Myth #1 - Heaven is far away.
Heaven is not some faraway place that is out of reach. Heaven, where God dwells, is understood in Scripture as a space not visible to the human eye. It is a space that can be quite near to us. Christian worship is described in Hebrews 12:22-24, and the author explains that heaven is in our midst when we gather to praise God. Jesus promises to be with us always in Matthew 28:20, right before entering the heavenly realm. Heaven is a present reality that we cannot see.
Myth #2 - Salvation is about dying and going to heaven.
Eternal life begins before we die. John makes this clear in passages like John 17:3 and 1 John 5:12-13. Eternal life is to know God and Christ. Salvation is about us being transformed into the image of Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). This transformation leads us to have a deeper relationship with God and Christ now, as well as prepares us to be the kind of people who will appreciate eternity in the new heavens and new earth. The Christian life is not one of waiting to die and go to heaven. Eternal life and the blessings that come with it begin the moment we choose to follow Christ.
Myth #3 - Heaven is our final home.
Jesus enters heaven to sit at God's right hand in Acts 1, but in Acts 3:19-21, Peter explains that Jesus' time in heaven is temporary. He commands everyone to repent so Jesus will return and the restoration of all things will begin. The story of Scripture is one of redemption. God is not going to abandon his creation. He is going to redeem it. We were not created to be disembodied beings living in the sky. Our hope is in the resurrection of the body. Our final home is the new heavens and new earth where God will dwell with his people (Rev. 21-22).
Myth #4 - People in heaven are unaware of what's happening on earth.
The author of Hebrews compares the Christian life to a race in a stadium where we are being cheered on by the faithful followers of God who are now in heaven (Heb. 12:1). The Christian martyrs in Revelation 6:9-11 cried out from heaven against those who put them to death. They were aware that their murderers on earth had not faced justice. Heaven is not our final destination because even in heaven the wrongs on earth have yet to be righted. Until then, we can be encouraged that the people in heaven are rooting us on and looking for us to finish our race here on earth.
Myth #5 - We no longer have any interaction with people in heaven.
Hebrews 12:22-24 reveals all who are present in Christian worship. We are not alone when we gather on the first day of the week. We are in the presence of God, Jesus, angels, the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and the spirits of the righteous made perfect. When we commune at the table of the Lord, we are not just communing with the people in the room. We are communing with God, Jesus, and all the saints. This includes the saints all around the world and saints past and present. The Lord's Supper is a taste of what is to come. Each Sunday, we come to the table and fellowship with God, Jesus, fellow Christians present, fellow Christians in other places, and fellow Christians who are now in heaven. We will celebrate this same banquet feast when Jesus returns, but then all will be revealed. We will see God, Jesus, all the faithful followers whom we love. Our eyes will be opened and what is hidden now will be revealed.
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