10 Things You Can’t Do In Heaven

 “Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” (2 Corinthians 5:9 ESV).

Believers will please Christ forever in heaven, and our aim on earth is to start pleasing Him now.

Some of the ways we bring pleasure to Christ on earth will continue in heaven: Worship, love, serving, and fellowship will bring joy to us and to Christ in heaven as they do on earth. But right now, we have opportunities to bring joy to Christ that are only possible during our life in this world.

Here are ten examples:

1. All the believing we will ever do is the believing we do in the body. We won’t need to believe when faith has turned to sight.
2. All the interceding we will ever do will be done while we are in the body. There will be no needs for which to intercede when we are in heaven.
3. All the courage we will ever show is the courage we show in this world. There are no dangers in the presence of Jesus.
4. All the resisting of sin we will ever do will be done in this life. There will be no sins or temptations for us to fight in the presence of Jesus.
5. The only opportunities to trust God in what we do not understand are here in this world. In the presence of Jesus, all that was hidden will be revealed, and we will know fully as we are fully known.
6. The only dark places where we can shine like a light are the dark places where God puts us in this world. There are no dark places in the presence of Jesus.
7. The only patience we will ever show is the patience we have while here in the body. There will be no need for patience in heaven.
8. The only bearing witness to Jesus that we will ever do is in this world. There are no lost people in heaven. But right now, there are many around us.
9. The only comfort we will ever offer is the comfort we give to those who suffer in this world.  There will be no suffering in the presence of Jesus.
10. The only sacrifices we will ever make for Christ and His kingdom are made in this life.  The saints rest from their labors in heaven. The only opportunity you will ever have to move beyond your comfort zone for the sake of Christ is now!

There are opportunities to please Christ now that we will never have again, so let’s seize them and pursue them while we can!

This article has been adapted from the sermon Bringing Joy to Jesus Christ.

Colin Smith

Founder & Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near - So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on Twitter.

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