Heaven is a mystery to most of us. For those who believe in the Bible’s teachings, many of heaven’s mysteries may be better understood with patience, diligence and thoughtful study. According to Rick Warren, pastor of the popular evangelical Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, Bible study helps unlock many of the mysteries we continue to debate.
In Warren’s Eternal Realities Series, a set of sermons on heaven, he offers Biblical references discussing both major and minor concepts concerning heaven.
Warren explains that many of the things we take for granted in our lives here on Earth will not be found in heaven. According to him, the five key things that will not be found in heaven are sickness, sadness, suffering, sin and death.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL NOT BE FOUND IN HEAVEN?
Throughout the centuries men and women have debated the details of heaven. Often, the Bible provides limited information on certain subjects. But in this case, the Bible does offer insight into many aspects of heaven, including things we take for granted.
There Will Be No Sickness In Heaven
According to Warren, the first thing that’s not going to be in heaven is sickness. There will be no sickness.
The Bible says everything in the heavens has a body and so does everything on earth. “Now these earthly bodies will die,” Warren says, “but the bodies that are raised will live forever. Our ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. Eat your heart out Brad Pitt.”
Why will there be no sickness in heaven you ask?
“Because you’re going to get a new, perfect body,” Warren says. “You will have a body in heaven, just like you got a body (on Earth).”
According to Billy Graham, when Jesus was raised from the dead, “God gave Him a new body that would never age or die.” So will all believers receive new bodies the we die. Bodies that will never grow old and never die.
“When Jesus arose and came back to earth, he walked, and he actually walked through doors a couple times, walked through walls,” Warren says. “He also sat down and ate a couple meals. So I know we’re going to eat in heaven, because Jesus did with his resurrected body. You will never have any needs in heaven. When you eat it will eat simply (for) pleasure.”
With our new bodies, perfect in every way, just like Christ’s, we will never experience sickness again.
There Will Be No Sadness In Heaven
The second thing Warren says will not be present in heaven is sadness. There will be no sadness.
The Bible says “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
“Did you know that the Bible says God has stored up every tear in heaven that you’ve ever cried?” Warren says. “He’s kept the record of it. Your tears and your pain, God knows about. He cares about. When you get to heaven, there’s going to be no more sadness.”
No more broken hearts.
No more rejection.
No more loneliness.
No more sorrow.
No more grief.
No more heartache.
It’s an impressive list.
In heaven, God will wipe away every tear.
“There will never be a split second in the billions and trillions of years you live that you will have sadness or grief again, or depression.,” says Warren.
There Will Be No Suffering In Heaven
The third thing Warren says will not be present in heaven is suffering. There will be no suffering.
“Now those of you who are right now going through grief, and you’re carrying the grief of a loved one, or you’ve been going through a period of depression, one of the things
that that does in our life is, it just makes heaven (feel) a little bit more close,” Warren says.
Many of us who suffering debilitating depression and pain want relief, want it to stop. And deep down we know heaven will offer relief.
“Why?” Warren asks. “Because there is none there. Not only no sickness, no sadness. But no suffering.”
There Will Be No Sin In Heaven
The fourth thing Warren says will not be present in heaven is sin. There will be no sin.
“The Bible says ‘God will bring you into his glorious presence, innocent of all sin and with great joy,’” Warren says.
It’s impossible for sin to be a part of heaven.
So how can God allow us into heaven without messing it up?
The Bible says that all have sinned all have fallen short.
“We’ve all blown it,” Warren says. “We’re all sinners. We’ve all made mistakes. Nobody is perfect. But heaven’s perfect. Heaven is a perfect place and I’m not perfect and neither are you.”
You and I won’t taint heaven with our sin because it’s been washed away.
“That’s what Jesus Christ came to do,” says Warren. “To die on the cross and pay for all our sins. To wipe it all out. Forgive us and to make us perfect inside, so that when we go into heaven, he says we’ll go innocent of all our sin.”
What a comforting and amazing thought. But how will we react when we get to heaven?
“One of these is going to happen when you see Jesus Christ face to face,” Warren says. “The Bible says your character will be instantly changed to be like him. (You’re) still going to be the same you. People going to recognize you. You’re still going to have your personality. God would not waste what he’s put into you, not even going to take what he made you to be and then turn you into robot when you get to heaven.”
Makes sense that God would allow us to keep much of our personality and thoughts and knowledge instead of throwing it all in the dust bin of history.
“You’ll still be you,” Warren says. “And that’s why he made you to be you. And he wants you to be you. Not only here on earth, but in eternity. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the moment that I no longer have any hang-ups, that I no longer have any fears. Can you imagine what it will be to live with no fear? No guilt. No resentment. No worry. No bitterness No anger. No envy. No jealousy. No loneliness. Perfection.”
But as scripture teaches us, we’ll still be who we are, but changed in the best way possible.
“You’re still going to be you,” Warren says. “You’ll be a whole lot more fun to live with and I will too. When we get to heaven, you come over to my house for a million years and we’ll hang out. And then I’ll come over to your place for a million years and you know, it’s going to be fun.”
There Will Be No Death In Heaven
The fifth thing Warren suggest will not be allowed in heaven is death. There will be no death.
All resident of heaven will be immortal. The Bible says there shall be no more death.
It will be gone forever
And since we get a new, perfect body that never experiences sickness, or suffering, then the absence of death for the soul would not be possible. Everything else will be perfect.
“I’m glad that I don’t have to live for eternity with my habits and my hurts and my hang-ups,” Warren says. “God says I’m going to make it all perfect and then there’ll be no death.”
Summary
Thanks to the Bible and wise and faithful Bible teachers and scholars, heaven’s mysteries are better understood. And we can be assured of at least five things here on Earth that we can say good-bye too once we arrive in heaven at our appointed time. Those five things include sickness, sadness, suffering, sin and death
Now, it’s obvious to us that there will be many other things we experience here on Earth that will not be present in heaven. And I’m sure most of you will agree that those things will not be missed as we enjoy the fulfilled promises of God throughout eternity.