Nuggets from An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith—The Eternal Kingdom

When finally the Kingdom of God is realized it will be in a completely new universe to replace the present one which will have been destroyed by one great conflagration (2 Peter:3:10-13 [10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [11] Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, [12] Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? [13] Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
See All...). That new creation will be inhabited only by sinless angels and men and women who themselves have been made new creations through faith in Christ. Then heaven and earth will be one with God’s will truly done on earth as it is in heaven. This is the bright future true believers look forward to for all eternity.

Meanwhile, in this present world of evil and tribulation, it is not unusual for a believer to feel discouraged or even depressed by his or her own failure. At such times it seems impossible to believe that God could ever be pleased with us or that He would really accept us into heaven. We find it so very difficult to rest in His grace and love when we realize that we are absolutely unworthy of heaven. Yet out greatest joy comes from the wonder, amazement, and gratitude that He would take such wretched, unworthy sinners and grant us the joy of heaven!

We will never be worthy of heaven or of His love. That sense of self-worth which so many Christian leaders, deceived by Christian psychology, are attempting to foster among the redeemed, would ruin heaven by turning some of the attention and glory from God and the Lamb to ourselves. We will always be creatures and He the Creator; we will always be sinners saved by grace and bought with His blood, and He will ever be out glorious Savior. Because His infinite love for us has filled us with love for Him, our passion for eternity will ever be to see Him exalted and praised and to love Him with all the capacity He supplies. His eternal joy will be to bless us with Himself. Such will be the wonder and ecstasy of heaven.

God desires to have us in His presence even more than we could ever desire to be there. He loves us with a love that will never let us go. And because He has captured our affection, we will be eternally bound by love to Him—a love that not only flows to us from God, but which our redeemed hearts will return to Him with a purity and heavenly joy that will be to His eternal glory.

The signs that His return is near are in the world today as never before. The sleeping church may soon be shaken with that cry of which Christ spoke in parable:

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, “Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” (Matthew:25:5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
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