A Christless Heaven
In Chapter 16 of Holiness, Ryle explains that “to be without Christ is to be without heaven” (Ryle 346). Not only does this mean that without Christ no one can enter into heaven, but it also means that a heaven devoid of Christ or God would cease to be heaven at all. He justifies this claim by thoughtfully pointing to the descriptions of heaven in Revelation that are all centered around the Lamb of Christ: the throne, the light, the temple, and the supper (Revelation 5:6; 22:3, 21:22; 19:9). This prompted me to meditate on the differences between a Christful heaven and a Christless heaven.
When you ask someone what heaven is like, they will usually project their deepest desires and longings onto their answer. Ask a child with a sweet tooth, and they might say that heaven is like Candy Land, a land of chocolate rivers and gumdrop gardens. Ask a teenage boy, and they might say that heaven is a place of unlimited video games and endless Mountain Dew with no parent in sight. Ask a Muslim, and he will tell you that the “Gardens of Paradise” are replete with sensual delights, including an abundant supply of virgins on plush cushions in protected tents, endless vats of wine to drink and fruit to eat, and handsome boy servants at your beck and call (Surah 52:24, 55:70-76, 76:5-6). So, it is not uncommon to find that many people, irreligious or religious, harbor a notion of heaven that is devoid of Christ and God. Such views starkly contrast with the biblical understanding of heaven, which has the presence of Christ as its essential quality.
Don’t Bait and Switch
This led me to several key reflections. Firstly, I must resist the temptation to allure unbelievers with the concept of a Christless heaven. Part of our evangelistic effort should be to faithfully represent the biblical portrayal of heaven, focusing not on the ancillary benefits of heaven but on the eternal joy of being in Christ’s presence and worshiping Him. Heaven’s absence of sorrow, death, mourning, and crying are all wonderful but these qualities cannot be divorced from Christ or God. In fact, it is God who will be wiping away our tears and bringing the fullness of these qualities through Christ (Revelation 21:4). I remember once explaining to my unbelieving older brother what the Bible actually said about heaven, and he said something along the lines of “Praising God for all of eternity sounds really boring.” This response is to be expected from the unregenerate. As Ryle says, “a man without a Saviour and Redeemer could never feel at home in heaven” (Ryle 346). I should never try to be “seeker sensitive” to unbelievers about heaven since it is inherently Christful.
Would you even enjoy Heaven?
Another reflection is the importance of cultivating a genuine love for worshiping Christ now since it is something that I will be doing for all eternity. Church should not feel like a weekly chore to the Christian. I should never drag my feet to church service but instead eagerly anticipate going and passionately participate in it. I should not sing because it’s “what you’re supposed to do,” but because my heart is crying out in thankfulness for what Christ has done for me. This is also a good litmus test to periodically assess my spiritual condition: If I do not love or look forward to corporate worship, especially on Sundays, then something in my spirit has gone awry, and I am in need of fervent prayer. If worship feels burdensome now, how much more out of place would I feel in the heavenly realm? Heaven will be a grand multi-cultural, international worship service (Revelation 7:9). May I learn to cherish and look forward to worshiping God through song, service, prayer, rest, and fellowship from this moment on into eternity.
Works Cited
- Ryle, J.C. Holiness. Banner of Truth, 2014.