We have all heard the phrase “Heaven on Earth” used to described immense pleasure, often associated with emotions such as peace and joy. What is it, really, though, according to the Bible??? If we hold fast to the tenets of peace and joy being the transcendent qualities, we are left with a discussion focused on that which induces such things. While the world postulates that an earthly experience (e.g., hot fudge sundae, massage, romance, sex, etc.) is the key, the Bible reveals something distinctly different.
I once taught a nine-part series titled, The Peaceful Fruit of Righteousness. You might know that the title, itself, is a ripoff from Holy Scripture.
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
— Hebrews 12:11-14
What we learned in that series was that the “fruit of righteousness” is the cause for “peace.” This being an elemental facet of sanctification, itself. I think it’s easy to overlook such details and miss the cause-effect relationship between peace and righteousness. We might summarize as follows: righteousness produces peace in the soul. Not only is this true, but if we synthesize this with other passages in the Bible, we may add that joy is fruit of righteousness as well.
Let’s consider the intrinsic relationships between righteousness, peace, and joy. We ought not expect peace or joy in the absence of righteousness. The inverse is also true – we ought not expect righteousness to exist without resultant peace and joy. This triad is bound, each part to the other, on Earth and in Heaven.
Righteousness gives us solidarity with God. It is characterized by holy, obedient living. “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Ephesians 6:14). Righteousness gives us the ability to “stand firm,” an imperative for peace to exist, for who finds peace in the absence of proper footing? Righteousness establishes our posture before God, allowing us to boldly live out our convictions, “having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11).
Peace is what settles us. It’s increasingly rare nowadays. To find it, nay even see its presence in this world, is like finding a five carat diamond. Yet, the Word promises us that we have access to it, as fruit of the Spirit of Christ. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Whenever I think of peace, I immediately think of Heaven – finally, freedom from earthly concerns. As elusive as it may seem in time, it is given to the righteous, as fruit.
Joy transcends the noise, the friction, and the troubles that the world poses. In the absence of such obstacles, we are free to fulfill our purpose in life, as our Lord and Savior did, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Joy renders world forces powerless against us, for within the sphere of righteousness nothing is able to derail us from our purpose; that is, to bring glory to God in the midst of a perverse generation. “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
As a whole, the Bible depicts righteousness, peace, and joy as end goals of sanctification. If Heaven is where we’ll experience consummate sanctification, then “Heaven on Earth” must be the foreshadowing. Fair enough? This is why whenever we read about righteousness, peace, and joy, the context always directs us to God’s ultimate purpose for His children. In other words, His intention is that we be delivered from the vestiges of our former sinful lives to the sphere of salvation, that is, namely, the Kingdom of God. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Since we cannot produce peace or joy on our own, our occupation ought to be with that which produces righteousness, namely obedience. We mustn’t truncate our thinking, though, the way religious folks do. We have to remember that for obedience to be acceptable, it must be properly motivated, for “the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Obedience requires humility. “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). Humility opens the door to salvation and deliverance, e.g., access to the kingdom of God. Experiencing “Heaven on Earth” is a function of this.
For the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
— Romans 14:17
Christ’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, empowers us to enjoy the blessings of God’s kingdom, even while still here on earth. This is God’s desire for His children. Humble obedience is the key. In this, our hope of deliverance from our daily toils is established. We rightly conclude that deliverance into the kingdom of God (not a hot fudge sundae) is equivalent to experiencing “Heaven on Earth.” Selah.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
— Romans 15:13
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins