35 - What You Will Be Doing In Eternity

In Colossians 1:21-22, Paul tells us that Christ will present the redeemed to Himself, "holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight."

What will it be like when that great day comes? What will you be doing in the new heavens and new earth?

The Bible makes it clear that the saints in glory aren't going to sit on clouds and strum harps.

What lies ahead for believers is pictured for us in the experience of the Israelites. When God brought them out of bondage in Egypt, He led them to the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, which is a picture of the new heavens and the new earth. Israel was to enter into rest in Canaan (Deuteronomy 12:9-10). It was a rest from wilderness wandering and from battles against enemies, but it was not to be a rest characterized by idleness. God gave the Israelites the land as their inheritance, dominion over it, and the command to be productive in it and enjoys its fruits.

The Bible tells us that this prefigures the future of the saints in glory, as we rule and reign with Christ forever. The hallmarks of life in the new heavens and the new earth will be perfect knowledge of God, perfect fellowship with God, perfect service for God, and perfect enjoyment of the new creation -- all in a universe forever free from the contamination of sin.

That's our focus this week as we continue our series, Christ Above All: Studies in Colossians.