In a Tabletalk article Burk Parsons mentions the 2005 film Paradise Now about Islamic terrorists about to blow themselves up and uses it as a segue to discuss the concept of Paradise for believers:
Jesus promised paradise to the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43), and He has promised paradise to us (Rev. 2:7). Just as the thief recognized his destitute condition, so we cannot enter paradise until we first recognize that we cannot enter it by our own power. Our problem is twofold: First, because we have such a low estimation of how destitute we are, we have too high an estimation of our own strength in attaining paradise. Second, because we have such a high regard for this life, we have a low expectation of paradise; thus, we do not do not long for the promised paradise as we should.
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Christ has inaugurated His ministry of regaining paradise, and He will continue in that ministry at the right hand of the Father until He returns and establishes the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21). Our paradise now is the spiritual reality that we are already glorified and seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:20), and our paradise to come is physical reality wherein the Lord will wipe away every tear from our eyes as we worship Him coram Deo.
Do you agree that we have too high an estimation of our own ability to achieve paradise on our own? Do you agree that we have a low expectation of paradise because we have too high a regard for this life?
Why or why not?