The Kids' Guide to Heaven and the New Earthনমুনা

Who will be in heaven and on the New Earth? Well, because God is holy, only people who God sees as sinless.

Here’s the problem: “Everyone has sinned,” including you and me (see Romans 3:23). And the punishment for just one sin is being without God forever (see Romans 6:23a).

That’s the bad news. But here is the really, really good news: “God gives you the gift of eternal life…because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done,” for you and me (Romans 6:23b). “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

When Jesus died, He took the punishment that you and I should have received for our sins. Now, we only have to do one thing for God to see us as sinless. Romans 10:9 tells us what it is: “Say with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved.”

If you do that, then by God’s grace you will be with Him on the New Earth forever, exploring the New Jerusalem, and reigning and working with King Jesus!

Now, if your parents are Christians, you’re probably wondering if you will know them on the New Earth. The Bible suggests that you will! Isaiah 65:23 says the New Earth will be filled with “a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants [or children] with them.”

If both you and your parents have declared that, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe “that God raised Him from the dead,” you should expect to know each other on the New Earth!

Here’s how I put it in my picture book, The Royal in You:

When we long at last reach our final destination,
we’ll hug long-lost loved ones from every nation.

I want to end this devotional the same way I end The Royal in You:

Don’t think for one second that heaven is boring,
because we’ll be reigning, creating, and exploring!
Not just for our joy, and surely not for our glory,
but to love and to worship the One who is worthy.
It’ll be so much better than your wildest dreams—
ruling heaven on earth next to Jesus our King.

I pray that God has used the Bible verses in this devotional to give you that hope! Take a minute to discuss these questions together:

• Are you sure you will be with God forever on the New Earth? Why or why not?
• What are the first three things you want to do on the New Earth?
• Who do you want to tell about Jesus and the New Earth?

If you want to further cultivate the hope of eternity in your children, pick-up a copy of The Royal in You here!