Perfect World

Revelation 21:3-4 “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away”

   Is our world perfect? Everyone can give a few such features of our world that clearly indicate its imperfection. Everyone also has an image of perfect world, a world in which he would feel well and where he would like to live. As Christians we believe that God will change the world by removing all its imperfections. God will simply create the new world, restoring it to its original, perfect state.

  „There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death” (John 4:46).

  How did this man imagine a perfect world? I think it was very important for him that there would be no illnesses in the world, that parents would not have to look at the sufferings of their children. I think Jairus also thought so. “And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying" (Luke 8: 41-42). I also think that in a similar way thought about diseases a man, who for thirty-eight years watched as the disease destroys his own life. „Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda (…) a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years” (John 5:2.5). In what world would this man want to live? Thirty-eight years of illness destroyed his body so that he was unable to move by himself. What could he dream about? Maybe about a world in which there are no diseases limiting the possibilities of realization dreams and desires? What world did a leper dream about, a lepper who came to Jesus and said: "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean" (Matthew 8: 2). Has anything changed since the time of Jesus? I think that we still suffer health problems. A world without sickness, woes and death - how many of us would like to live in such a world?

  „Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion (…) And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.” (Ruth 1:1-2). What do people, who have nothing to eat, think about? Elimelech was not starving yet when he decided to leave his homeland, but how much was he afraid of hunger if, as a Jew, he decided to seek help among those who were Israel's enemies? „Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land” (Genesis 12:10). God promised to give Canaan to Abraham's descendants. However, when Abraham was threatened with hunger, he decided to abandon Canaan and flee to Egypt. Elimelech and Abraham did not leave the places where they lived because they were hungry. They did it because they were afraid that they would soon run out of food. They were afraid of hunger. One can say that they were lucky that they could do it because in the Bible we can find examples of people who not only had nothing to eat, but also had no opportunity to look for food elsewhere. How many people today do not have any chance for this? What do people, who suffer from hunger dream about? Maybe about a world where there is no shortage of food, and people do not have to look at their relatives dying of hunger?

  „And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”. So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food” (1 Kings 21:1-4). The king had the right to give his subject a proposal of buying off his property, but he could not force Naboth to sell it. Ahab was not honest king, his character was dominated by pride, arrogance and selfishness, but he could not change Naboth’s decision. With his refusal Naboth offended Ahab's pride. The king could not accept it, and his wife, Jezebel, decided to help him. She developed a special plan to bring Naboth to death and thus enable the king to get the coveted vineyard. Her plan was implemented, and an innocent man lost his life.

  „Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold (…) Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her (…) And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:2.4-5). When David ordered to brought Bathsheba over to his palace, he was aware that he was committing adultery, but his lust blinded him. He probably explained to himself that nothing great would happen. However, Bathsheba's pregnancy changed everything. Suddenly there was a big and serious problem before David, problem that he didn't even want to think about. He decided to solve this problem so that his sin would not be revealed. By his decisions, David caused the death of an innocent man who was the husband of a woman with whom David committed adultery.

  In both situations, something that many people find unfair and reprehensible has happened. We don't like such things in the world around us. We would like our world to be free of such dishonest practices and we cannot imagine that such things could happen in a perfect world.

  One day Jesus taught people in the temple. „Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”” (John 8:3-5). The scribes and Pharisees wanted to be considered not only as experts on the law, but also as those who exactly follow what God gave to Moses. However, what was their real purpose? Did they really mean God's law to be followed? Their purpose was different because they wanted to silence Him, who preached inconvenient teachings for them. They wanted to make Jesus stop talking about things that revealed their hypocrisy and duplicity. God's law was just an excuse to destroy the authority of Jesus. They were convinced that regardless of the answer Jesus gave, they would be able to use it against Him. They wanted to show themselves as zealous and God-fearing, and Jesus as one who does not obey the law, either divine or Roman. Their hypocrisy was evident in the fact that they accused this woman in a manner inconsistent with the Mosaic law, because they should also accuse the man with whom this woman committed adultery.

   How often today we can observe events, like this scene with Jesus and a woman accused of adultery? How often do we see that people, who do not really care about the law, are taking part in it, but their real purpose is to silence the one, who talks too much about them? From time to time you read or hear about a murder of an important witness, whose testimony could lead to the conviction of a well-known and dangerous criminals. And something worse, sometimes you can read about murder of someone who was inconvenient not only for criminals, but for political or religious leaders. „But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus” (John 12:10-11). Today we are so used to this type situations that we often do not pay attention to it anymore. But do you really believe that the perfect world is a place for slander and libel, even seemingly harmless gossip? Someone who once became the target of this type of attack can say something about it. I think such people understand that a perfect world will be completely devoid of such things.

  What else would many people not want to see in a perfect world? Nobody likes to be used and treated like an object. There are known stories about people who thought they were liked and respected, that they had many friends, but it turned out that they were wrong. When they ceased to be needed by those whom they considered to be friends, they were rejected by them. There are many people who do their work with commitment and involvement, they want to do it as well as possible, but when they are in trouble, it turns out that their lives do not matter to their superiors or colleagues. In this imperfect world, values such as friendship, compassion, mercy and true love are worth less and less. This world in various ways tempts us to selfish life of satisfying our own desires and lusts. Increasingly people help others only when they can benefit. Increasingly, helping others is also a way to show yourself in a good light. This is nothing new, two thousand years ago Jesus accused the Pharisees that "all their works they do to be seen by men” (Matthew 23:5). However, people can see only what is outside, the content of the heart is visible only to God. It was because of the content of the hearts that the Pharisees were "like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). Is there a place for all these things in a perfect world?

  „For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you” (Romans 1:9-10). One of the most painful aspects of life in this world is depriving us of closeness of those we love. God created us to live in fellowship with Him and with other people. Can you enjoy life when someone you love is not next to you? The apostle Paul was emotionally connected with many people whom he met during his missionary journeys, and he wanted to meet them from time to time. And how do we feel the absence of people close to us? What feels a husband who has been separated from his wife for some reason? And what does a mother feel who had to part with her child? What do warm-hearted friends feel when they can't meet for a long time? Will such things be possible in a perfect world? What' is more important, living in a perfect place or living with a loved one? Someone who really loves is ready to accept the worst conditions, just to be close to the person he loves. For those who love Jesus, His presence in heaven is the most important and only reason they want to be there. For such people, heaven without Jesus has no value and is not an attractive place. Do we think so?

  A perfect world is not only a place with perfect living conditions. It is not only a world there is everything what is needed to live. A perfect world is a place where perfect people will live; people who will properly use all that God gives them. It is a place for those who will not think about themselves and use the world in a selfish way to satisfy their own desires, without considering the feelings and needs of other people. This is a place for those who will be completely selfless and will live for others. It is a place for those who want to do what God says only. This place is not here yet, God will create it, but we must start preparing for living in a perfect world today. Every sign of anger, jealousy, violence or hostility should be for us a sign indicating, that we are not prepared for living in this perfect world. Will the people in heaven be angry or jealous? These negative feelings must be removed from our hearts here and now, so that our hearts can be filled with the love of which the apostle Paul wrote: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

   Everyone has his own idea of the perfect world, but is it consistent with what the Bible says about the Kingdom of Heaven?

„I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”” (Revelation 21:2-5).

„See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more (…) The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:17-19.25).

   Every believer has his own idea about who will live in this perfect world, but is this in line with what the Bible says about salvation?

  In the sermon on the mountain, Jesus mentioned the conditions of salvation. He said that saved would be:

„the poor in spirit (…) the meek (…) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (…) the merciful (…) pure in heart” (Matthew 5:3-11).

Jesus pointed out those qualities that are necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

„Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).

  What does it mean to be perfect? Christians usually associate perfection with keeping God's commandments, but at the same time many Christians think this is impossible. In this way they make two mistakes. First, they think that God is asking us for something that is impossible. Jesus said: “you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”. And that means that this is possible, and His life on earth is the best proof that it's true. The second mistake is to treat the effect as a cause. Perfection or obeying God's law is not a way to salvation, obedience to God’s law is not a way to achieve perfection. Obedience is the result of achieving a state where keeping the commandments is something natural. When Jesus prayed for his disciples on the way to the garden of Gethsemane, he did not ask the Father to help them keep the commandments. He asked that: “they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us (…) that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:21)

Achieving this state is possible only in one way by achieving unity with God. When two people want to achieve unity, this is usually done by compromise. However, such unity is not real unity. Jesus said: „I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).

  True unity consists of the unity of thoughts, feelings, desires and goals. If two people want to achieve true unity, then there must be a change in them, they must think, feel and desire the same. Achieving unity between human and God, requires changes on the human side only. It is a man who must start thinking like God, feeling like God and wanting the same thing that God wants. It is the man who must begin to look at sin as God does. For everyone who is in union with God, sin is an abomination, because every sin is an abomination to God. Everyone who is in union with God looks with love at all people, no matter how great sinners they are, because that's how God looks at us.

  Jesus prayed for such unity when He and his disciples walked into the garden Gethsemane, but Jesus first explained how such unity could be achieved. This explanation is found in chapter 15 of John's gospel. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4)

  In this chapter, the word "abide" is repeated nine times. Does this not mean that "abide in Jesus" is a necessary for achieving unity with God and becoming perfect?

  God shows us how this principle works in nature. No flower is perfect just because it tries to look and smell great. The flower is perfect in a natural way if it lasts in perfect symbiosis with its surroundings. It does not reject a single ingredient necessary for proper growth and at the same time does not accept anything that harms or kills. The apple tree is not perfect because it produces excellent fruit, but because it uses everything that is needed to make it perfect apples. An apple tree is perfect if it stays in perfect harmony with its surroundings. This means that the apple tree accepts everything that is necessary for proper growth, but does not accept anything that disturbs this growth, much less anything that destroys it.

  Man becomes perfect as long as he remains in union with God.

  What shows such unity? The effect of unity is living in perfect harmony with God's Law. Keeping the commandments is not only external obedience, but first and foremost a keen desire for obedience resulting from love for God. It's the same feeling that a husband has, who loves his wife and is ready to do anything for her. Not because it is his duty, but because he cannot imagine another possibility. Unity in marriage is that the husband does not think about himself, but lives for his wife and children. And the same is with a wife who lives for her husband and children. There is no place in perfect unity even for the slightest trace of selfishness. There is no place for thinking about yourself, about meeting own needs.

  How can a person become convinced that he lives in union with God? When he doesn’t find in himself such character traits that God doesn’t possess. When he doesn’t find in himself such thoughts that are the result of the lust of the body, the lust of the eyes or the pride of life.

Many Christians believe that this is impossible to achieve this state, but the Bible says something else. “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”.

  Am I „poor in spirit”, “meek”, do I “hunger and thirst for righteousness”? Is my heart pure?

  The Kingdom of Heaven is a perfect world in which will live those who have become perfect, but not thanks to their own skills, but thanks to trust and love for God. It was thanks to trust and love that they allowed God to transform their hearts and characters, and God simply removed from them everything that prevented them from living in a perfect world.

  Do my thoughts, feelings and desires fit into God's perfect world?