Nearly every Christian has tried to imagine what life was like in Eden before sin darkened the picture. What was life like for Adam before his head-long fall into sin? There is no way to determine how long he and his wife lived in the garden before they were expelled. Some people picture Satan’s temptation coming within hours or days of Eve’s arrival. But what if those first human beings live for weeks in that environment of absolute perfection? Adam had beside him the only person he had ever loved. There is good evidence to the fact of his love for Eve. And there was no other person on earth to tempt him, to cause him to lust or sin. There were no neighbors with barking dogs, wild parties and beer cans tossed into his yard. Adam and Eve had all they wanted to eat by simply picking and gathering. Wednesday, Judy came into my office with our first home-grown tomatoes of the season. Exquisite! How many fresh tomatoes did Adam and his wife enjoy, and how big were they? There were no worms in the cherries or blemishes on the apples, and they didn’t come out of a box or package. The bees did their work, but it seems that not one of them carried a stinger. Adam’s days would have been occupied with tasks he loved, not tasks that were placed upon him. And at the end of every day, there was a worship service, but without any preaching. Adam didn’t have to prepare a sermon or even a devotional, nor did he have to listen to someone else. As he worshiped, he probably looked directly into the face the Almighty God – his Creator. Life in Eden would have been Edenic. Life in Eden would have been almost heavenly.
But that is not OUR world. Because he had nothing with which to compare it, I doubt that Adam knew how good he had it. But then Eve was enticed to imagine that life could be just a little bit better. She, and her husband, could be as gods, “knowing good and evil” – whatever that meant to her. After Eve made her choice to sin, Adam chose to join his wife, rejecting the Lord. When he chose Eve, Adam also chose sin and ate of the fruit which had been forbidden. The rest is history – the rest is reality.
So how is life now? In Job 5:7 Eliphaz said, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” In other words, it is inevitable that we face trouble and difficulties in this world. It is almost a law of physics – it is at least a physical law. Sin has made this world a relatively miserable place. Oh, I’m not going to say that there isn’t some degree of happiness, pleasure and even joy. But because of sin, the overall atmosphere of life is polluted with negatives. Job replied to his friend, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.” Later, Solomon threw in his two cents, saying – “For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity” – Ecclesiastes. 2:21-23.
These verses contain a pretty pessimistic perspective. But it is a true picture, IF we neglect to consider Jehovah and His handiwork. And sadly, this is precisely what the majority of humanity chooses to do, just as Eve did so many thousands of years ago. Now life is a jig-saw puzzle of bright pieces and dark pieces. We have the dark and shadowy Dutch Renaissance painters, like Rembrandt, and we have the Calder’s and Kincades with their bright and playful subjects. But no matter what combination of lights & darks, most every heart yearns for more of the better things. We don’t want to learn that one of our kids has Type 1 diabetes or leukemia. We don’t want our car to break down – again. Wouldn’t it be nice if this Spokane River Valley was more Edenic?
I am convinced that there is a way in which it can be. It is all a matter of outlook rather than in-take. We can be pessimists like Solomon or Eliphaz, but that is not what the Lord wants Christians to be. How can we live a Heavenly life on this sinful earth?
First, by being convinced that HEAVEN IS BETTER than the best we can find on earth.
I know that this sounds contradictory or circular, but consider it for a moment. People have their mixed opinions about what constitutes the ideal life – the idyllic life. The sports star has his definition, the politician has his, the financial tycoon his, and the hedonist has another. But you and I are none of these – we are just common, ordinary, everyday people. And we have learned that sports stars, movie stars and rich people come and go. There is not one worldly thing guaranteed beyond the next tick of the clock. You say that you have a bumper to bumper warrantee on that new Chevrolet of yours? But who has guaranteed that General Motors will be here to keep its warrantee? And you have a few dollars in savings or investments? So did thousands of others back in the Roaring Twenties, but they lost it all during the dismal Thirties.
Heaven comes a little closer to earth when we become a little more convinced that Heaven is superior to earth. Paul had the right perspective in Philippians 1:21-26 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” The Apostle was convinced that Heaven is a better place than the very best place on earth. It is a matter of perspective. In March, 1997 Bro. Stewart and I were flying to a Bible conference in Lubbock with a stop in Phoenix. I love to look out the windows of airplanes, and I was delighted to fly over the Grand Canyon. I got to look down at places where I had been before, and I recognized some of sights – it was wonderful. But there were two hundred other people on that plane who were not as interested as I was. It is a matter of perspective and attitude – as well as altitude. It is a matter of acquaintance and memories or goals and plans. If we could learn to properly yearn. If we could yearn for Heaven, we would more enjoy the glimpses of Heaven that exist on this earth. That then would make our little corner of this planet that much more Edenic or Heavenly. If the shores of Lake Pend Oreille are that beautiful, what will the shores of Heaven’s lakes be like?
I exhort you to realize that Heaven is better than the best of earth.
Then too our lives on earth would be more Heavenly, if we would but realize how near it really is.
Perhaps I have shared this with you before. When John Owen, the Puritan, was dying, he asked his secretary to write some letters on his behalf. The man did the work and then read those letters to the preacher for his approval. In one of the letters he said, “I am still in the land of the living.” Owen stopped him, “No, no, I don’t want to say that; it isn’t true. I am still in the land of the dying, but very soon I will be in the land of the living.”
Perhaps it is more true among the young, but most of are guilty of thinking that death is as near as farthest star. We think we are as likely to be struck dead by a meteorite as we are through a car wreck or heart attack. And there is a sense in which that is true. Meteorites are rare – but they do visit earth from time to time. The other day on the waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene, a speed boat struck another boat and people died. I guarantee that those revelers, out enjoying their day & the beauty of the Lake were not anticipating death. Perhaps some of them were relaxing after a difficult work day, or they were trying to forget the problems they would have to face when they got home. But then there was a collision and lives came to an immediate end. I seriously doubt that those people were thinking any more of Heaven or Hell than any average household cat or dog does. But now they are in one or the other.
The more our hearts are set upon Heaven, the more Heaven there will be upon our earth. I rather think that there wasn’t much of a culture shock when the Lord took Enoch home to His house. Enoch was likely a very heavenly-minded man. And there is no reason why we could not, or should not be like him.
How can earthly-living be more Heavenly? By living Heaven before others.
I had been working at the Silver Lake Mall as a maintenance employee – a fancy name for janitor. I had been there for several years, and my supervisor was growing weary of having to give me the mandatory company pay raises, but he couldn’t find an excuse to fire me. And then, out of the blue, the office manager quit. This person had always been friendly and courteous in my presence. We didn’t work very closely or during the same shifts, but I thought that I knew her reasonably well. But then, as I heard all the stories about the events which led to her departure, I became amazed. I started learning about the filthy kind of language she used around some of the others. I learned about her negative attitude and the difficulties that she caused other people. She had never caused me one bit of grief – even once; I was personally sorry to see her leave. But others were more than delighted, and would have fired her if they could have. The end of the story is that I was offered her position.
But what is my point? Who we are and our outlook on life, affect the nature of life around us. We can leave our little corner of the world a better place than it used to be – or not. We should try to leave people with smiles – and not the mean or wicked variety. As Christians we should try to leave an impression of godliness. I’m not referring to religious superiority but to Heaven-sent godliness. As with the woman I just mentioned, I found that my behavior helped to determine her behavior, at least in my presence. She never showed me her true colors, because my life and attitude argued against it. Christians should be honest and expect others to honest, and it happens to some degree. We should be kind and considerate, encouraging and even uplifting. The person to whom I’m referring gave me a list of grievances she had against other staff members. But over and over she said, that she had nothing against me. She said that some of the staff never had a kind word for her, but that was not
true of me.
I say these things to point out that our attitudes and lives DO affect others. Our spirituality affects others. Our God-given righteousness can be like a beautiful perfume, filling the room. And our Heavenly-mindedness can make a very secular world a little more Heavenly. It pays for us to talk about Heaven; it pays us to talk about Heaven. It is worth our trouble to think about eternity with the Lord. It makes earth heavenly, when we make our little corner of the world more heavenly.
And then we will find earth more Heavenly, if we would LOVE HEAVEN’S KING more.
The Lord Jesus once made a comparison between Himself and Israel’s most glorious king – Solomon. The Queen of Sheba had made a long and expensive journey to meet the great king of Jerusalem. She brought questions, doubts, riches and treats. When she went home she had answers, different riches and greater treats. She found that she couldn’t out-give or out-love King Solomon. “And behold a greater than Solomon is here.”
Paul knew a great deal about physical infirmities and pain. He pleaded with the Lord to take away his problems, in order that he might better serve His Saviour. But God said, “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s response was, “Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, for in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.” Paul was saying that no matter what life threw in front of him, he had enough of Heaven in His heart to face it without fear and without resentment. The key to that contentment, was Paul’s nearness to Christ. He knew where to take his problems – he took them to the door of Heaven & the Throne of Grace. And the Lord in turn filled Paul’s heart with His presence – with His Heavenly presence. There is good reason why the Lord is called “the God of all comfort.” That comfort is essentially the same thing that Christians will know first hand throughout eternity. That comfort is essentially the same thing as Heaven.
And now we come towards the key to the puzzle. Earlier I said that life is a jig-saw puzzle made up of light pieces and dark. I have found in putting together jig-saws that often times there is a key piece or area. Once you get that piece in place the rest of the pieces in the vicinity become easy. If you want to live victoriously over your Egypt, the way that Joseph lived victorious over his…. If you would like the “peace that passeth all understanding,” in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…. If you would like to be a Daniel in your Babylon... Then you need the Saviour – the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. He was He who made these men – Paul, Joseph and Daniel – victors in a defeated world.
You see, when Christ Jesus went to the cross, He did so as both man and God. He did so as a resident of earth, but the King of Heaven. He suffered the slings and arrows – not of outrageous fortune, but of the wrath of God for sin. He attacked the root of the problem which began in Eden six or eight or ten thousand years ago. He sucked out the poison of the rattlesnake which has bitten the human race.
As the children’s chorus puts it: “If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus come into your heart.” If you want to make sense out of the suffering in this world – then you need God in the person of Christ Jesus. If you want the peace that only comes through assurance of forgiveness before God, then you need Christ. If you want Heaven on earth, then you need to be a willing subject of the King of that Heaven. And I point you to the cross, the throne from which He reigns today.