Friday, December 3, 2021
Far Better
“I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23 NLT).
I don’t know why, but I can still remember the lyrics to the theme song for The Beverly Hillbillies. In the sitcom, the main character, Jed Clampett, was a poor widower who became a millionaire and moved to Beverly Hills. Jed and his family went from a not-so-great place to a wonderful mansion.
In the same way, when believers die, we move from tents (our earthly bodies) to mansions. The apostle Paul wrote, “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23 NLT). Heaven is so much better than Earth.
We’ll go from broken, aging, sinful bodies to new bodies that God ultimately will give us. And we’ll go into His presence. That means no more Devil, no more temptations, and no more sinful inclinations.
Not only that, but when we go to Heaven, it’s immediate. The moment you take your last breath on Earth, you’ll take your next breath in Heaven. Again, Paul wrote, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV).
Also, in Heaven all of our questions will be answered. We all have questions for God, don’t we? One day God will reveal it all because the Bible tells us, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).
But most importantly, when we go to Heaven, we’ll go to be with Christ. Only the Christian can say, like Paul, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NKJV). We don’t have to fear death because Jesus conquered death at the cross and the empty tomb. At the cross, He defeated sin; and at the empty tomb, He defeated death.
Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
The book of Revelation is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood books in the Bible. In The Revelation Answer Book, respected prophecy teacher Mark Hitchcock walks through key questions about Revelation in a clear and engaging Q&A format. You’ll explore topics like the mark of the beast, the identity of the 144,000, the Antichrist, the Tribulation, and the return of Jesus, all with solid biblical insight and a focus on hope. Request your copy this month with your gift to Harvest Ministries.
