Have you ever been upgraded into a better rental car, hotel room, business class seat on an airplane, or some other premium perk? The upgrades aren’t completely foreign, they’re like the original, only much better.
If you know Jesus, you going to experience the best upgrade anyone’s ever seen or heard about—it’s GOD’s master plan for creation and mankind. Eternity is not a do over—it’s the best model displayed on the showroom floor after a long restoration process.
When we read passages in the Bible about The New Heavens, The New Earth, and Eternity, there are many things we can relate to. Of course, there will be new wonders that we will experience for the first time, but Heaven and Eternity are not completely new experiences. They will be familiar in many ways.
Eternity can best be described as better, upgraded, the best, purified–what we’ve always longed for. We long for something better because earthly experiences don’t fulfill us. They don’t bring us true joy. They can’t because everyone and everything is flawed. Only in the next life is everything perfect.
This includes our relationship with our heavenly Father. No matter the current depth of our relationship with GOD, we still feel like there’s something missing—there’s more of Him we want and need. We desire to be in His presence with no fears or doubts
One day, that desire will be fulfilled. Those who have trusted Him, will see His face. The veil that separated us will be gone. Jesus even prayed for this. The Bible says in John 17:24;
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. NIV
This relationship will bring us the highest joy and fill that deepest of longings. It will be better, the best, because it’s a continuation of what we have with him now. It will be new, but not foreign—it’s an upgrade into the best possible union between man and GOD.
In the same way, the new Heavens and new Earth will be a massive upgrade. The Bible mentions; buildings, friends, family, trees, fruit, light, water, gold, pearls, precious stones, cities, gates, streets, mountains, animals and more. The mention of these things reveals a continuity from this life into the next life. The best version of everything GOD has created will be available for His children to explore and manage.
We will also experience an upgrade. The Bible tell us about our spirits being made “new.”
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NIV
If you’re in Christ your spirit is new, better, pure and upgraded. All because of Jesus. But wait, there’s more! When you receive your extreme makeover glorified body, your body and soul will finally be what GOD meant for you to be. Still you, but upgraded into a masterpiece.
Reflection
Today, we can have great joy about what awaits us in eternity. Life in eternity will be the final cut and polished version of many things we already know. All of it experienced in the arms of Jesus—what an upgrade!