Imagine being lost in your sin and the wrath of God is abiding over you (John 3:36). Imagine feeling guilt and shame and fear for not living right. Imagine coming to an honest acknowledgment and admission of your sins and seeking Jesus. Imagine turning your life over to Him in faith as you repent and commit your life to Jesus as Savior and Lord. Imagine by faith in God’s grace you are buried with Christ in baptism for the forgiveness of all those sins. Imagine God washing away all of those sins and giving the Holy Spirit to live in you as a down payment for your future inheritance. Imagine walking through this life with Jesus as His blood continues to wash away your sins. Imagine growing up in your faith and actually becoming more and more like Jesus every year. Imagine being on your deathbed with total peace and confidence because you know exactly where you’re going because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Imagine entering into heaven and standing right there smack dab in the presence of God and you are welcomed with open arms and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:14-30). What will your response be? Do you imagine you will jump for joy or cry tears of amazement and relief? Will you shout “Hallelujah” or be unable to even talk? I don’t know about you but I can only imagine.
Read I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Revelation 21:1-4. Then listen to I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Revelation 21:1-4
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”