Desiring God Above All

The critical question for this generation- or for any generation- is this: if one could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict, or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ were not there

This is a question asked by John Piper among many others over the years, but I feel that many people neglect to ponder and wrestle with this question, or they are so well brought up that they know the "correct" answer but fail to truly believe it. And not to long ago I would have been among this group.


 This question is at the heart of the gospel. Why is it that we believe the gospel, what do we gain. For some it is just a ticket out of hell, others eternal life, and others they want the paradise of heaven. But what many fail to see and others see it but don't believe it to be true is that Christ is the beginning, middle, and end of the gospel. We believe and trust in the gospel not for a free ticket to heaven but because we are allowed to be in the presence of almighty God


The basis of the song "My Hell" by the group Disciple is, as they say, "This was my hell living without you here, even heaven is hell if somehow you were not there...nothing ever will compare."


And that is the question do we really believe that, do you believe that heaven without Christ can compare evenly to the presence of the glory of God. And I pray that you are saying with me a resounding No!


Are we willing to say with Paul, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:8).