Death Dismissed

I think it perhaps to early in the morning to be thinking on death already. Were this a normal book and a normal approach to death, it would be too early. Thankfully, this is not a normal approach on death; rather it is a dismissal of it. 

Once we have grasped our situation in God's full world, the startling disregard Jesus and the New Testament had for "physical death" suddenly makes sense. Nothing like what is usually understood as death will happen to those who have entered his life. 

Congratulations! You are not going to die. At least not in the normal sense of ceasing to exist and having all of your thoughts, words, and actions suddenly turn into a meaningless, non-existent puff of smoke billowing away in the winds of history.

 Those who love and are loved by God are not allowed to cease to exist, because they are God's treasures. He delights in them and intends to hold onto them. He has even prepared for them an individualized eternal work in his vast universe.

I should pause at this point to address the concerns of some that you will actually have to work in Heaven. Or should I say you get to work? You get the opportunity to continue doing something meaningful, relevant, and rewarding for all of eternity. I think this a much better view on paradise than sitting atop a cloud staring at all the other people sitting on their clouds.


But that's not even the best part of the realization of Heaven. The fact that God has chosen, not been forced or coerced but chosen, to take you to a place he prepared especially for you from the dawn of your creation has to be uplifting to some degree. You are his treasured creation, and he loves you.

Or maybe it's not uplifting because maybe you deem it impossible. How could there possibly be a place better than here? How could God possibly create a paradise that doesn't get old or boring? How could I really get along with trillions of people when I can barely interact with a few family members here?

Those who think it is unrealistic or impossible are more short on imagination than long on logic. They should have a close look at the universe God has already brought into being before they decide he could not arrange for the future life of which the Bible speaks.

There are moments of goodness and glory here on earth, whether the sun setting on the horizon, the last few notes of an opera, or the joy of holding a newborn infant. If God created these, why cannot he create so much more than that?

So as we think of our life and make plans for it, we should not be anticipating going through some terrible event called "death," to be avoided at all costs even though it can't be avoided. Immersed in Christ in action, we may be sure that our life will never stop. 

We have arrived at the applicable portion of this chapter. If we believe in a God who is so great and awesome and glorious, and we believe he loves us and is going to continue our existence into eternity, then the way we live now should reflect the fact that we are going to live forever.

We should be anticipating what we will be doing three hundred or a thousand years from now in this marvelous universe. We are never ceasing spiritual beings with an eternal destiny in the full world of God.

I must admit, this is beyond the scope of my imagination. I can barely think up what I want to do with my tomorrow much less my next millennium. But I think I can stop many of the worries that plague my day. What do I care if I don't get to the top of my career ladder by the time I'm 30? I'll do it in a thousand years when I get around to it. Why should I worry about experiencing every possible thing this world has to offer? I have a billion other planets to visit.

In other words, and going back to yesterday's posting, I should be concerned "with things above and not with things below." (Colossians) I should be concerned with the people in my life now, the opportunities I have been given, and the impact I can have where I'm at. I should not be focusing on getting ahead, after all, where am I in such a rush to get to?

Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, what you will eat or drink, for you have enough worries to get you through the day as it is." (Matthew 6:34) I believe this is the answer to Willard's question:
 

How should we take care of ourselves when we are never to cease?