Because your loved one had placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord, we can rest assured that he is in a better place than we are today - a place the Lord has prepared for him.
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." - John 14:1-3 (NKJV)
Yes, he is in a better place, because he is now in the presence of Jesus, who has "received Him to Himself." There in the presence of our Lord, he is now in a place of ...
1. Eternal Rest -
In this life we experience difficulty, disease and death, but there, in the presence of the Lord, things are quite different.
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." - Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)
Can this be death?
To be released from fear and sorrow,
From sickness, weariness and pain?
To be removed from sin’s enslavement,
From Satan’s influence and domain?
Can this be death?
To know complete fulfillment as I look upon God’s face?
To feast upon His glories and the riches of His grace?
No, this is life!
With all that it can offer, it is joy that overflows!
It is peace that knows no measure,
It is victory, forevermore!
2. Eternal Revelation -
Your loved one has gone to that place where all mysteries are solved, all questions are answered, and all puzzles are solved.
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." -1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV)
Revelation 22:4 says of those in the Lord’s presence that "they shall see His face."
Face to face with Christ my Savior, face to face - what will it be?
When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me?
Only faintly now I see Him, with the darkening veil between,
But, a blessed day is coming, when his glory shall be seen.
What rejoicing in His presence, when are banished grief and pain,
When the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain.
Face to face! O blissful moment! Face to face - to see and know.
Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who loves me so.
Face to face I shall behold Him, far beyond the starry sky.
Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.
3. Eternal Reward -
"Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: ’Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ’Yes,’ says the Spirit, ’that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’" - Revelation 14:13 (NKJV)
Here in this world, the good things people do often go unrewarded. Even with those of us who love and appreciate someone, there is the tendency to overlook opportunities to say "thanks you." But God does not overlook anything. Nothing worthy of commendation escapes His notice. In heaven, every "thank you" that should have been spoken will be, as illustrated by that wonderful Ray Boltz song, "Thank You."
Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord:
I am so glad you gave.
Some here today, no doubt, will want to add to the "thank you" chorus that your loved one is hearing in heaven when you get there one day. And whatever reward one might have received in this life, he will receive all the more in the next. As the faithful Child of God is welcomed into glory with the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
4. Eternal Rejoicing -
As beautiful as are the descriptions of heaven found in the Bible, the reality of its glory will far surpass anything we begin to imagine. We know this to be true because this is how our God is.
In Ephesians 3:20, Paul tells us that our God, "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine."
Indeed, I challenge you to imagine the most beautiful place possible, and know that the reality of heaven is far greater! No wonder it is a place of eternal rejoicing!
5. Eternal Reunion -
Your loved one is now part of the greatest "family reunion" of all! There in the presence of the Lord, he has been reunited with family members and loved ones from the past, who have died having placed their faith in Christ. And now, he is waiting for us to join him. But to do so, we must make sure that we, like him, have trusted Jesus as our Personal Savior.
It is important to point out that the many good things that your loved one did during his lifetime were not for the purpose of trying to earn God’s favor. No, he served because he had been saved, not because he was trying to be saved. He knew that good works cannot get you anywhere when it comes to being right with God and knowing that heaven is your eternal home. Entrance into heaven is gained only through faith in Jesus Christ. Belief in God is not enough. We must accept Jesus as our personal Savior.
Jesus said, "You believe in God, believe also in me."
If one is to know they are right with God and are heaven-bound, they must personally choose to place their faith in the One who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6 (NKJV).
Therefore, those of us who like your loved one, know Christ as their personal Savior, are not gathered here to tell him “good-bye.” Instead, we are gathered to tell him, “See you later.” Because, through faith in Christ, we look forward to a day of eternal reunion.
(In concluding with prayer, I sometimes offer opportunity for people to pray the ‘sinner’s prayer” to receive Christ as their Savior. I then encourage them to share their decision with the believers in the family - the spouse or the children of the deceased.)
