The heaven we will enjoy for eternity is still being formed. God is making all things new. First, Christ, the Captain of our salvation, was made perfect through suffering. Next, the members of His Church will be made perfect. Also, the nations of the earth will be taught righteousness through the Church.

Finally God will re-create our environment. Then we will enjoy a new heaven and a new earth—for all things will have been made new and all things will be centered in Christ and will reflect Christ.

When the new Jerusalem has been made perfect in every detail it will be placed for eternity on the new earth. This is the coming of the Kingdom, the performing of God's will in the earth.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

The new Jerusalem is a "prepared" city, prepared to be the perfect complement of Christ and the eternal Throne of God and of the Lamb.

One of the goals of the Christian life is to obtain eternal residence in a city in which we can enjoy a relationship of perfect love with Christ and with other people; a city in which there is perfect peace and joy, in which we can see the Face of God, and in which there is no death, no sorrow, no pain or dread of any kind whatever.

These blessings can come about only as we, through the Person of Christ working through the Holy Spirit, are transformed into the image of Christ and brought into restful union with Him and with our fellow saints.

Because the above is true, the emphasis found in the Scriptures is on our personal transformation through Christ and on our abiding in Christ and in love for one another, rather than on our transfer from the earth into the spirit realm.

Such transformation and relationships are the subject of the teaching of Christ concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

The Kingdom of Heaven is God in Christ in the saints performing God's will. It is impossible for an individual who is full of his own ways, who is rich in his own spirit, to enter such a relationship of dependency on God.

True righteousness is continual dependence on God and trust in God through Christ.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)

The person whose soul is lifted up in him is not poor in spirit. The righteous person is the one who lives by trusting in the Lord.

Paul uses the expression, "The just shall live by faith." This expression means that we walk in righteousness as we cast aside our independent, proud spirit, our trust in our own resources, and learn to look to the Lord for all things and in all situations.

To be continued.