What a happy time heaven will be. Together with the saints of God and free from the toils and burdens of this life. We will be at home and at rest in the presence of God. But, there are some other things to consider about our existence in heaven.
Recognitions will be different that what we have known in this life. I Corinthians 15, that great chapter on the resurrection, reveals to us, "the body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption" (verse 42,) and again, "For this corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality" (verse 53.) In this life we tend to recognize folks by physical characteristics. It may be a hairstyle (or lack thereof) or some scar left from an accident. We notice physical characteristics more than anything else but in heaven those physical characteristics will be gone. We are transformed from this lowly, physical body into a glorious body like the Lord's (Phillipians 3:21.) We don't know what this body will be like because it hasn't happened yet (I John 3:2) but it will be without corruption and suited for eternity.
Paul said, "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer" (II Corinthians 5:16.) Paul had seen Christ and was an eye-witness to the resurrection and could have given us a physical description of Jesus as He was on earth. But after this life, Paul would not know Him in that fleshly relationship. It would be a spiritual relationship and that is what Paul was looking for. So should we.
Christians should be aware that what we have known in this life and how we recognize others will be different. Jesus tells us, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven" (Matthew 22:30.) We like to think of being reunited with out spouse in heaven and that we will just keep on "house-keeping" for all of eternity but such will not be the case. The physical relations we have on earth are just for that-while we are on the earth and in the here and now. Each person here has the responsibility to serve the Lord and will give an account of their life (Romans 14:10.) In the church, we are all "one" in Christ (Galatians 3:28) regardless of our fleshly relations or recognitions and like Paul we should begin to look at others through spiritual eyes as we will in heaven. This may scare or sadden some but remember that in heaven we will be in the presence of the eternal God, surrounded by His love, quite frankly more so than we could ever experience here. What a joy to sit down with all the saints and experience love and spiritual relationships far surpassing anything we could experience in this life. We will know one another in far superior ways than we do here but we better begin preparing.
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