Photo: Unsplash – Rocco Caruso

You don’t need me to tell you that as Christians in the UK we are currently facing uncertain and tumultuous times. There’s the cost of living crisis, the apparent decline of church attendance, the ongoing pressure on our beliefs from the media and culture, not to mention wars and rumours of wars and all the normal cares of life. And those (like me) who are part of the Church of England are facing particular uncertainty and challenge at the moment.

Our good and loving heavenly Father has provided a number of ways to enable us to continue and grow in faith through such challenging times. (I’ll say more about some of them in future posts.) One such way is meditating on the reality and joy of the world to come.

Over the last few months I have been privileged to discover more of this joy. Last summer I re-read the famous sermon ‘Heaven a world of love’ by Jonathan Edwards – a sermon I’ve alluded to from time to time in recent posts. In the sermon Edwards relates three themes, all of which are excellent fuel for Christian meditation – heaven, the Trinity, and love (biblically defined). Biblically, we see the same three themes connected in texts such as Colossians 3, where Paul argues that Christians are already spiritually seated with Christ in the heavenly places, a world of love (3:1-2, 12-17); they will one day experience Christ in the world of love physically (3:4) – and therefore we should fix our minds and hearts on ‘things above’ (3:1-2).

I have since been reviewing Edwards’ sermon, and finding that my heart is drawn more and more to the world about which Edwards writes: the world in which dwells God ‘the fountain of love’, who therefore

fills heaven with love, as the sun placed in the midst of the visible heavens in a clear day, fills the world with light

As a result of this

All the persons that belong to the blessed society of heaven are lovely. The father of the family is lovely, and so are all his children… Anong all the company of the saints there are no unlovely persons. There are no false professors or hypocrites there; none that pretend to be saints, and yet are of an unchristian and hateful spirit or behaviour…

And there will be no temptation for any to envy those that are above them in glory, on account of the latter being lifted up with pride; for there will be no pride in heaven. (And) we are not to conceive that those who are more holy and happy than others in heaven, will be elated and lifted up in their spirit above others; for those who are above others in holiness will be superior to them in humility

All quotes from Edwards, Heaven a world of love

Edwards says much more than this, but I hope this gives a taste of why his sermon is worth reading, and why his reflections on heaven have fuelled my hope and joy in recent months.

I have also found that as I fix my thoughts on heaven in this way, my experienced godliness has increased. And this shouldn’t surprise me – for surely this is what the apostle John is referring to when he writes:

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure

1 John 3:2-3

In other words, as we fix our eyes on heaven and on Jesus, so we are made increasingly like the person / world we desire. (See also 2 Corinthians 3:18).

So please: If you happen to see me or be in touch with me in a few months time, ask me if I’m still meditating on heaven. Then again, maybe you’ll be able to tell by my general demeanour…

I had the privilege of growing up in Kidderminster, in the West Midlands. Whenever I return to visit family I pass a statue commemorating Richard Baxter, who famously ministered in Kidderminster in the second half of the seventeenth century. Anyone who knows any history of that time will know that Baxter himself faced great uncertainty and tumult – yet at the same time was used by God to bring great reformation and revival in Kidderminster. (I’m praying for the equivalent today.)

It’s said that Richard Baxter used to meditate regularly on the reality of heaven – up to half an hour each day. I have no doubt that this practice was vital in sustaining him through very challenging and difficult times. I pray the same will be true for many of us today.