The Authority of Christ (Part 2 of 2)

Mark 1: 14-34

The Authority of Christ (2 of 2)

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.  And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.  And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.  And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.  And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are---the Holy One of God."  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.  And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."  And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.   And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. (Mark 1:14-34)

The Authority of Christ to Call (vs. 16-20)
The call of Christ to these four fishermen was a call to discipleship. It was a call to break all ties and to follow the master and be his servants. Christ promised to make them fishers of men. It would be understood that God in the past had fished for men. Now that the kingdom of God was at hand, he would fish for men who in turn would become fishers of men. God delivers men from his judgment. This would be the mission of these men- warn and call men to repent and trust in Christ because God will judge. Those who repent and trust will be saved, while those who refuse will be condemned (Jn. 3:36).
     The fact that Jesus preached and called disciples to himself proves the unpreparedness of the people and nation. It shows that they were under the wrath of God and separated from him. They, even the “people of God” needed to be redeemed. We also see the urgency of Christ and his message and the radical obedience required for discipleship. They are to leave everything behind and follow. There is even a promise. Christ promised to make them fishers of men. They are to follow and obey, and Christ will fulfill his promise. This is exactly what happens at the end of the gospels. The disciples go to all parts of the known world and call sinners to repentance and faith in Christ, they fish for men's souls (Mk. 16:15; Jn. 17:18; Acts).
     The authority of Jesus is seen in that he calls and men hear, drop everything, and follow. At this point, they have been with Christ on occasion, but this is different. This is permanent and has long term consequences. Jesus also sovereignly initiated a relationship with these men, demanded sacrifice, submission, and perfect obedience. He has authority and power over the minds, hearts, and lives of man. He calls and men must respond and act.
     Christ called the ordinary, weak, uneducated, and foolish to discipleship. He did not call the lofty, rich, strong, and elite. Take comfort if he has called you. Have you heard the call of Christ to become his disciple? Are you following Christ? Are you his disciple? Do you sit at the feet of Jesus and learn? Do you submit to the authority of Christ over your life? Do you realize that your life is not your own? Do you live in humble submission to him? Or, do you think, live, and act as if you are an authority to yourself? Do you follow only when it is convenient or when you are in agreement? If you name the name of Christ and claim to be his disciple, are you fishing for men?

The Authority of Christ to Teach (vs. 21-22)
We are told the content of Christ's teaching on this occasion, but we can assume that his message was the same as in verse 15. He preached and taught that the kingdom of God was at hand and that sinners are to repent and believe the good news. His message astonished those who heard. The listeners were amazed at his authority. They were alarmed by his message. Judgment was coming and they needed to repent. This was not the message they were eager to hear. They wanted deliverance from an occupying nation, not salvation from a wrathful God. Jesus spoke clearly, there was no room for debate or argument. God is sovereign and sinners are to submit.
     The teaching of Jesus was astonishing because he was more like an Old Testament prophet than a scribe or Pharisee. Jesus commanded a response. His message was disturbing- you are a sinner who deserves the wrath of God; repent and believe the good news; you cannot save yourself; salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). They were astonished also because Jesus was an uneducated son of a carpenter who spoke the truth. He spoke God's word and dealt with eternal matters.
      Jesus taught with authority for the simple reason that the message was his. He is divine and he called sinners to himself. Nothing like this was ever heard. He also spoke with an earnestness and urgency. He commanded respect and obedience. And he knew how to teach. He taught the word of God, used illustrations, applied the teaching to life, taught lovingly, spoke from the heart to the hearts of men, was without sin or imperfection, and was not hypocritical like the other teachers.
    The preaching and teaching of the word of God ought to astonish hearers. Are you astonished? Have you ever been amazed at the beauty and sufficiency of God's word? Are you submissive to Christ the teacher? Do you submit to the teachers and preachers that he has gifted and called to minister? Do you obey the word of God? When you are confronted with God's word, do you rebel or submit? Do you desire the truth? Do you hunger for the teaching of the word? Are you focused on eternal matters? Or, are you more preoccupied about earthly concerns or personal preferences?  

The Authority of Christ to Minister (vs. 23-34)

The message of Jesus provoked a demon. The sense of judgment must have been great. This demon accused Jesus as if he was now judging or sitting in judgment before the appointed time. The authority and power of Jesus was recognized by this demon, it knew who Christ was and his abilities. It is noteworthy that the demon had no choice but to obey the command of Christ. Christ is God and is sovereign. Satan, man, demons, sickness- everything must submit to and obey Christ the King. Incidentally, this proves the identity and authority of Jesus. Demons would not obey just anyone.
     The proceedings with the demon possessed man added to the astonishment of the crowd. They had been confronted with the authoritative message of Christ, but then see his authority in action. The word of Christ is powerful. Not only does he teach, but he heals and delivers.
     The authority of Jesus is seen in that all things are subject to him. Demons obey Christ. They are silent when commanded. Sickness and disease flee his presence. The authoritative words of Christ invoke action, they are powerful. When coupled with his actions, they astonish and amaze.
     Demons obey Christ. Do you? Do you obey when commanded from the word of God? Are you silent when directed? Or, do you gossip, murmur, and complain? The preaching and teaching of the word of God and the gospel invites opposition and invokes confrontation. This occurs even in the church. Are you opposing the word of God? Or, do you humbly and joyfully obey God's word and submit to his authority? Are you spreading the fame of Christ and fishing for men? How do you follow Christ? Do you do it joyfully or begrudgingly?

Conclusion

The words of Christ truly are powerful and authoritative. Christ is authoritative. He has all authority to preach, call, teach, rebuke, and minister. Christ's word, the Bible, is still powerful and authoritative today. It ought to be read, studied, heralded, taught, obeyed, trusted, believed, and known.
     Christ's authority is good news. We need it as rebellious sinners. We know not which way to go or how to please God. We need to be subdued by Christ. It is a great relief to know that Christ reigns supreme over: Satan, sin, temptation, demons, sickness, disease, death, our lives, our calling, our gifts and abilities, and our vocations. Although Christ is King, he came, served, suffered, died, conquered, rose again, and lives to intercede. What a great King!
     It is because of his authority that Christ is able to claim sinners, save sinners, disciple sinners, subdue sinners, use sinners to further his kingdom, and kill sin in sinners. Christ is King. He reigns supreme over all things. This includes sin and salvation. His authority is without bounds, it is limitless. What a great comfort and encouragement to children of the King. What hope this gives to those who stand to inherit from the King.
     It is no accident that we see the priorities or mission of Christ's church in this text. The church exists to preach and teach the gospel, disciple believers, and to evangelize the lost. All of this is done as worship to our great God. Christ preached and taught the gospel. Christ called and discipled believers. And Christ made the disciples fishers of men who went out and evangelized and did missions. We are not Christ, nor do we posses the authority of Christ. But, we are his ambassadors and we speak on behalf of the King (2 Cor. 5:20). We do have some authority. We do proclaim the gospel and urge sinners to repent and to trust in Christ. We do make disciples. And we evangelize and do missions in the name of Christ. Our authority is only derived from Christ calling, equipping, and sending us. This is what we do. This is why we gather. This is why Christ saved and called us. He has made us fishers of men. He made us to glorify himself. He made us to tell others of his glory. Bow down before the King and submit to his authority.       

The Authority of Christ (Part 1 of 2)

Mark 1: 14-34

The Authority of Christ (1 of 2)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.  And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.  And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.  And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.  And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are---the Holy One of God."  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.  And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."  And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.  And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. (Mark 1:14-34)

Introduction

Christ, as God, has all authority (Matt. 28:18; Jn. 17:2). That is, he can exercise his sovereignty however he desires. As the sovereign King of the universe, Christ has the right to rule and reign his domain as he chooses. He reigns supreme! He rules over all things. Christ is sovereign over the stars and the starfish, light and darkness, good and evil, man and angel, inanimate creation and animate creatures.

     He governs everything according to the counsel of his will. This includes the wills, hearts, and minds of man. I know what you are thinking, “Doesn't man have free will? How can Christ reign over man's will?” To begin, man has a will, however it is not free. Man does make choices, nonetheless, they are determined by man's nature. Biblically speaking, the nature of man is spiritually dead, fallen, sinful, corrupt, wicked, depraved, and ungodly (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 3:10-18).

    If this is the case, then the will of man is in bondage to a sinful nature (Jn. 8:34). It is held captive, enslaved to the sinful nature. Therefore it can only choose sin. It cannot and will not choose God until God chooses it, seek God until sought by God, desire God until God changes the affections, love God until God instills his love in the heart. In other words, man needs to be born again (Jn. 3:3). There have only been three people in the history of the world who have had a free will. One was Christ. The other two were Adam and Eve and we know how that turned out.

     Sinful man needs to be regenerated by God, brought to life by the Spirit of God. Regeneration is the changing of the nature of man by God. The spiritually dead is made alive in Christ Jesus. The enslaved sinner is set free and is no longer in captivity but captivated by Christ. No longer is the sinner shackled by guilt and iniquity, but is enraptured by the beauty and glory of God. Everything in the regenerated believer is transformed: the soul is raised from the dead and made alive, the will is enabled to choose Christ, the affections desire holiness and purity, the mind thinks on the things of God and is made to understand his word, the tongue praises God and sings for joy, and the eyes now see clearly and behold the glory of God in creation.

    Sinful man naturally rebels against authority of all types. We want to be an authority to ourselves. This is the very nature of sin, we oppose God, his right to rule, his character, his laws, and his commands. We simply want to do what we want, when we want, and how we want. Within sinful man is the innate inclination for autonomy. Sadly, this is even the case for many who name the name of Christ and claim to be regenerated. We naturally are repelled by any semblance of authority or submission.

     Submission to the authority of Christ, however, does not need to be viewed in a negative light or as a bad thing. Christ frees rebels from their bondage of sin. It is the authority of Christ that makes this liberation possible. Christ is a gracious and loving master. His yoke is not burdensome but light and easy. Submission to Christ's authority brings glory to God and brings great joy to the redeemed. When sinners are regenerated their hearts are transformed and they now desire to obey Christ and take pleasure in him. Also, Christ is faithful, loving, merciful, patient, and able to finish the work he began and lead us home.

    Just as Christ is the good news of the gospel, his authority is also good news. The authority of Christ is seen throughout the first chapter of Mark. He is the Son of God, has a messenger sent before him to prepare his way, and the Father is well pleased with him. Why? Because he was sent by the Father to authoritatively preach the gospel and call sinners to repent and trust in him for salvation according to the perfect plan of God, rebuke demons, and heal the diseased.

     The authority of Christ is good news. Because of who he is, Christ is able to do what he does. It is Christ who can change a person's mind. It is Christ that can save a lost spouse. It is Christ who can bring home a wayward child. It is Christ who can comfort in death. It is Christ who can strengthen and heal of sickness. It is Christ who can mend broken relationships. Christ authoritatively changes hearts, effects lives, convicts of sin, delivers, and transforms. Jesus' authority is a great comfort. This is good news! Therefore, submission to the authority of Christ is not burdensome but a great joy.

     The focus, and rightly so, is on Christ and his authority. Why did Mark write in this way? This is who God is. He sent his Son invading history and time. God is King and is ruling and reigning, expanding his kingdom, and bringing sinful rebels into subjection. Christ comes in the name of God, preaches, teaches, calls, ministers, penetrates the hearts and lives of men, proclaims the good news, and conquers Satan, sin, the grave, and death. Christ is the good news, he is the message; he died for sinners, he rose from the dead, and he sent his disciples into the world to fish for men.

     Our salvation and joy hinges on who Christ is. If he is anything other than the authoritative, sovereign, sinless, Son of God, then no one would listen, obey, submit, trust, witness, or glorify God. And if Christ is not authoritative there would be no salvation and we would be most miserable, ruined, and yet in our sin.

The Authority of Christ to Preach (vs. 14-15)

The arrest of John the Baptist indicated, it would appear, that it was the right time for Jesus to act and begin his ministry. The time has come, it is fulfilled. John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. The time had come for God to enact the new covenant. The entire Old Testament had looked forward to this point. Jesus is the fulfillment. And what did Jesus do? He preached. The silencing of one preacher does not silence the gospel. The good news will go forth.

The message that Jesus proclaimed was the gospel of God. This means that God is at work, he is acting. God is revealing his redemption at this very point in history. The old is giving way to the new. The past is being fulfilled. The fulfillment is in Christ. He is the focus, the center of all things. All of time has been leading to this moment (Gal. 4:4). The gospel is the good news of God's free gift of salvation through his Son.

     Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God. This asserts that God is sovereign, takes the initiative, acts, spreads his territory, and reigning. God has invaded history and conquers men, he redeems them from bondage. The kingdom of God emphasizes God reigning and subduing his enemies, removing their rebellion, and causing them to be his humble subjects. Jesus said that the kingdom was at hand, it is here. The kingdom of God is now, but it is not complete. It's completion is future, but it is a certainty because God will bring it to pass through his Son. Christ brings sinners into subjection to it so that they may obtain salvation in it.

     Sinners enter God's kingdom through repentance and faith in Christ. Jesus summons sinners to repentance. They are to turn from their sin and rebellion and return to God. Sinners are not only to repent, but to believe. The repentant must believe the gospel, believe that Christ is the Savior. This call is made urgent due to the fact that the kingdom is a reality. There is no time to delay, repent now and believe on the Son. Either sinners submit to Christ's command to repent and believe, or they are left outside of the kingdom.

     The authority of Jesus is seen in the heralding of the gospel. It is authoritative because he is God. He is the one who was sent for this very thing, he is the promised Messiah. Not only that, he is the message; he is the good news of the gospel. There is no other being that can preach in this manner and call sinners to himself. Only Jesus has this authority. Jesus' authority is also made clear by his calling people to a decision. He is not suggesting that sinners repent and believe, he is commanding them to do so. This is authority, this is sovereignty.

     Have you submitted to the sovereign authority of Christ? Have you heard the command to repent and trust in him? Have you obeyed that command? Is Christ and his word your authority? Or do you submit to yourself, your reason, your feelings, your preferences, or tradition? Who or what governs you? Who or what do you obey? Do you recognize pride and rebellion in your heart? And if so, are you convicted? If you are convicted, do you repent?

Your Best Life Then: Thoughts On Heaven

Your Best Life Then: Thoughts on Heaven

      What will heaven be like? How can I get to heaven? What are we going to do in heaven? Will I know everyone in heaven? These are just a few of the questions people wonder about or ask. They all share something in common...they are all man centered. Or to be more accurate, they are selfish and “me” centered. To begin, heaven is not about you and me. We might be there, but that is beside the point. How we think of heaven reveals a lot about us- our hearts, our motives, our focus, and our priorities.

      Are you angry with me yet? It is alright if your are, I can take it. I begin like this to prove a point. There is much preached, written, and spoken today on heaven. However, so much of it is unbiblical. Much of it sounds as if heaven is everything we deem good on earth, only up there. Some even try to bring heaven down to earth and believe that we can enjoy everything heaven affords now. I am sorry, if I can have my best life now, doesn't that mean that when I die, the best I can hope for is something less than what I enjoyed on earth? If my best life is now, doesn't that make heaven a lot like hell? Why would anyone want to go to heaven? I can have it all right here and now!

      Biblically speaking, for a believer, their best life is to come! It is not here. It is not now. Oh no, heaven will be greater than anything some goofy, unbiblical, people pleasing clown dreamed up. Here are some biblical thoughts about heaven.

Heaven is not for everybody

      Not everyone is going to heaven. And not only is not everyone going, most who think they are on their way would be miserable if they were to make it. How can I say this? It is the Bible. God's word is clear- only those who have repented and trusted in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins will spend eternity with God in heaven (Mk. 1:15; Jn. 3:1-21, 14:6; Acts 20:21; Rom. 3:19-26, 10:5-13; 2 Cor. 7:10; Rev. 7:9-17).

      People want to go to heaven because no one in their right mind would want to go to hell. However, so many that think they want to go to heaven have not repented of their sin and trusted Christ for salvation. They may say that they believe in God, but believing in God is not enough. Satan and the demons believe in God. Only those who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, been convicted of their sin, repented of their sin and turned to God, and embraced Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior, will spend eternity in heaven.

      People think that they want to go to heaven, but in reality, they would be miserable. Why? Because heaven is a place of unending worship and praise of the blessed Trinity. If you do not worship and enjoy God while on earth, you will not glorify him in heaven. Here is a description of heaven:

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!' And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.' (Rev. 4:8-11)

      Even if you were in heaven, you would hate it. Being unregenerate and still in your sins, heaven would be hell to you. You would have nothing in common with anyone else there. You do not love and praise God now, why do you think it will be different in heaven? Seeing glory and being around holy beings will not transform your dead and depraved nature. We are not changed by sight. Sinful man is only transformed by the Spirit of God. You would hate it.

       And not only would you hate heaven, but you would continue to hate God. In fact, your hatred for God will increase because you would see him in all his splendor, holiness, brilliance, goodness, righteousness, majesty, and justice. Natural man hates these things about God. Sinful, depraved man cannot love God and these attributes that he exhibits. We are enemies of God (until he initiates reconciliation with us) and as such there is enmity between us. God hates sin and we hate God. Hence, you would be miserable in heaven.

      But, there is hope! Repent. Turn from your sin and wicked ways and run to Christ who died for sinners. Beg God to change your heart, to cause you to hate sin and love him. Read his word. Sit under biblical preaching. And pray. Pray for God to remove your heart of stone and give you one of flesh.

If you are not holy on earth...

      If a person is not holy or does not desire to live a holy life while on earth, there is no hope that he or she will go to heaven. Heaven is a place of holiness. The thrice holy God dwells in heaven and his holiness, his otherness, is manifested. The unholy simply will not be in the presence of the Holy. The unholy cannot be in the presence of a holy God. God is so holy that he will not allow the impure to be in his presence. The only reason that redeemed sinners will be able to dwell in heaven with God is because they are united to Christ, sanctified, and are made holy. They will be without sin.

      Peter wrote, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'” Holiness for the Christian is a way of life. It is also who we are. Believers still sin, but they repent. They never lose their salvation or are separated from Christ. They continue to grow in holiness and righteousness because their God is holy and righteous. This is what Christians do. Non-Christians, however, do not grow in holiness. Indeed, they cannot because their nature is unchanged. So, no holiness on earth equals no holiness in heaven. The truth is, sinful and unholy beings cannot be in the presence of a holy God. They would cease to exist, they would be undone and ruined.

If you could have heaven...?

      Why do you want to go to heaven? This is a simple question. Another question is, if you could go to heaven and enjoy all of the benefits it affords but Jesus is not there, would you go? In other words, if you were allowed to enjoy all of the glories of heaven, not experience pain, suffering, disappointment, discouragement, loss, death, sin, evil, etc. for all of eternity would you live there if Jesus was not in heaven? This question reveals your heart. It also shows what or who you love.

      A heaven without Jesus is not heaven. Why do you desire to go to heaven? Is it because Jesus is there? Is it because you will finally be able to worship the King without interruption, sin, weakness, distraction, the flesh, temptation, apathy, etc.? Do you desire heaven because you will see Christ in all of his glory and majesty? Do you desire heaven because Jesus is the desire of your heart? Are you willing to go wherever Jesus is? If Christ was in hell, would you spend eternity in hell with him? Is Jesus your all? Who or what are you worshiping?

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Rev. 5:9-14)

      This is a picture of what heaven will like. Is this your heart's desire, to worship Christ for all of eternity, to see him and love him and adore him and commune with him and shout praises to him and know him better and learn from him? If it isn't, if you do not desire heaven to be with Christ, you may not be going. You really need to examine yourself to see if you have heard the gospel, repented of your sins, turned to Christ, and embraced him alone for salvation.

Is your view of heaven idolatrous?

      It appears that many people have an idolatrous view of heaven. This is connected to the previous point. The desire to go to heaven is real in many people, but what are their motives? Heaven can become an idol (just as anything else). What makes heaven an idol? Do you desire heaven more than you desire Christ? What do you see yourself doing in heaven? Will you enjoy God forever or will you catch up on some much needed rest? Do you want to go there just to see loved ones?

      Do you desire heaven to worship Christ face to face or to only escape judgment? Do you see heaven as a place where you can have all of the junk that is available here on earth? Do you think that heaven is a place where you will rest, be entertained, enjoy partying with others, just hang out, play, etc. or is it a place where God in all of his glory and holiness commands our everlasting devotion?

      What makes heaven our best life then is that we are in the very presence of our great and glorious God. We will be without sin and be able to finally worship God as he deserves and as our hearts cry out for here, but we are limited by our flesh, and weakness, and sin, and others, and our attitudes, and anything else that gets in the way. Heaven becomes an idol when you desire the place more than the Savior. Or you desire all of the gifts and blessings, but do not care for the fellowship and close communion with the Lord of Glory.

      Beware of idols. Is your view of heaven an idol? Do you desire heaven because Jesus will be there? Or, is it something else? We must all examine our hearts and motives, our affections and desires. Heaven will be enjoyable and there will be many blessings. The point is that we must not desire the gifts of God above God. Heaven is heaven because God is there. Heaven is heaven because the redeemed will enjoy unending communion with the God of the universe.

      For the Christian, our time on earth is practice. It is the warm-up. We worship God and grow in holiness, only it is imperfect because of our sin and the flesh. We know that our best life is not now. We know that our best life is then, in heaven, with God.