Our Marvelous Savior

"when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed." (2 Th 1:10)

This probably goes without saying, but I really can't grasp heaven.

I recently heard a sermon where the preacher was reminding all who heard that one of the aspects of heaven would the total absence of sin. Not just put away. Not just conquered and forgiven. Totally eradicated. Its effects removed and all the resulting issues completely gone.We won't simply be super sanctified; we will be glorified. We will be different. And, we don't have a clue what that's like, because sin is intrinsic to each of us.

Likewise, there will be the absence of death and pain and grief. Everything in creation will be restored to its rightful state and we will enjoy it all without greed or lust or selfishness or pride. But this is so different than what we experience now that it stretches our minds to think of what heaven must be like.

However, the truth is that as great as all this is and as great as everything I didn't list may be, they are all the result of one main thing. The triune God will be there. We will be with Him and we will see Him and we will worship Him.

But, just like we cannot grasp what a sinless heaven is like because we are all still sinners at the core, we cannot grasp the extent and the profoundness of our heavenly worship. As just one facet of this, consider 2 Th 1:10. Paul says when Jesus returns (i.e. when he sets up the new heavens and the new earth) he will be marveled at by all who believe. Marveled at? Really? Not worshiped? Not adored? Not proclaimed from the roof tops? Each of those probably will occur as well, but I have 2 questions? Why marveling? and Why not start now?

Why marveling? As I think about it, the whole salvation message is foolishness. A holy God so loving an unholy people that he would orchestrate the death of his perfect, beloved Son in order to redeem the rebellious, traitorous people that He had determined to love. Even in writing that, I can feel the foolishness. Yet its true. And it is marvelous. And yet I think because we over value ourselves and under value God, we don't really see the true marvel, the true glory. The real depth of God's mercy and grace escape us. But once we see Christ face to face...

So, why don't we start marveling now? Can't we risk praying for God to open our eyes today to see more of what Christ has really done on our behalf? Won't we strive to bask in a love that is really too wide and long and tall and deep for us to ever grasp? Don't we somehow owe it to Jesus to lay all of our self-righteous religion at His feet and simply say with Thomas "My Lord and my God!"?

To God Alone be the Glory