How would you describe color to a person born blind so that they could understand? Have you ever wondered about that? If a person had never seen any colors how on earth could you help them to even begin to understand what they looked like? Well… this past week I went to the place where answers are found – Google – and typed in: how do you explain color to a person born blind? Any guesses as to what it told me? Most of the answers were pretty similar. People said that the best way to do it was to try to explain color in terms that a blind person could relate to. So even though they don’t have the sense of sight, they can smell and hear and feel and taste… so try to use the other senses to explain it. So for example someone might describe red as “bold” or “in your face” or “spicy” or “hot”. Or with purple you might call it “deep” and “mysterious” and “royal”. And while those descriptions might give a blind person a sense of what colors are… they really will never quite fully explain it… for that you need to see.
Today is Saints Triumphant. A day during the church season of End Time where we thank God for his grace to those saints – which is another word simply for “believers” in the Bible – we thank God for his grace to those believers who have died in faith and are living as the Saints Triumphant in heaven. And on this day too we look forward to joining them in heaven where we will be able to see our Savior and be reunited with Christians who have died before us.
But one of the great and terribly difficult questions that often comes up when we think about all of this… is “What will heaven be like?” And much like trying to explain color to a blind person, trying to explain heaven to those who are still on earth is no easy task. How do you explain the concept of eternity to someone who has only experienced time? How do you explain the concept of perfection to someone who has always lived in a world of sin and temptation? How do you describe a life without pain or sadness or death when that is all we see around us every single day?
And yet… God does something similar to what we might do when explaining colors to a blind person. He gives us insight into what heaven is like by explaining it in ways that we can relate to. We heard that in our 1st Lesson from Isaiah… where God said that what is the norm here on earth – infants dying… men failing to reach old age… fruitless lives and meaningless labor… anger and animosity between men… and even in the animal kingdom… heaven will be nothing like that. God says: Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. (Isaiah 65:17)
Or you look at what Jesus described in the Gospel today. He said that in heaven the relationships meant for this life like marriage and family will not be the same in heaven. We will be with our loved ones of course who died in faith, but it’s not as if we’ll live in a house in a neighborhood with them and continue to have kids and grandkids and watch them grow… they will be there… and it will be great! But it will be different.
In the Bible most often it seems we are left to understand heaven and eternity with God in terms of what it will not be compared to this life – There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4)… in short, there will be no sin and no consequences of sin. And that’s because God is there. And where he is, no sin can be present… and really… that’s all God says we need to know for now. We’ll understand it when we see it, when we experience it… but until then God does not give us more information. And that’s okay…
Because the truth is, God knows exactly what information we do need to know right now and focus on right now so that we can join him one day with the Saints Triumphant in heaven. That information is contained in his Word which gives us all we need through Jesus Christ. And so today as we look at our sermon text from 2 Thessalonians we hear God tell us to STAND FIRM IN CHRIST, because what’s most important for us right now is not to know exactly what heaven will be like… but instead to know how we can be confident of our place in heaven.
This is a message that we need to hear… and it’s a message the 1st Century Christians in Thessalonica needed to hear too. This city in northern Greece was one of the places Paul stopped while on his mission journeys. And like many of the cities he visited, he faced opposition from those who did not believe his message, or who wanted to twist it for various reasons. And we see Paul fighting against that in the two letters he wrote to this congregation. He reminded them of the truth about Christ and encouraged them to stand firm till the end no matter what the opposition looked like. And with that in mind we hear him begin this final section of his letter to them saying: But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
No matter who opposed Paul or the Thessalonians or what message they were trying to sell… Paul was thankful. He was grateful to God for the work he had done for his people. And “God’s Work” is really the focus here. This is one of the places in the Bible that so clearly teaches us that our salvation – from beginning to end – is entirely God’s Work. We see here what we call the Bible’s teaching of “election.” This is a teaching which is pure good news. God chose you before time began to be his own. He has always had you in his plans and he has made sure that his plans were carried out. First his plan to free you from sin and death through the work Jesus accomplished in his life, on the cross, and through his empty grave… You see God didn’t choose you to be his child apart from Christ, but in Christ. And after redeeming you through Christ, God the Holy Spirit sanctified you – that is, he made you holy, by giving you belief in the truth… faith in Jesus as your Savior…
And how did the Spirit do this? He called you to this through our gospel… God’s good news about Jesus, recorded by men like Paul, and shared with people like us… this is the tool – the gospel – which the Spirit uses to create and strengthen and preserve us in faith. And why does he do this? Paul tells us: that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever helped a little kid build something? Maybe a model airplane or a lego set or a sandcastle…? If you have you probably remember doing most of the work – if not all of the work yourself. In the end the child might take pride in what was accomplished, but you know that you were the one doing all the work… you gave directions and guided their hands and helped them to fix the errors they made… and really that’s the way our life as a Christian goes too… Our Father in heaven is the one doing the work and making sure it all turns out for our good.
He chose you before time began, redeemed you and then brought you to faith in time, and now keeps you safe for an eternity with him… this is God’s work and it’s what can give you the ultimate security and confidence as you wait to see him face to face in heaven. And this work is brought into your life only through the gospel. Which is why Paul goes on to say: So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
If we are to STAND FIRM IN CHRIST it means we are going to hold on to what Christ has done and taught… and we find this in the Word of God… the Bible which has been passed on to people from one generation to the next. “Hold on to it!” Paul says. “Don’t let go!” Because ultimately the only thing that can jeopardize our eternity with God is us letting go of God’s Word and rejecting his gospel.
I remember back when I was in high school playing football we had a couple of running backs who had trouble holding on to the football in practice. And so to make sure that wouldn’t happen in the game when it really mattered, coach would have these guys carry a football around with them all day. They’d carry it to class and to lunch and back to the dorms with them. They were not allowed to put it down. The rest of us on the team would even be told to punch at it and try to knock it loose… all to make sure that our running backs where always prepared to hold on tight to the ball.
In many ways God asks us to hold on to his Word in the same way. There will be people who try to knock it out of our hands and out from our hearts… We’ll have to be careful not to get tired of carrying it and set it down when things get tough or we’re juggling the many pressures and responsibilities of this life… and we do this because in the end nothing else is as important to hold on to.
STAND FIRM IN CHRIST… brothers and sisters. When you are tempted to sin stand firm knowing God will answer your prayer for strength in temptation. When you fall into sin today, stand firm knowing God’s grace in Christ covers your faults and empowers you to turn away from them tomorrow. When Satan tries to drive you to despair because of the mess you’ve made of your life stand firm, knowing that God has chosen you to be with him in heaven, and God’s choice cannot be undone by the lie of the enemy. Stand firm when the world seems to be falling apart… when our nation seems to be unraveling… when our families splinter… and our health crumbles… STAND FIRM IN CHRIST knowing that God is still on his throne no matter who is in the White House… and God has given you a family which will never fall apart – one where he is your perfect Father… and God will give eternal health and eternal life to you when this short time of trial… this short time on earth is over.
Stand firm in Christ my friends. Hold to his Word. And trust that Christ and his Word stand forever and will hold you forever as he has promised. And finally: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
We live in the End Times my friends… in the “now, but not yet”… There is a day coming soon though when what God has promised in his Word will be ours not just in reality but in experience. And on that day we’ll know what heaven is like… we’ll see and join our loved ones as the Saints Triumphant… and best of all, we’ll stand firm forever in the presence of our Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory forever and ever! Amen.