What Heaven Is Like

Heaven's "heavenliness" lies in a superior kind of experience. Earthly life was meant to culminate in righteous pleasure–the state in which the senses are rightly stimulated and satisfied as God intended. From the beginning, God ordered creation for the holy delight of the human senses so that, through created joys, we would recognize the Creator as the standard of what is truly good.

Sin shattered this order. Humanity was deceived into disordered wanting; the lust of the world displaced a holy enjoyment of the world. God rectified this in Jesus Christ. Through the cross and by the Spirit, our desires are reordered so that we want God above mere pleasure. Scripture records this story, and the church lives it out.

In heaven, God's original design comes full circle. The believer's desire for God is fully satisfied: our resurrected bodies–once limited by fallen senses–will be perfected to behold and know God. The desire for God is satisfied by knowledge: by seeing and knowing Him, not by sensory pleasure alone. Thus, in glory we will be equipped to know God truly and, through endless ages, to grow in the knowledge He gives, becoming ever more like Him.

Why This Matters

In worship, let everyday joys point you back to God (Psalms 16:11; John 17:3). At work, do your best for the Lord rather than for applause (Colossians 3:23; Proverbs 9:10). In sexuality, treat desire as a good gift to be stewarded with purity and faithfulness in covenant (I Thessalonians 4:3-5; Titus 2:12). In suffering, remember that hard seasons cannot stop God from growing you; He uses them to ready you for glory (II Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:18).