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IntroductionIntroduction

• Today, we will again be answering some FAQs about our Relationships in Heaven”.

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How Will We Relate To Each Other?

How Will We Relate To Each Other?

• What will be the nature of our relationships in Heaven?–On the New Earth, all

relationships will be rooted in righteousness.

–More than ever, we will value human relationships that draw us closer to God and to each other.

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• Joy comes as the result of shared experiences.–Every social organization attests

to this.–We like to share our interests and

joys with those we love.• God designed us to need other

people.–We take pleasure in God’s

companionship and other’s.

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• Any vision of Heaven that doesn’t involve a society of human beings in meaningful relationship denies God’s decree that it isn’t good for human beings to be without others of their kind.–It also denies many Scripture

passages that clearly reveal human society on the New Earth (e.g. Rev. 21:24-26; 22:2).

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How Will We Treat Each Other?

How Will We Treat Each Other?

• We will experience all the best of human relationships, with none of the things that hinder or sour relationships here.–We will be entirely free of what

displeases God and damages relationships.

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• The burdens and tragedies of life in this present world will be lifted from us forever.–No abortion clinics or psychiatric

wards.

–No more missing children, or abusive husbands and fathers.

–No drug or alcohol rehabilitation centers.

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–No muggings, no killings, no robberies or burglaries.

–No worry, no depression or economic downturns.

–No wars, no unemployment.

–No anguish over failure.

–No miscommunication.

–No pretense or wearing of masks.

–No cliques or hidden agendas.

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–No backroom deals.

–No betrayals.

–No secret ambitions.

–No plots or schemes.

• None of these or other things that damage relationships and leave people hurt, angry or emotionally traumatized.–Healthy relationships will flourish.

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• Imagine perfect relationships.–How wonderful it will be to sit

down to meals full of stories, laughter, and joy, without fear of:• Insensitivity• Inappropriate behavior• Anger, Gossip, Jealousy• Or anything that eclipses Joy.

–This will be one of the greatest joys of Heaven.

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• We will never be grieved because we are slighted by someone we love.–Our love will be fully and fondly

returned.

–There will be no such thing as flattery and insincerity in Heaven.

–Perfect sincerity will characterize all our relationships.

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• Everyone will be just who they seem to be.–It will not be like in this world,

where so many things are not as they appear to be.

–There, professions of love won’t be made lightly and without meaning.

• Every expression of love will be completely sincere and genuine.

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Will We All Be Equal?Will We All Be Equal?

• In God’s eyes, all His children are equal in worth, but they differ in gifting and performance.–God is the Creator of diversity,

and diversity means “inequality” of gifting.

–God has given us all different gifts and talents.

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• God uses the human body to represent the corporate body of believers as a whole.–Paul explained that while we all

contribute our individuality to the whole, we are different and have varying functions in the body, some more “honorable” than others.

• I Cor. 12:14-20 (NIV) says:

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–“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. . .

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–“17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”

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• We will all be saved and enjoy all the benefits of Heaven.–God has, however, promised to

reward people differently according to their differing levels of faithfulness in this life.

• There is no reason to believe that we will be equally tall or strong, or have the same gifts, talents, etc., in Heaven.

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• If we all had the same gifts, they wouldn’t be special.–You can do some things better

than I can, and I than you – which means we will have something to contribute to each other.

• We live in a country where our President and his friends are trying to “level the playing field.”

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• They worship equality and want to take from those who have worked hard to earn wealth and redistribute the fruit of their labors to those who don’t work at all.–Equality is not “sameness”.

–To consider it such is an error.

–We will have unity, not uniformity of gifts and talents.

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• It is not sound reasoning to assume everyone in Heaven will be able to compose a concerto with equal skills.–Or that everyone will be able to

do everything with equal ease or expertise.

–Adam was presumably larger and stronger than Eve.

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• I assume that Eve, the progenitor of all women, possessed sensitivities and abilities Adam did not have.–In other words, diversity – not

conformity – characterizes a perfect world.

• Scriptures teach that we will have differing rewards and positions in Heaven.

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–These will be determined by our service in this life.

• Since everyone in Heaven will be happy and well cared for, what will be the nature of these differences?–Jonathan Edwards, the great

Methodist preacher envisioned it this way:

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–“The saints are like so many vessels of different sizes cast into a sea of happiness where every vessel is full: this is eternal life, for a man ever to have his capacity filled. But after all ‘tis left to God’s sovereign pleasure, ‘tis His prerogative to determine the largeness of the vessel.”

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• I think this is a good illustration.–A pint jar and a quart jar can both

be full, but the larger jar contains more.

–Likewise, in Heaven, ALL of us will be full of joy, but some will have a larger capacity for joy – based on their faithful service in this life which stretched their capacity.

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Will We Have Privacy?Will We Have Privacy?

• Some view Heaven as a place of complete communal living where we will always be with others and there will be no privacy at all.–Yet the Bible speaks of having our

own individual, “eternal dwellings” in Heaven, which indicates privacy. (Luke 16:9, NIV).

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• In the context of the New Earth, we will all be given a new name, as God said in Isa. 65:15b (NIV):–“. . . but to his servants he will give

another name.”

• Similarly, in Rev. 2:17b, Jesus said:– “…To him who overcomes, … I will

also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”

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• A name known only to the recipient and God is private, indicating God will relate to us as individuals, not just as one large body of people.–God, loving all infinitely, will yet

love us all individually.• Our different personalities,

rewards, positions and names in Heaven speak of our individuality.

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• These things also speak of our unique part in glorifying God.–We will contribute something

individual, singular and vital to the concert of praise.

–All different, but all united together in our love for God and each other.

–I believe uniqueness also argues for privacy.

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Will There Be Private Ownership?

Will There Be Private Ownership?

• Several Christian writers have stated (without biblical reference) that there will be no private ownership in Heaven.–But I think immediately of the fact

that we will have individual dwelling places in Heaven.

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• Luke 16:9 says that we will be given “eternal dwelling places,”

• John 14:2 (Amp. Bible) says:–“In My Father's house there are

many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.”

• And what about the treasures Jesus told us to store up in Heaven in Matt. 6:20?

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–“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”

• Or, what about the different crowns or rewards God will distribute according to our works in this earth in II Cor. 5:10?

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–“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

• All these things indicate private accountability and ownership.–What God gives you will be

privately yours, not mine.

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• Private ownership will not be wrong when God gives to us things He wants us to own.

• We will all get an inheritance in Heaven according to Col. 3:24 (NIV):–“…you know that you will receive

an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”

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• The word “inheritance” means something tangible, and it will belong to us individually.–Those who serve Christ on earth

have an allotted, private inheritance waiting for them in Heaven.

• There will, of course be no coveting of, or jealousy of another’s possessions, so no sin will attach to private ownership.

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• Heaven will not be some sort of socialist society in which private ownership is evil.–Materialism, greed, envy, and

selfishness are sins.

–Ownership is not.

• Everything, in actuality, belongs to God according to Psa. 24:1 (KJV) which says:

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–“The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (See also I Cor. 10:26, 28).

• In Psa. 50:12b (KJV), God says:–“. . . for the world is mine, and the

fulness thereof.”

–What we call “ours” is actually God’s, and that is true here and in Heaven.

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• The fact that God owns whatever we call “ours” and “mine” does not mean that there is no distinction between them.–The early Christians generously

shared their possessions, but this never meant they did not retain private ownership of some things. (See Acts 4:32-35).

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• Peter told Ananias that his property belonged to him before he sold it, and the money belonged to him after he sold it (Acts 5:4).

–In Heaven, we won’t be stingy about sharing our treasures with others, but they will still be our treasures, generously given to us by God.

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Will We Regain Lost Relationship Opportunities

in Heaven?

Will We Regain Lost Relationship Opportunities

in Heaven?• We all have family and friends we

wish we could spend more time with.–In Heaven, we will have eternity

to catch up on missed fellowship in this life.

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• We can anticipate renewing relationships with family and friends and picking up where we left off here in this life.–In Heaven, we will have all the

time together we want.

–Those who have lost parents, spouses, children, grandparents, friends and relations will be able to play “catch up” in Heaven.

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• There are millions of Christians who have suffered and grieved over the death of family and friends.–We deeply feel the loss of

opportunities to fellowship with parents, children, siblings and other family and friends in this life, because they have gone on to be with God.

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• Heaven will offer more than comfort for these temporary losses, it will offer compensation!–In the same way that the hungry

will be filled in heaven, and those who weep here will laugh there, those who suffer loss here will be fully compensated in Heaven.

–I often think of mine and Vever’s parents.

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• All that they missed because they died before they saw their wonderful great-grandchildren will be theirs in Heaven.–It is my opinion that they are

allowed to see them from Heaven, but in the eternal Heaven, they will be able to do more than just watch.

–They can make up for lost time.

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• Any relationships with believers that are cut short here won’t be cut short ever again in Heaven.–I am looking forward to spending

time with my mom and dad, because I know they already know all the best eating places.

• Oh what grand reunions await the children of God!

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• And we will be introduced to so many others we have never met before as well.–When all God’s children are

restored to life in familiar – but resurrected– bodies, on a familiar, but perfected New Earth, it will be thrilling.

• And this ultimate reunion will be followed by endless adventures together.

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In ClosingIn Closing

• The most exciting thing about our new and renewed relationships in Heaven is that we will never again be parted by death.–Here we have many temporary

partings when death comes.–There, there will be no more

parting by death.

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• Never again will we grieve over loved ones who die (Rev. 21:4; 2:11; 20:6).

–Never again will we wonder if we will see those we love again.

• We can rest assured that we will have wonderful relationships in Heaven, fellowshipping with the Lord and each other in our own dwellings and exploring New Earth and the Universe together.

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• Those we have seen go into the grave, we will see again with great joy.–Believe it. Think on it. Comfort

yourself with this knowledge and let it brighten the dark moments of your life.

–It is all true, based on God’s Word.

End of Lesson