Will It Be Like This?

As the music started, the children in front of me caused me to smile. I suspect they didn’t attend “big church” very often, and they were seriously enjoying this opportunity to worship with a few hundred Christians in one room.

I saw the light, I saw the light! No more darkness, nor more night! Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord! I saw the light!

OK, I don’t ever recall singing Hank Williams’ songs in church as a child, but these children will, and they were having a blast. They sang, they clapped, they swayed, and they worshiped. I wondered how children in heaven worship. Will it be like this?

Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign! He arose, he arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose.

I smiled again when I saw a man pump his fist in the air triumphantly as he sang. It was almost as if he could feel the victory deep in his soul. He had no self-awareness; he was worshiping the Risen King. Is it like this in heaven every day; is it a continual victory celebration of Jesus’ triumph over death? Will it be like this?

And when before the throne, I stand in him complete, Jesus died my soul to save, my lips shall still repeat: Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow.

Oh, praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!

Then I saw an elderly woman at the end of the aisle, alone. Her snow-white hair was up in a messy bun, and her arms lifted high as she swayed with the music. She kept her eyes closed as she sang and worshiped. Was she waiting for someone to join her in the sanctuary, or was she anticipating a reunion in heaven? Will it be like this?

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Every soul that praises God in this life and in the life to come is praising because of the precious blood of Jesus shed on the cross, and my mind this Easter Sunday morning was on heaven. What will it be like?

I looked around at all the people in the sanctuary and I wondered, will heaven be like this? Every color, every nationality, and every age – all worshiping the One True God with abandon!

Will we sing ancient hymns alongside rockabilly classics? Will there be cousins celebrating reunions and spouses awaiting their loved ones? Will there be hands clapping and fists pumping as we sing. Will there be tears flowing and arms lifted high? What will it be like?

The Apostle Paul tells us that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT) But that doesn’t keep us from trying to imagine.

We do know that heaven will involve celebrating Jesus for all eternity! The Apostle John was given a glimpse of heaven and he tells us that day after day and night after night [the living beings] keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who was, who is, and who is to come.” (Revelation 4:8 NLT)

We may not be able to imagine it, but we know we want it. However, to get into heaven we must be perfect — completely clean, 100% spot-free: no sin on us or in us – no sinful actions, thoughts, motives or desires. That is impossible.

We cannot be completely righteous, and yet only perfectly righteous people get into heaven. So what do we do?

God has provided a way: He exchanges our sin with Jesus’ perfect righteousness and that exchange takes place at the cross. When we come to the cross and trust Jesus, then 100% of our sin – every sinful thing we’ve ever done or ever will do, every sinful motivation or thought – is nailed to the cross. Jesus became sin for us – he personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. (1 Peter 2:24 NLT).

Because our sin was put on Jesus and Jesus was nailed to the cross – our sin was crucified with Christ and his perfect righteousness can be put on us. [We] no longer count on [our] own righteousness through obeying the law; rather [we] become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith (Philippians 3:9).

What will it be like in heaven? More, better, greater, than we can imagine: A sea of perfect people perfectly worshiping our perfect Savior and King. Those of us who have seen the light will be praising The Light of the World. There will be no more darkness – no more heartache, deception, ugliness or sin. No more night. No sorrow in sight.

Will you be there? Only if you have you trusted in the precious blood of Christ. Have you? Will you?

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