Seeing as God sees?

It’s hard to imagine heaven. I know a little of what it is like to meet with God, and a little of intimate fellowship with Him and His people, but when I get there, how will I think? What will I enjoy? Who will I be with? And what about those who don’t make it? Will I miss them?

Once when someone was comparing “good” people with “disobedient Christians” I said, “But God looks at the heart. In the first group, He sees their resistance to Him and their desire to run their own lives without Jesus, but when He looks at Christians, because we are ‘in Christ’ all He sees is Jesus.”

That was years ago but I still think about it, especially when I wonder about those who do not make it, those who resist God and reject His offer of salvation. Here on earth, these might be dear friends or relatives, people close to me. The thought of them perishing is more than I can bear.

But should they perish, will I know it in eternity? And if I do, how will I feel about it? If I am in misery for their loss, that would ruin the “no more sorrow and tears” idea that the Bible does say about heaven.

The words that I said to that person a long time ago give me the thought that perhaps I will see them as God sees them. Psalm 52:6-8 back that up. In previous verses it talks about those who “boast in evil” and love their sin more than they love good. In verse 5, the psalmist says to them that God will “uproot you from the land of the living.”

Then He says, “The righteous also shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ‘Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.’”

Right now I cannot imagine myself laughing at those who resist God. Most of them bring me to my knees in intercession. However, the Bible says that someday I will see them as foolish and vain. Because I will more completely know His great power and holiness, I will see their resistance to Him as pitiful and futile.

Verses 8 and 9 contrast the difference between those who love sin and those who love God. “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.”

If I could pluck out of danger those who reject God, I’d do it in a minute, but I know that my efforts have no power unless God’s power is also at work. Unless He works in them “to will and to do His good pleasure” it will not happen.

I know that Psalm 52:9 is correct in saying, “You have done it.” Apart from Him, I would reject God as they do. I’d resist His Spirit, and say ‘no’ to Jesus Christ. But because of His great mercy, I am changed, and because God is so incredibly good, I want everyone else to see and fear and wait on His name.