An Everlasting Inheritance

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:1-3, ESV)

A used minivan was our home away from home through my children’s younger years, and, as any mother understands, I tried in vain to keep that minivan remotely presentable for the occasional friend who would be subjected to the car’s passenger seat. It was the only seat in the van not replete with cheerios, animal crackers, or stained with spilled juice. The outside of the car boldly foreshadowed the mess of its innards. With dents and scratches and a bottom that eventually (and literally) fell out, it did its job as well as could be expected, and then one day I said, “I’m done.”

So, when my first new car was in my possession, I made it a promise: I will keep you clean, free from animal crackers and cheerios, and you will always look new, free from dents and scratches. But alas. That promise was not kept. The children were now teens in sports and other activities, so the stray cheerio was a welcomed memory as full-fledged dinners were now spilled in the car. The smell of sports aftermath made me miss the “mess” of juice-laced cupholders. And once the kids began learning to drive, well, the outside of the car did not maintain its impeccable state.

The reality is everything in this life has a cycle. It starts new, grows old, and eventually dies. Whether it’s a car, a smartphone, a house, or a human body, everything wears down. But Scripture tells us of a remarkable future that reverses that cycle. In Revelation 21:5, John hears God say, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

The newness the Bible talks about here is a picture of something renewed or refreshed, and it will never grow old. What is broken and decrepit on this earth – whether it’s creation or our bodies – will be made better by replacing the old with someone new and glorious.

How wonderful – the incredible and certain inverse that all God’s children can look forward to. But what makes that renewal so breathtaking isn’t just that God will fix what is broken – it’s that he will dwell with us. The God who never changes will one day make everything else new, and he will live among his people forever.

This is the greatest part of heaven, that we will dwell in the presence of our heavenly Father forever. And it will be better than anything we can imagine. It’s difficult to conceive of this, and there’s no doubt we become a bit anxious about something utterly unknown. But as creative, good, holy, and awesome our God is, so the New Heavens and Earth will be. We can rest in that and live eagerly for what is to come because this eternal inheritance is sure and certain for every child of God.

Reflect: Ask Yourself: What temporary comforts or desires might be dulling your longing for the presence of Jesus? When you feel worn out by the mundane, your body feels broken by disease, or your heart heavy with sorrow, remember that what is coming is not just better, it is perfect, because it is filled with the presence of God.