Is there any way to feel certain about the reality of heaven? If you aren’t convinced, keep reading. There are a few things you need to know about what the Bible says about heaven.
One particular question people curious about Christianity, and even some believers ask is how do they get that sense of certainty about heaven? After all, we can’t see heaven or get a proper look before we get there.
Instead it seems it’s our lot to wait patiently for the time where we pass from this world and wake up with Jesus.
The full experience of our salvation will never really be felt until we die. During this time of life, how do we keep faith that there really is a heaven awaiting us?
And here’s an answer: the reason you can be sure of heaven is because you can be sure of God. How? One word: promise.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
God makes numerous promises throughout the Bible. And each time He delivers.
His desire for us to repent is so that He can welcome us home in the afterlife. The “home” the Bible talks about is heaven itself.
For some reading, hearing a promise may not mean much to you. People have a tendency to make promises and break them. Yet, God is unlike man. The standard we have for people should not match how we see God. He follows through.
If you still aren’t convinced, keep reading. Scripture is full of examples that validate a sense of certainty about heaven.
Jesus Died for Our Sins
“But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Despite our attachment to sin, God wants us to aspire to be better. He wants sinners to rise above their flawed natures and become more like Christ. That’s why He sent His son as the example and the sacrifice.
For those of us who believe, God has promised the gift of salvation. And the Bible tells the story of a Savior who comes to earth and God’s promises of salvation. Thus, Christ’s work on earth makes heaven possible.
Without Christ’s life and death, heaven would be no more than a wish for us people on earth. But salvation through Jesus allows us to receive the benefits of his perfect life after we leave this earth. That benefit is a newfound life in heaven.
Jesus Talked about Heaven
When you long for greater certainty of an eternal home, remember that Jesus himself spoke about such a place.
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
God’s desire to be in relationship with us is echoed in this description of heaven. Imagine that, there is a room specially prepared just for you. He must really want to make us feel at home.
This passage begins with Jesus urging us to believe in God and believe in him. While we may struggle with doubt, Jesus doesn’t want it to undermine our faith. He doesn’t want you to doubt that heaven is a possibility, when it is in fact a promise. He knows. He has been there, and He wants to invite us in.
The Earth is Temporary, Our God Is Eternal
The Bible tells us that the materials of the world, the tangible things we see, are all temporary. What we cannot see lasts forever.
“So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Faith requires believing in something you cannot see with your eyes, including heaven. But faith provides a different kind of vision. Through trust and through relationship, you can believe God’s Word and know that whatever He wants to bless us with through salvation will last infinitely longer than anything we can gather on earth.
The Bible Is a Story of Redemption
Job said this very well in his story.
“But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust.” (Job 19:25)
The entire story of the Bible chronicles how man starts in a right relationship with God before falling away, time and time again. After a while sin builds up. There’s a flood, mayhem, chaos. The Israelites struggle to stay in God’s good grace. Then Jesus appears.
Jesus offers a new hope for the story of mankind. He redeems man, making all of us acceptable for heaven if we trust in Him.
If there were no heaven, there would be no salvation, and no need for Jesus.
Living with the Certainty of Heaven
Just as God made nations out of Abraham, based on his promise, He promises you and I something as well.
“For I know the plans I have for you ‘—this is the Lord’s declaration—’ plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
With God’s happy plans for us, His desire to be in relationship with us, we can rest assured He wants us as close to Him as possible.
Doubt will pop up here and there, but by remembering God’s promises, you will learn to reaffirm in yourself and others that heaven is possible, a place being prepared for you.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/RomoloTavani
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