Faces on Faith: We behold the glory of God in heaven
I may have seen the best Sanibel sunset ever recently.
My family and I were on the beach near Sundial. The towering mountain clouds of summer floated over Fort Myers, glowing white against a deepening purple background. Their foothills stretched out across the water to rest just over Sanibel.
When sunset came, those clouds turned fluorescent red and orange. The colors arced overhead like a dome, bathing the entire beach in a flaming crimson hue. It felt like we were inside the sunset. People streamed from their condos to take photos. It was a moment of arresting beauty. Have you ever beheld something so beautiful that you can’t help but stare, wishing you could freeze the moment?
One of the questions I have been asked as a pastor is “What will we do in heaven?” Is heaven just floating on clouds while strumming a harp? Sound boring? But the Bible gives another picture of heaven. It is where we behold God’s glory.
The glory of God is a rich theological concept. In short, his glory is the outward, shining beauty of his inner perfection and character. God is so good and wonderful that his goodness blazes out. God has set glimpses of his glory in the the world around us. “The heavens declare the glory of God,” says the Psalmist. So when I see a jaw-dropping sunset, I’m getting a tiny peak at how beautiful God is. What if all the sunsets, mountain vistas, perfect seashells, amazing animals, and beautiful babies you’ve ever seen were but a dim reflection of God’s grandeur? That would make heaven the most desirable destination ever.
But there’s one problem with God’s glory. His glory includes his holiness and moral purity. That’s why when people in the Bible see God’s glory they don’t pull out their phones to Instagram it. Instead they cry out, cover their faces, and fall on the ground as though dead. God’s glory tends to terrify sinful people like us. God’s glory and our sin don’t mix.
Thankfully, the greatest display of God’s glory in this world is Jesus. The Bible says of him, “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” Jesus came humbly and gently, bringing God’s glory to us in a way we could understand. He died and rose again to save us from ourselves, making us fit for heaven! Do you want a glimpse of glory? Look to Jesus.
Pastor Jeramie Rinne is the senior pastor at the Sanibel Community Church.