1 Corinthians 13:12

“You don’t know me, do you?” I was embarrassed to answer the question. I knew that I should know him, but I didn’t. He was an old friend, we had worked side by side, and laughed a great deal of that time. But that day I did not recognize my friend; time and sickness had greatly changed his outward appearance. But suddenly I knew who he was, we shared stories and laughed again. It made a difference when I stopped looking at his outward change and realized that he was the same unchanging friend on the inside.

One of the questions that I am often asked is, “Will we know one another in Heaven?” I think that the simplest and best answer I ever heard came from that grand old preacher B. R. Lakin. He said, “Certainly we will, you don’t think we are going to know less in Heaven than we do on earth, do you?”

Without any hesitation I too can answer, “Yes! We will know our loved ones in our home above.” The Bible is clear that we do not lose our identity in Heaven.” We will be who we are, except without the dross of sin and the battle scars of earthly life.

We will be changed in the twinkling of the eye from this robe of flesh into spiritual garb that is suitable for eternal life; yet we will remain who we are on the inside of this body of ours. Consider Lazarus, of whom Christ spoke (Luke 16:19-31). He was known on earth as the poor beggar, but in Heaven he is well and rich; yet he is still the same Lazarus.

It is recorded in the Bible that Moses was dead and buried (Deuteronomy 34:5-6) yet he was seen and recognized with Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3).

The truth is that not only will we know one another in Heaven, we will know each other better. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then we will know as we are known. Here we look at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart. In Heaven we too will see each other’s heart and we will be forever humbled by all the love and goodness that we failed to realize here on earth.

How I love this song: “Heaven! Happy Home Above! Heaven! Joy Peace and Love Oh! It makes me feel like traveling on. Heaven! Supernal! Heaven! Eternal! I’m so glad that it’s real.”