Romantic Love In Eternity?

[Joseph77]

His burdens are for sure, light :)

Okay, this might be ... just semantics ...
Somewhere in the OT, God told them because they called His Torah or Instructions "a burden", they were in trouble. I don't remember where, or if they got punished for that... perhaps it was also where they grumbled? , and even though they did do what God said to do, they were punished, because they grumbled...
Then, in the NT,
Jesus says "His commandments are NOT A BURDEN (i.e. not burdensome) , but light and easy" ...
i.e. perhaps a light burden - but not with the thought of being actually a burden , not at all a hardship or difficult....

So the ... nuances ... are , here, just for the 'back burner', ? , maybe not a main point, yet maybe so, maybe an important one...

 

[Nancy]

Okay, this might be ... just semantics ...
Somewhere in the OT, God told them because they called His Torah or Instructions "a burden", they were in trouble. I don't remember where, or if they got punished for that... perhaps it was also where they grumbled? , and even though they did do what God said to do, they were punished, because they grumbled...
Then, in the NT,
Jesus says "His commandments are NOT A BURDEN (i.e. not burdensome) , but light and easy" ...
i.e. perhaps a light burden - but not with the thought of being actually a burden , not at all a hardship or difficult....

So the ... nuances ... are , here, just for the 'back burner', ? , maybe not a main point, yet maybe so, maybe an important one...

Oh boy did they grumble!!! "So, ya wanna go back to Egypt?" - old Keith Green song lyric :)

Since Jesus gave us those 2 commandments, if followed we will not break the others and, He gives us His love to enable us to love others, I don't find Loving God and loving others a burden at all...well, there might be a person or 2 who can be said to be "hard to love" lol...they have their place in the body too!

Plus, the Israelite's has 613 laws to follow...we only have 2! Seems they did all the hard work! But then, God does chasten His children because He loves them and He must especially love the Israelite's for all the centuries of persecution against them!

So to me anyhow, if we love others as God commands us to then, it should be done without phoniness or condescension. :)

 

[Helen]

I think that our relationships in the resurrection will so completely transcend our relationships here, that even the most ardent and passionate love of long time marrieds will be eclipsed by the unity and love we will have with and for each other in that day.

The deepest intimacy I think doesn't even scratch the surface of what we will know then, with all the redeemed.
Much love!

You said it so much more powerfully and clearer than I could express.. :)

 

[Nancy]

You said it so much more powerfully and clearer than I could express.. :)

Yes...what Helen said

 

[Mayflower]

You said it so much more powerfully and clearer than I could express.. :)

Me too!!!

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Nancy, @Helen, @amadeus, @Heart2Soul, @Pearl, @Prayer Warrior, @Rita, @Backlit, @quietthinker.

I'd like some other opinions on the OP, from those I consider thoughtful.
If I get another one like I got in Post #2, I think I'm gonna barf, LoL.

Sorry for the late reply but I went to church tonight and it took up all my time...
I honestly never considered it but this brings me to think of Lazarus laying in the bosom of Abraham....that's intimate in the sense of brotherly love...or maybe he felt drawn to him as a father.. you know "father of many nations"....
A friend once asked me if animals will go to heaven...absolutely....everything that has breath will praise the Lord....the lion will lay down with the lamb.
She didn't have any children and her pets were like her children so this made her happy.
But love is what God is all about. So there will be expressions of love but how I am not sure.

 

[farouk]

I went to church tonight ...

@Heart2Soul We were out at church, too....

Things are opening up now quite well, aren't they? :)

 

[Enoch111]

To what extent do you think romantic love will still exist in Heaven after the resurrection of the dead?

TO ZERO EXTENT.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I take it by faith that we will be so full of Him and so satisfied with His love that we will not miss the earthly romanic-type love.

As far as special relationships we have here on earth, I don't believe that there will be marriage in heaven based on what Jesus said, but I don't see any reason why we won't have special relationships in heaven. After all, we will still be who we are, or rather all that God made us to be, in heaven.

Hey, sister. Thanks for responding. Just getting back to the forum.

Let me explain something that puts me to thought on this subject. My personality is such that in order to feel truly cared for I need to feel as though I am truly needed. This presents something of a dilemma when thinking about God's love for us, unless you think of God in terms of needing us, and truly needing our love. Personally I think He does, but some would say that's sacrilegde. But my point is, I would always love Him. I've given my life for Him. But when I think of being fulfilled in the sense of someone truly needing me, it is more natural for me to think in terms of another person than the Lord Himself, though I do believe He actually does need our love rather than it just wanting it.

Does that make any sense?

 

[Hidden In Him]

'Til Death Do Us Part: Is There Marriage in Heaven? - Danielle Among Lions
excerpts: ... ...
"I know this may be a hard pill to swallow, it certainly was for me. However, I trust that whatever is in store will be so much greater, more than I can even imagine. I still get sad sometimes when I think about our marriage coming to an end, but for the most part I’m excited to get to that next step."
"Love is the action required in both commandments. In fact, all the Law and the Prophets depend on these commandments to love God and others. I don’t think that will change when Jesus calls us to heaven.

The next time you want to tell your special someone you’ll love them forever and always, know that you are not lying, it just won’t always be a romantic kind of love."

I read the article, but she doesn't go on to detail what love between two married people on earth will become. Suppose they gave each other flowers on earth. Will they no longer do so in Heaven?

 

[Hidden In Him]

It is not that the kind of closeness cannot exist here. It is that even when we really love God as we should, we are so often among so many people who don't know Him at all or are lukewarm. Every once in while God has eased my loneliness here by bringing by for a while another person who also loves God. I have had very few such friends over the years I have served God. One lives still but in California where at my age and with my wife's condition I am never likely to visit again. Another one was local, but he passed away March 1st of this year.

I have my times with God which are unequalled with any relationship with a person, but once in a while having a human visitor who shares my love for God really is a blessing. Yes, it can be and is at times Heaven right here. Can it improve?

I think you have a deeper understanding of this subject that any responder so far. The problem we have as believers is that we greatly underestimate how deep the love of God runs in those who have surrendered themselves completely to Him. We read the writings of the apostles and hear "religious words" without realizing how much they loved others and how deep that love ran, and how much they were continually trying to teach the church not to walk in a shallow, superficial (they often used the word un-hypocritical) love. The word meant that love should be no act, but even go to the level of being willing to die for others, which many of them did. Paul made it clear to his readers that he wasn't picking up his cross daily just for the Lord's sake; the things he suffered by preaching the gospel he did for those he was called to lay down his life for to save.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I think we will love everyone as God loves us. And it will be a pure/undefiled love. I believe all of our feelings will be different in Heaven and they won't all be so confusing.

Absolutely! And this right here again goes to my point. Does the Lord loves us with a buddy buddy kind of love, or does He love us on a level that even exceeds romance. It's as if the word is automatically unclean to some people, as if God created it as only a carnal form of expression. Can't buy it. I don't think of romantic love as a sinful thing at all, and if it is not, then "whatsoever a man does by faith he does unto God." The thing I don't think will belong in Heaven are things like jealousy and possessiveness. But I think there will be bonds there, formed in this life, that will be stronger than others, formed in the fires of self-sacrifice for one another, and they will last far beyond the grave.

 

[Hidden In Him]

It's hard to imagine that if we can kiss each other on the cheek in heaven we won't be able to do any french kissing as it seems like such a close second step, doesn't it? I don't believe that there will be French kissing either, due to the erogenous nature of such an act.

French kissing, no. I would label that as a form of erotic love, and erotic love is always going someplace, if you know what I mean. But I don't think that precludes romantic love. I think there will be a differentiation between the two.

 

[Hidden In Him]

What of the love that surpassed women between Jonathan and David?

2 Sam. 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

Yes, and you know what did it? It appears Jonathon was deeply moved when he saw David's loyalty to his father Saul, despite being in a position after killing Goliath when no one else could to shame others and lift himself up with pride. But I think David expressed great humility and loyalty to the king, so much so that it touched Jonathon's heart, and he instantly wanted to be his friend. Obviously the loyalty to the throne that David expressed was so great that even Saul himself was moved, and practically adopted him from that day forward. Real love and devotion is not easy to find these days, and David continued to prove it to Saul by even sparing his life when he could have taken it, to show him he still bore great loyalty to him.

57 Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” 1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 17:57 - 18:3)

 

[Hidden In Him]

Who doesn't think that romantic love is a great and wonderful blessing,a gift from a loving Father and an expression of His love and intimate love even for us, but without the sex? It is such a beautiful natural part of who we are as human. Yes, we will be like the angels and will not be procreating children, but why would God change who we are... Change they way we were made? Remember, we were made in His image... That romantic level of love and intimacy is a part of who God is also. Why would God take away that which is good?

I don't get it either. Just doesn't make any sense to me.

And on another level....
Now in heaven and the new Earth marriage will be gone, so the restriction on those with whom we can be intimate would also be gone to yes?

Yes. How does one not express great love for those who manifest great love towards them, such as in the ministry that will be going on forever in Heaven? Seems impossible to me.

 

[Hidden In Him]

The context indicates that everyone will be above and beyond Race, Religion, Class, Gender etc.

It will be a higher form of existence.

Neither race nor gender delineates or nullifies love. That's sort of a given.

 

[Hidden In Him]

My guess is that we will be so overwhelmed when we see God that, our whole view or interest in sex, marriage will fly out the window, lol.

Well yes. This much I agree with. But here is a case in point for what I am saying: Will we not have a greater anticipation of seeing some in Heaven more than others. What about our parents? What about seeing our children come home? By the same token, what about a pastor who not only led us to the Lord but then prayed us out of trouble and went beyond and above the call of duty working to save us when it looked like we might lose faith in the Lord? Take it one step further: What about the marriage partner that we were soulmates with in this life; inseparable; that no one on earth compared to them as far as understanding us, praying for us, doing everything in their power to make our lives better in every way?

See, most people never find their soulmate, so they have no knowledge that such a thing exists in God. They might even label it as "soul ties" or something, but I think that's a falsehood. There are such things, and they happen in Christ just as they happen in the world.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I for one will be very disappointed.
If God has something better then a loving wife in Heaven I don't think I could stand it. My heart would explode.
After Jesus the best thing God created " in my opinion " is a loving wife. what a gift, what blessing.
How could God top that. I have do doubt He will. Like said by others. " eye have not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered in to the heart of man what God has prepared for them that love him." But I would not dare to even guess at what could be better then the affection of a loving Women.
We will have to wait and see.
Pomp.

You and I are on the same page, brother.
God bless, and thanks for this response. I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Hidden In Him]

If Jesus died on the cross to ‘ put things right ‘ well what did love look like in the garden of Eden - Adam and Eve had a relationship ,they equally had a relationship with the Lord - so there were different relationships between one another.

Interesting you bring it up, and this right here is I think where the dividing line is. Adam obviously had a deep and abiding love for his wife, or he wouldn't have disobeyed God with her to partake of the same fate. But this is where the line has to be drawn. The lesson of Adam and Eve is that we cannot allow our affection for other humans to ever exceed the love we have for God. Both should be great, even exceedingly great, but the former should never exceed the latter.

 

[Hidden In Him]

TO ZERO EXTENT.

Don't expect any roses from me, then, LoL!