Spending Eternity with "That" Person

I can remember a preacher (or two) from my youth preaching about relationships saying something to the effect of, "You'd better learn to love the person you're sitting next to - you're going to spend the rest of eternity with them." In one sense, I agree; yes, we will spend eternity with our brothers and sisters, regardless of how much some of them annoy us. But in thinking more on this assertion I believe it comes up specious. Yes, it makes sense at first, but dig into it a little, follow the thought through, and we'll see a flaw in what this message from the pulpit is implying. 

John, the apostle of Jesus, the one close to his heart, wrote, "But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." The believer you are sitting next to in church today is but a shadow of the person you will be spending eternity with as we worship God our Father. The truth is, we shall be like him - all of us. Think about that. 

All of the things in us and about us, all that has been broken by sin, our annoying idiosyncrasies, our nasty habits, our rotten attitudes, every imperfection and annoying attribute will be burned off of us as we are transformed into his likeness. That loud person that always wants to take control? - a shining star burning brightly for Jesus. The rude usher who seems to only care about getting his job done - a beautiful pillar in the temple of our God. Everything you dislike about yourself - turned into a perfect reflection of him.

Do you find this hard to believe?

Think about yourself for a minute. What in you rubs others the wrong way? You likely only need to look to the ones that annoy you to see the very traits in yourself that annoy others. Jesus said to remove that beam of wood from your eye before removing the speck from someone else's. ¹ Are you patient? You will be - as patient as Jesus on that day. Do you struggle with a habitual secret sin? It will drop off of you on that day as the Refiner's Fire lovingly purges you of it when you see him. Are you insecure? You won't be then, for then you will know as you are fully known. ²

Every sin, every habit, every fear, every personality trait that you wish you weren't born with will be gone in an instant, forever no more!

So, who are you going to spend eternity with? Think about it the next time "that" person does "that" thing that starts to boil your blood. Look at them, and instead of seeing them for how they are acting out their imperfections and what they look like now and envision them becoming like Jesus. The seed that is planted in each of us now will be reaped in wondrous glory then as the saints of God shine in the beauty of his glorious grace. ³ Grace changes us now, operating ever so slowly it seems. It works in us now, but by grace then, we shall be forever changed. 

You will spend eternity with the believer sitting next you, and it will be with the greatest pleasure that you stand side by side with them, marveling at the work of God and his awesome grace, exchanging looks of awe as you realize that only grace could save such sinners as us.

Scripture References

¹ Matthew 7:5 - You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

² 1 Corinthians 13:12 - For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

³ 1 Corinthians 15:42 - So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.