. This is the beatific vision, which will certainly be more than physical but not less. Saints, one day — with these eyes — we behold the smile of Jesus and our new knees will bow on a new earth and we will join in the cosmic praise of Christ with new tongues. Can you imagine that? 

If you can, then you are beginning to think well about heaven. Brothers and sisters, we cannot hope for what we do not desire and we cannot desire what we have not imagined. Therefore let’s exercise our imaginations to think well about heaven. Heaven will be like this, but far better. 

Father, you are faithful and good. In your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. That is the hope of heaven we long for — the wonderful way of life purchased by your Son and revealed to us by your Spirit. And yet so often we never even think about it. We are distracted by so many trifles. Forgive us and convict us now in this time of silent confession.