There are a variety of opinions on what Heaven will be like, but there is only one that makes sense to me. It is rooted in Trinitarian theology.
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. God is agape. When we look at the totality of the Bible, we learn a thing about this Greek word, agape. I think one of the best definitions of this word is found in Phil 2:7 where Paul tells us that Jesus emptied himself. Agape is self-giving love. This is the basis for one of the most beautiful expressions of the three persons of the Trinity, which can be summarized like this:
“The Father pours out everything of himself, except his being Father, and the Son receives it. The Son responds with an equally free and total gift of himself, and the fruit of that mutual love is the Holy Spirit.” Heschmeyer, Joe. Who Am I, Lord? Finding your Identity in Christ
Again, Scripture tells us that we are a part of the body of Christ. We are called to be a part of this emptying out and receiving. In fact, in Galatians 2:19-21 Paul tells us that he died. He lives no longer Paul, but Christ in him. Paul, too, emptied himself, and in return, he received Christ.
Another key to understanding this view of Heaven can be found in Jesus’ instructions for disciples. As disciples we are required to die to self and to carry our crosses. Mt 16:24, Mk 8:34, Lk 9:23. What happens when we do so? We become self-giving love. We participate more and more fully in this outpouring of love between the persons of the Trinity as we find ourselves more and more united to the body of Christ.
If what I have stated here is true, and Heaven is about participating in this sharing of self with the divine, then Heaven begins now. It begins with learning to live no longer, I, but Christ in me.
May we all begin to learn to live for eternity by giving of ourselves so as to receive all that God longs to give us, and what he longs to give us is himself.
Spend some time with the Holy Spirit asking him to show you where he is working in your life to draw you into this love exchange between the persons of the Trinity; how he is working to integrate you more fully into Christ’s body. Ask him to help you surrender to his work. In fact, make sure you give him permission to work for he will not override your free will. Close your prayer with thanksgiving for all God has done for you.
In Him,
dw
thoughtsofacrazywoman.blog 