What Keeps Us From Sinning In Heaven?

[BarneyFife]

Honestly, what will our edge over Lucifer, and Adam and Eve be?

UPDATE: I can't understand why Christian people are so ready to tell people (even other Christians) whom they don't even know that they "don't understand the Gospel?" I'm not asking for informational purposes, and it's not meant to be a quiz or imply that I have knowledge unavailable to other Christians or even other people, in general. For many people, the Gospel is as simple as "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) and for them, the rest is just window-dressing. More power to them, I say. I like to dig a little deeper, myself. My purpose here is simply to provoke thought and stimulate discussion. That's all. I'm not looking to "school" anybody. Honestly. I have a theory, but I'm not sure I'm anxious to put a bullseye on it right away. I don't believe that helps to encourage participation in a positive way. Whenever a line in the sand is drawn in a thread by the OP the conversation will (9 times out of 10) descend into a partisan debate, which is when the barbs really start to come out flying.

The thought question is very simple (however frustrating and elusive it may be to some):

What tangible thing will we have at our disposal that the 3 original sinners did not have that will keep us from falling as they did?

There are implications to this question that will occur to many, such as: fairness to the original 3 (e.g. will our advantage constitute unfairness to them?) For some of us, these implications can't just be summarily dismissed. God's honor must be vindicated. Many feel that full disclosure is very important to Him, à la John 16:12. The original 3 fell to temptation, albeit Lucifer somehow must have tempted himself and apparently did not repent as did the Edenic pair. I do not believe an explanation that involves just any theorized difference between our glorified nature and theirs is satisfactory. I pondered this question for over 40 years before stumbling onto an article that made me think there might actually be a solution.

 

[justbyfaith]

I put Other.

We will be given glorified bodies that are free from the presence of sin. We will be incapable of sinning, not because we have been made into robots; but because we have been made into new creatures in Christ (to more of an extent than now; in our physical bodies as well as what is now, that our spirits are made born again).

A dog or swine returns to its vomit or wallowing in the mire. Place a pig in the palace and it will run to the mud the first chance it gets. Put a sheep in the mud and it will run to water the first chance it gets.

In the now, we have been made like sheep. There is still mud and vomit in this world that we may come in contact with. When we get to heaven, there will be no mud or vomit to come into contact with; there is no sin in heaven. So it is a double whammy. Not only are we adverse to coming into contact with sin, but there is no sin to come into contact with. If we wanted to have contact with sin, we would have to go out of heaven in order to have that contact. I suppose that that will be an option; for free will is something that the Lord will not take away.

But He changes our nature so that we don't have a desire for sin. And in the absence of its presence, there will be no opportunity to do what is wrong. If we did exercise our free will to do what is wrong, even against the atmosphere of heaven, then we would very likely be cast out; for it would be a greater offence than when we sin against the Lord today, in bodies that are afflicted by the presence of sin.

 

[BarneyFife]

I put Other.

We will be given glorified bodies that are free from the presence of sin. We will be incapable of sinning, not because we have been made into robots; but because we have been made into new creatures in Christ (to more of an extent than now; in our physical bodies as well as what is now, that our spirits are made born again).

A dog or swine returns to its vomit or wallowing in the mire. Place a pig in the palace and it will run to the mud the first chance it gets. Put a sheep in the mud and it will run to water the first chance it gets.

In the now, we have been made like sheep. There is still mud and vomit in this world that we may come in contact with. When we get to heaven, there will be no mud or vomit to come into contact with; there is no sin in heaven. So it is a double whammy. Not only are we adverse to coming into contact with sin, but there is no sin to come into contact with. If we wanted to have contact with sin, we would have to go out of heaven in order to have that contact. I suppose that that will be an option; for free will is something that the Lord will not take away.

But He changes our nature so that we don't have a desire for sin. And in the absence of its presence, there will be no opportunity to do what is wrong. If we did exercise our free will to do what is wrong, even against the atmosphere of heaven, then we would very likely be cast out; for it would be a greater offence than when we sin against the Lord today, in bodies that are afflicted by the presence of sin.

You're kinda arguing with yourself, there.

Lucifer didn't have to leave heaven to find sin. Different nature in eternity = loss of free will. I should probably give an "I don't know" option.

 

[Giuliano]

I believe love, when people know what they're doing, keeps them from sinning.

 

[Nancy]

Maybe it will be when (if?) we eat from the Tree of Life?

 

[BarneyFife]

I believe love, when people know what they're doing, keeps them from sinning.

Like before sin, you mean?

 

[farouk]

Maybe it will be when (if?) we eat from the Tree of Life?

@Nancy Here's a good verse: "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21.27)

 

[Giuliano]

Like before sin, you mean?

Sorry, but I don't understand. Sin is a failure to love properly. If we love with awareness of the consequences of our actions, we cannot sin because we know the consequences would not be what we really want.

We live on the earth now, able to choose between good and evil. If we choose good, we have chosen love and life. The more we do that, the closer we come to having garments of white without spot. There is no loss of free will -- free will has been used to embrace love and life.

 

[Enoch111]

Honestly, what will our edge over Lucifer, and Adam and Eve be?

If you don't have the answer to the title question, you need to go back to square one. If you do, then you need to state it as shown in Scripture.

 

[justbyfaith]

Sorry, but I don't understand. Sin is a failure to love properly. If we love with awareness of the consequences of our actions, we cannot sin because we know the consequences would not be what we really want.

We live on the earth now, able to choose between good and evil. If we choose good, we have chosen love and life. The more we do that, the closer we come to having garments of white without spot. There is no loss of free will -- free will has been used to embrace love and life.

Right...we who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb have been affected by the love of God (Romans 5:5) so that in any instance where sin is absent, the love in our hearts will motivate us to not commit sin.

In the present day, we are made of flesh; and sin in the flesh sins: it is no longer us that sin but sin that dwells within us that is doing the sinning.

When we get to heaven, we will not have indwelling sin; and the fact that sin has been dealt with by the Cross means that as we look back on the consequences of sin (as we remember the days of earth) we will be motivated to not go back to that kind of rebellion.

Again, the only reason why the born again believer might sin is because of indwelling sin. The born again believer is completely motivated by the love of God (Romans 5:5). So, once sin has been eradicated, the love of God will motivate the glorified saint to do nothing but righteousness.

This is not a violation of free will because we make a decision to surrender to Christ as a prerequisite for heaven. That this decision is permanent does not in any way violate our free will. We have decided to follow Jesus and we will continue to follow Jesus throughout eternity, because that is the decision that we have made.

 

[BarneyFife]

If you don't have the answer to the title question, you need to go back to square one. If you do, then you need to state it as shown in Scripture.

Where are those rules stated?

 

[Enoch111]

Where are those rules stated?

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:(1 Peter 3:15)

 

[BarneyFife]

@Nancy Here's a good verse: "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21.27)

The question is not "if," but "how."

 

[BarneyFife]

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:(1 Peter 3:15)

So, if this were a classroom, the teacher would be obliged to give all the students the answers to the quiz questions? They would adjure him by authority of 1 Peter 3:15?

 

[Giuliano]

The question is not "if," but "how."

By choosing and learning to love, no?

Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

[mjrhealth]

Honsetly who cares, when we are there we wont care.

 

[CharismaticLady]

Earth is our training ground. In your vote, no. 2 is the closest, except it will be our nature 2 Peter 1:2-4, not like a robot!!! We must be born again here and now and be partakers of the divine nature and have the mind of Christ. Learn what that means before it is too late.

Jesus said in John 8:32-36 that he who sins is a slave to sin, and slaves do not live in the house forever. Jesus frees us from sin making us children of God and heirs to the Kingdom. (paraphrased)

Whatever state we die in; either a slave to sin and our master is Satan; or we have been freed from sin and we are righteous and holy and are rightfully children of God, that is how we will remain forever. Revelation 22:11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

Read the letters to the seven churches. Revelation 2 and 3. What is common among them? Overcoming sin.

Ephesus: To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

Smyrna: He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

Pergamos: To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

Thyatira: And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

Sardis: He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Philadelphia: He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

Laodecia: To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

 

[BarneyFife]

I believe love, when people know what they're doing, keeps them from sinning.

You don't think Adam and Eve were loving and knew what they were doing?

 

[BarneyFife]

Honsetly who cares, when we are there we wont care.

Thank you for participating.

 

[BarneyFife]

Earth is our training ground. In your vote, no. 2 is the closest, except it will be our nature 2 Peter 1:2-4, not like a robot!!! We must be born again here and now and be partakers of the divine nature and have the mind of Christ. Learn what that means before it is too late.

Jesus said in John 8:32-36 that he who sins is a slave to sin, and slaves do not live in the house forever. Jesus frees us from sin making us children of God and heirs to the Kingdom. (paraphrased)

Whatever state we die in; either a slave to sin and our master is Satan; or we have been freed from sin and we are righteous and holy and are rightfully children of God, that is how we will remain forever. Revelation 22:11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

Read the letters to the seven churches. Revelation 2 and 3. What is common among them? Overcoming sin.

Ephesus: To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

Smyrna: He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

Pergamos: To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

Thyatira: And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

Sardis: He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Philadelphia: He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

Laodecia: To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

This is like saying in order to lock in sinlessness you have to first become a sinner and then overcome sin. You're answering the "if" question more than the "how."