One of the things that worry some Christians about eternity is the idea of an endless and unchanging universe. Will we get bored? Will life become monotonous? One way to answer that question is by asking another: Are you bored now?
In his book, Orthodoxy, G. K Chesterton writes,
Children have abounding vitality. They are in spirit fierce and free and they want things repeated and unchanged. So they say, “Do it again”, and the grown-up does it again until he is nearly dead.
Grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon.
It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of youth.
For we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.
Jesus taught the disciples that they had already passed from death to life (1 John 3:14). He also said,
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)
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Isn’t that amazing? Sure, we know that the story is not yet finished. We have a body that awaits a resurrection. But, the statement still stands: We have passed from death to life.
What does that mean?
First, it means we have bypassed condemnation. The very thing that kept us from eternal life has been removed through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
There is now no condemnation. You are free. Free as the wind. Free as a bird!
Second, it means that the infinite has already invaded the finite. It means that eternal life has in some sense already begun to weave its wonder into our hearts right here, right now.
And if our delight is in knowing Jesus (for this is eternal life), then it will not be boring at all. When all is said and done, eternity will not mean less of what we have but more. More delight, more wonder and more alive than ever.
It will be the kind of life where children lay upon their bed each night, meditating on daisies, dumping waves and giant trees and whispering the prayer, “Do it Again, Lord!”
For those who trust in Jesus Christ and who know the one true God (John 17:3) it’s the kind of life that starts now.
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Hi David, thank you for another thought-provoking article. The sanctification process that we are going through as believers now – does that have an impact on our lives in heaven with our resurrected bodies? When Jesus returns and we are changed to be like him will we all be perfected and therefore it makes no difference how far we have come along in the sanctification process?
I hope that makes sense. Thanks
Hmmm, the short answer is yes. The thief on the cross had little time to “grow up” into maturity – he was catapulted into his maturity. The only impact I can think of will have to do with rewards.
2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us that we will all receive what is due for the deeds done in the body – whether good or bad. I imagine that the greater the sanctification (maturity), the greater the works we might expect to see.
1 Corinthians 3:12-13 also teaches that our works will naturally vary in quality and that these will be tested and refined with fire on the last day. So, we will all equally be perfected and all equally receive eternal life – but the sanctification that leads to perfection may look different on the last day when the books are opened.
Perseverance seems to be an important factor in that process of sanctification (Romans 2:6). Hope that’s clear, Nat.
I would also draw my answer from something Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. In this passage, Paul teaches that our life and service is to be built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. He goes on to say that what we build our lives upon (and the works we do, which is an aspect of our sanctification) will be tested by fire. If anyone’s work is burnt up he will suffer loss though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. The work that survives the fiery test will be rewarded.
So, while our salvation is safely in Gods hands, our works are something that involves our labour. In addition to receiving the “crown of life” (eternal life), the Bible promises to reward the labour that survives – though we don’t exactly know what that reward (our inheritance) or those rewards will be. (2 Corinthians 5;10; Colossians 3:23-24).