Like The Angels In Heaven

"Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”- Matthew 22:29-32

Now and again, I will write something with the intent of challenging your thinking about some spiritual truth. This is one of those times. You may not have thought much about this but we all should. after all, we have an eternal destiny. My hope is that this post will motivate you to do some personal study on the topic. Have you ever been in a conversation when you notice the body language of the other person sends the message that they do not like or even want to hear what you are saying to them.  The same is true with the Word of God. There are many parts of the Bible which are easy to receive - but then there are those that challenge our thinking and perhaps our hopes and expectations.  Marriage is one of them.

It is natural for us to project what we know in this life to what we imagine life will be like in Heaven. Many of us spend most of our lifetime with our spouses. We experience the "oneness" that Genesis tells us about. "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." -Genesis 2:24

It is also why Jesus words in Matthew 22 can rub us the wrong way. Based upon my conversations with others over the years, there is an expectation that once we are reunited with our spouse in heaven, we will pick up our relationship where we left off. Seems reasonable, doesn't it? But perhaps there is a little more to the words "until death do us part" than what we thought. Where we might think it is only a temporary interruption to our being together as man and wife, in fact, it is the beginning of a new relationship. There is a greater supernatural oneness that Jesus talks about as He is praying to the Father.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." - John 17:20-21

Our oneness with Jesus and the Father supersedes our oneness as husband and wife. Our earthly marriage and natural union are to be a reflection of our spiritual oneness with the Father. Give you an idea about why God hates divorce. [Malachi 2:16, NASB] I can distinctly remember my mom asking me if Don, my stepdad, remembered her since he had passed before her. The Bible does not speak directly to the issue of continued marital relationship after death, as much as we would like to know. Why we want to know, in some ways I think it is a bit like Lot's wife looking back a Sodom - leaving what she knew and loved for the unknown. I don't want to carry that analogy too far! But when you have been married to someone for so long - in our case this year marks 52 years - it is hard to imagine that our relationship will be set aside for a greater one - but I think it will be. Will, we regret it? I don't think so. The Bible says "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" - Revelation 21:4

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone