A question about Heaven

[Mountainmanbob]

Let's say a Christian who truly believes, but hasn't managed to help lead another soul to Christ. Would their reward be the same as one who led thousands of souls to Christ?

Probably not but, who knows?

We will cast our crowns anyway.
Most important -- getting in.

I do hope to work with water.
It's what I did while on earth.
Hopefully also in heaven.
But, all jobs will be good ones.
That's a radical change.

M-Bob

M-Bob

 

[renniks]

Not really. That word is Greek for a stage play actor. Intentionally portraying something or someone you are NOT.

Someone believing and trying to obey does not fit that definition.

Only if they are perfect, which no one is. I'm not saying they fit it all the time, but in reality, all the saints are also sinners sometimes, and being a poser is pretty much a given.

 

[A Realist]

Some folks are doing good works for the purpose of getting more rewards in heaven, and that's going about it all wrong. Don't put the focus on what you're gonna get, or how many crowns you'll receive, how big your mansion will be, or getting that "sweet job" in heaven. Do good because it's simply the right thing to do, heaven or not.

That's all I got to say about that.

 

[Silverback]

So when you’re in Heaven, and you’re remembering that loved one who is now suffering in Hell, it won’t bother you?

No, because remorse, pain, anger, and sorrow will no longer exsist, all those feelings entered the world through sin...there will be no sin.

 

[Emmylouwho]

No, because remorse, pain, anger, and sorrow will no longer exsist, all those feelings entered the world through sin...there will be no sin.

No, because remorse, pain, anger, and sorrow will no longer exsist, all those feelings entered the world through sin...there will be no sin.

Will you even still remember the people you once loved that aren’t in Heaven?

 

[Bro. Dave Gardner]

Dunno. I was responding to Bro David Gardner who said that leading people to Christ was better than making it to Heaven.

Well, that seemed to be Christ's attitude. And Moses's.

 

[Sorn]

Probably not but, who knows?

We will cast our crowns anyway.
Most important -- getting in.

I do hope to work with water.
It's what I did while on earth.
Hopefully also in heaven.
But, all jobs will be good ones.
That's a radical change.

M-Bob

M-Bob

Quite possibly you will be able to work with water, maybe God will grant you a few water worlds (or largely water worlds) that you can transform as you see fit.

 

[Sorn]

Assuming that revelation is more picture language than real, then the new heavens may be very very vast. Imagine if God says to you, see that galaxy over there, its yours, do what you want with it.
You'd be able to travel from the new earth to your part of creation quickly.

Of course, i'm sure rewards will come in many different ways, maybe special abilities, its all a wild guess.

But even being the least will still be far better than here. Also, all who are saved will be higher than angels.

 

[Bro. Dave Gardner]

So when you’re in Heaven, and you’re remembering that loved one who is now suffering in Hell, it won’t bother you?

No one will be suffering in hell:

 

[RaymondG]

How is being surrounded by lost souls who won't be saved, better than finally being in the life to come, resurrected, with all the souls who are saved by Jesus ?

Jesus left the joys of Heaven to be surrounded by Lost souls..... And we are to be like Him. There is great joy in trying to help those that are lost..... less joy in the desiring to be separated from those we deem not as holy as we are.

 

[joshua 1 9]

What if some people are remade more beautiful then others and have more riches?

No one is more beautiful. We will not have a physical body in Heaven, only a Spiritual body. The clothing we wear, our robe of righteousness will represent the life we live here on earth. Some people will have a better mansion, some will be better dressed. Some people want their rewards here on Earth. Others are willing to wait to receive their rewards in Heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full". (Matthew 6:2) Our giving is to be in secret and our reward is from God not man.

 

[joshua 1 9]

So when you’re in Heaven, and you’re remembering that loved one who is now suffering in Hell, it won’t bother you?

They have perfect understanding in Heaven. They understand God's plan and purpose for all of us in everything He does. God has impressed upon me may times that He is a God of perfect Justice. His scales are perfectly balanced and people will receive exactly what they deserve. The gift of God is eternal life: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans6:23) We do not earn a gift, a gift is freely given.

"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." (Rev 21:4)

The river of life washes all of that away. Even here on Earth the Holy Spirit can wash and cleanse us of our sorrow. We do not have to drink the stagnant water of dead religion.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Personally, I think we will know our earthly family members, and friends, and our earthly relationships to them. However, we will not be living as families, or as husband and wife. The family unit is part of the created order here on earth and serves many purposes, that will not be required in our next lives.

What it is that we will be doing for all time and eternity...no one knows, but we will have clear knowledge, joy, and happiness. It may sound strange, but I can't imagine spending to much time reliving our sinful, depraved lives we all led here on earth. I don't think lost loved ones will be forgotten by us, but there will be no years of pain, only joy.

If you don’t forget your unsaved loved ones while you’re in Heaven, then certainly you’d be aware that they’re being tormented. Do you really think you could know this and still be happy?

 

[Bro. Dave Gardner]

Dunno. I was responding to Bro David Gardner who said that leading people to Christ was better than making it to Heaven.

Eternal life and fellowship with Christ does not begin at Christ's second coming. It begins at a time of our choosing. It is the cake. The putting on of immortality and having close physical proximity to Jesus is the icing. We are privileged to sit with Him in heavenly places right now by virtue of His ministry to us as Sacrifice and High Priestly mediator through the power and presence of His Spirit. This is real stuff I'm talking about. According to our heart's desire, we are granted permission to be filled with all the fullness of Christ.

Mat 5:6 KJV Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

He will never leave us nor forsake us. He means what He says. He is not like a man that He should lie. His words, they are life. We dwell altogether too close to the ground. He bids us to come up, higher, and higher still.

The story is told of a great 19th century evangelist who, upon spotting an accomplished and acclaimed stage actor dining at a nearby table, pleaded with the waiter to somehow arrange an introduction. When they were finally seated together he anxious inquired as to how the performer was able to hold his audience so completely captive. Without hesitation, he answered: "My dear Reverend, it is quite simple, actually. We, of the theater, speak of fiction as though it were true, and you, of the tabernacle, speak of the true as though it were fiction."

 

[Sorn]

No one is more beautiful. We will not have a physical body in Heaven, only a Spiritual body.

But the spiritual body will be physical, remember, Jesus has such a body now and he was able to be touched and to eat and interact with the world as it is now, let alone what it will be.

'Spiritual' is just a word when it comes to the new body. It will be physical, just different physical than ours currently. It will probably operate on different physics and laws, its constituent parts will not be atoms like ours but something else, but it will be real.

 

[Bro. Dave Gardner]

We will not have a physical body in Heaven, only a Spiritual body.

Scripture does not teach this. It is an error which stems largely from a common, but gross misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians, Ch. 15, especially concerning the words translated "natural" and "spiritual, " which are assumed to be virtual polar opposites instead of comparative, as is the case with so many errors of interpretation of the Pauline epistles. The apostle Peter warned of the need for caution in this arena (2 Peter 3:16) but, alas, history has witnessed his warning largely unheeded. Christ Himself pointed to the attributes of His resurrected, physical body to validate His identity, but we somehow prefer the Hellenistic philosophical influences of the post-apostolic church to His words of life.

 

[Mountainmanbob]

Imagine if God says to you, see that galaxy over there, its yours, do what you want with it.
You'd be able to travel from the new earth to your part of creation quickly.

Of course, i'm sure rewards will come in many different ways, maybe special abilities, its all a wild guess.

But even being the least will still be far better than here. Also, all who are saved will be higher than angels.

Seems there is a size to Heaven mentioned?

Nope went looking and guess I was wrong?
M-Bob

 

[Bro. Dave Gardner]

Probably not but, who knows?

We will cast our crowns anyway.
Most important -- getting in.

I do hope to work with water.
It's what I did while on earth.
Hopefully also in heaven.
But, all jobs will be good ones.
That's a radical change.

M-Bob

M-Bob

For what it's worth, I can assure you that you will have opportunity to work with water beyond your wildest dreams.

 

[Emmylouwho]

Assuming that revelation is more picture language than real, then the new heavens may be very very vast. Imagine if God says to you, see that galaxy over there, its yours, do what you want with it.
You'd be able to travel from the new earth to your part of creation quickly.

Of course, i'm sure rewards will come in many different ways, maybe special abilities, its all a wild guess.

But even being the least will still be far better than here. Also, all who are saved will be higher than angels.

God gives people galaxies in Heaven? What would you do with it?

 

[Bro. Dave Gardner]

Seems there is a size to Heaven mentioned?

Nope went looking and guess I was wrong?
M-Bob

The New Jerusalem, the city of God which will come to rest upon the earth:

Rev 21:16 AKJV And the city lies foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

375 miles cubed. (smallest interpretation--assuming he measured the circumference)