I have had the privilege of spending time with people who are dying or who have recently been bereaved in the past few weeks, and this inevitably focuses thoughts on the reality of heaven and what awaits those who have surrendered their lives to Christ (and what awaits those who have not). It can be difficult for us to hold on to the invisible in the face of pain and suffering, but the gospel of Christ offers reassurance that what we see with our natural eyes is not the whole story. Paul reminds us ‘For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor 15:53-57)
We may not yet see, with our natural eyes, the victory that Paul proclaims here. Death inevitably brings sorrow, grief and loneliness to those who are left behind – and often a whole host of practical problems which are not easily solved. But as we meditate on the transitory nature of life and the certainty of death in this natural world, we are both encouraged to see beyond the temporary (2 Cor 4:18) and to realise the importance of preaching the gospel to all.
The songs below remind us of these truths far more eloquently than I can. Click on the link to listen to the songs.
‘Endless Hallelujah’, Matt Redman