Five Bible Verses to Reflect on About Heaven

Many passages throughout the Bible tell us what heaven is like. Moreover, it instructs us on how what we believe should impact our life on earth. As described in the MasterWork Bible study featuring Greg Laurie's book, As It Is in Heaven, “What God desires on earth is a precursor to what awaits us in heaven.”  

But what exactly does The Bible say about heaven and how should it impact our lives in the present? Let’s look at five verses that tell us what heaven is like.  

1) John 14:6-7 

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 

In this conversation with His disciples, Jesus assures them they have access to the Father and, therefore, access to heaven through Jesus alone. Scholars highlight that Jesus is promising His followers access to heaven based on their present relationship with Him. Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth because His death and resurrection reconciles us to God the Father. Those who believe in Jesus will spend eternity in heaven, but those who don’t believe will spend eternity separated from God in hell (Luke 16:22-23).  

2) Philippians 3:20  

Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Paul calls Christians citizens of heaven, highlighting that this present earth is our temporary home. In this same passage, Paul encourages us not to be disheartened or distracted by the “enemies of the cross” or by earthly ways of thinking (Philippians 3:18 - 19). Instead, calling heaven our permanent home gives us a joyful, confident hope of being reunited with Christ.  

3) 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 

Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 

Here, Paul states clearly that our heaven-focused mindset should motivate us to live with the aim of pleasing the Lord, and we will be rewarded for our good works. It is crucial to note that the security of our salvation is in Jesus Christ through faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, our desire to do good works will flow naturally out of our relationship with God and show the genuineness of our faith. Christians should desire to improve this world, providing little glimpses of heaven here, because we serve the Lord joyfully.  

4) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

Scholars emphasize that Paul’s use of the word sleep to describe death is intentional because sleep is a temporary state of our physical bodies. Everyone will die in the physical sense, but our souls are eternal. Christians can cling to hope even when they grieve the loss of loved ones because they know that all who trust Jesus died and rose again to pay for their sins will go to their permanent home in heaven once they die on earth. 

5) Romans 10:14-15 

How, then, can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 

The joy we have in Jesus and the hope we have because we will spend eternity with Him must motivate us to tell others. This passage illustrates that the opportunity for others to trust in Jesus begins with Christians spreading the gospel. We are God’s messengers, and we must seek out opportunities for evangelism. It is the most loving, eternity-focused action we can take. 

All references to scholars’ interpretations are paraphrased from the Christ-Centered Exposition series for the pertinent passages. All Bible verses are the Christian Standard Bible translation.