Righteousness At Death

Good Morning!! God, who is Holy and wholly good, can not even stand the presence of evil, before Him. (Habakkuk 1:13) Yet, when believers die they go straight into the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). How can this be? David by faith says, "I will behold thy face in righteousness". Somehow this sinner, will somewhere between the moment of death, and the moment of waking in God's presence,...he (and we) will be made perfectly and completely righteous. Our record will be cleaned, our heart will be chaste, our mind will be pure,...and just what does this perfection look like to God?...it looks like his Son, Jesus Christ.

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.—Psalm 17:15 (KJV)

Only the righteousness of Christ, will allow us to stand before the Holy face of God. That is why God predestined His people, to be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Heaven is, as earth should be, Christ-centered. It is for this reason that David also declares, "I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness". The great satisfaction, the great reward, of heaven is experiencing the presence of Christ and being made like to Christ. Heaven is, ultimately, not about being reunited with deceased love ones, or being healed from all sickness,...Heaven is all about Jesus.

"Whom have I in heaven but thee?" (Psalm 73:25)

Those who are in Christ, awake in His likeness, and in His presence,…and therefore to complete and lasting satisfaction. Holy spirit let that be us. Amen.

"God goes before us, follows behind us, and hems us safe inside the realm of His protection."