What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Have you ever given much thought to God’s purpose in your life? Now, I am talking about something much deeper than whether you are to be a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker. God is conforming all His people into the image and likeness of His beloved Son; when that is completed, we will be ushered into the kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth. But deeper still, God’s purpose for every believer is a process . . . not a place. And that process extends on into eternity.
You see, the ultimate goal in our relationship with Jesus is not to simply arrive in the new heavens and the new earth. Rather, the ultimate goal in our relationship with Jesus is our relationship with Jesus, a relationship that will continue to grow and deepen from the moment we stand before Him unveiled throughout eternity. Eternity is active, not passive. We will not be sitting atop a cloud strumming a celestial harp forever and ever and ever. Many mistakenly believe the afterlife is like retirement, where we will just sit back and relax — shifting into neutral, if you will. Not true!
Eternal life will present us the greatest opportunities and possibilities we could ever imagine. It will be one glorious adventure after another. In eternity, we will not only be worshipers, which would be more than enough, but we will be willing workers too. God has ministry magnified for each one of His children, where we will use all of our God-given gifts, talents, and abilities to continue bringing greater and greater glory to God. We will never grow weary. We will never get discouraged. We will never burn out. We will serve and serve and go from strength to strength, living at the deepest level of significance, a level that was unattainable on this side of the grave.
Paul wrote, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3), and I cannot say with certainty what that means. But I do know this: As we reign with our Lord Jesus Christ, the angels who were sent to minister to us here on earth will be at our disposal in some way, to assist us in doing all that God calls us to do. Truly eye has not seen and ear has not heard what is in store for us in the Almighty Adventure that awaits us.
So regardless of where this message finds you today, pause and consider what awaits you on the other side of the grave. Be encouraged, Christian, in the knowledge that God has not only prepared a place for you, but He has also ensured a purposeful and powerful process for you to live out and rejoice in for all of eternity.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 