Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shauna: I'm Shauna, with Joni Eareckson Tada Sharing Hope. Thank you for joining us. Now, Christians will often share their favorite scripture, or a convicting scripture, or the one they think is most powerful. But Joni, for you, what is the most beautiful scripture?

Joni Eareckson Tada: Shauna, for the sake of transparency, I better let our listeners know that you gave me a heads up on this one. I've had a little time to consider what I would say is the most beautiful verse. I'm going to put the pin on Revelation 21, verse 3. Actually, don't we all love Revelation 21 and chapter 22? But this verse describes the culmination of all things. It says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'"

That is pretty much impossible to imagine, that God will make his home among us and live with us. Picture the joy, the rest and the peace, the beauty and the glory of it all. Heaven is not a hangout for mavericks who roam solo across the universe doing their own thing. No, it's a place of sweet togetherness. We will not be speckled here and there in little country cottages isolated from one another. We're going to live in harmony together. And our joy will be greater because we will be with each other as we should be, as we were meant to be. And we will be with our God.

Together, we're going to rule the world and judge fallen angels. Together, we're going to eat the fruit of the tree of life and be pillars in the temple of God. Together, we're going to receive the morning star and be crowned with life, righteousness, and glory. Together, we'll populate the new heavens and the new earth, making all things beautiful to the glory of Jesus Christ. Most of all, we will enjoy the best of togetherness. We shall be together with God.

Notice how many times I used that word "together." One day God's going to remove all the barriers that now prevent that intimate kind of togetherness. Whether it's race or language that separates us, or sinful attitudes, our national origin, whatever, all those earthly barriers will be gone and we will live in true community as God designed it to be. Here on earth, God has made us a covenant family, united to Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But we don't always act as though we are in covenant with each other. We are the family of God, but still there are deep divisions.

In heaven, believers who are brown, black, white, rich, poor, Peruvian or Portuguese, everyone will have the same testimony: I was a sinner and I was saved by grace. So if, when you think of Christian community, divisions and barriers come to mind, or if in your church family you feel apart or lonely or separated, remember that Revelation 21 heralds a future day. All that will be a thing of the past. We shall truly be one in Christ and be so happy to live together, work together, love each other, and worship our Lord Jesus together. We will be with each other and with our God, together.

Let's get a head start now and work toward making Christian community what it should be: a genuine community of love and forgiveness and acceptance. A community that feels like home, a home where you fit, a place where you belong, where you work together and worship together, all so that you are prepared for our togetherness in heaven.