Their Works Follow Them
What will be said about you at your funeral service? I know that we do not have control over what the preacher will say. What I mean is, "What will he have to say about us?" I have been to many funerals, and I have done my share of funerals. The saddest funerals are the ones where the deceased has not done anything spiritually significant in his or her life. However, even more sobering is the thought of what works will follow us to heaven, because we did those things which the Lord led us to do. (Revelation 14:13) Which of your works will follow you?
John, the apostle, wrote what he saw and heard in the book of Revelation. At one point he heard a voice from heaven tell him to write, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." That is so true. The greatest blessing ever is to die being in Christ, knowing Him as Lord and Savior. All of us who know Him get to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Then, John heard the Spirit say, "Yes, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them." Physical death ends our time of working for the Lord here on earth. Heaven is a time of rest. Also, it is a time of receiving what we have laid up in heaven. (Matthew 5:19,20) What about those who have not worked for the Lord, so that they have not laid up anything in heaven? (I Corinthians 3:10-15) Their works will be burned up, and they will be saved, "yet so as through fire." In other words, they will still have the smoke smell from the fire burning up all of their works. They will have nothing to show for their life on earth. What a tragedy!
On the other hand, how will it be to work til Jesus comes or until we go to be with Him. Then, we can enter His rest in heaven, only to be surrounded by the things we have done, people who came to Christ through us, people to whom we ministered in their need, people who came to Christ through our prayers or faithful offerings. That will be one glorious home-going for the child of God. I pray we can all experience heaven like that.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Revelation 17-19.
John, the apostle, wrote what he saw and heard in the book of Revelation. At one point he heard a voice from heaven tell him to write, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." That is so true. The greatest blessing ever is to die being in Christ, knowing Him as Lord and Savior. All of us who know Him get to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Then, John heard the Spirit say, "Yes, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them." Physical death ends our time of working for the Lord here on earth. Heaven is a time of rest. Also, it is a time of receiving what we have laid up in heaven. (Matthew 5:19,20) What about those who have not worked for the Lord, so that they have not laid up anything in heaven? (I Corinthians 3:10-15) Their works will be burned up, and they will be saved, "yet so as through fire." In other words, they will still have the smoke smell from the fire burning up all of their works. They will have nothing to show for their life on earth. What a tragedy!
On the other hand, how will it be to work til Jesus comes or until we go to be with Him. Then, we can enter His rest in heaven, only to be surrounded by the things we have done, people who came to Christ through us, people to whom we ministered in their need, people who came to Christ through our prayers or faithful offerings. That will be one glorious home-going for the child of God. I pray we can all experience heaven like that.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Revelation 17-19.