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Jonathan Edwards, the 18th century theologian, once gave a sermon called “Heaven Is a World of Love.” It’s a beautiful message that contrasts this current, painfully imperfect world, with the glorious and perfect heaven those in Christ can look forward to. Edwards explains how in heaven, we will be with God, the source of love. In heaven, he wrote, there will be perfect love between all beings, no negativity or imperfections whatsoever, genuine and mutual love and fellowship, and an ever-growing and deepening love throughout all eternity.

It’s a peaceful and incredible thought, just how prominent the presence of perfect love will be in heaven. But on the other side of the coin is the similarly blessed thought of not what will be in heaven, but what won’t be. While Edwards wrote that “heaven is a world of love,” author Dustin Benge has said that “heaven is a place of ‘no mores.’” No more what? Well, Benge gives us a few to consider.

1. ‘No More Sin’ and ‘No More Temptation’

Isaiah 35:8-9 states, “A highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. … But only the redeemed will walk there.” This passage is not explicitly about heaven, but many have described it as portraying the way to salvation or the “highway of holiness.” This is important, because God, being holy, requires that we are holy. The purpose behind sanctification in the Christian life now is to become increasingly holy as we chase after righteousness.

God’s holiness is what required Jesus’s death on the cross. His death, burial, and resurrection paved the way to salvation, opening the door for unrighteous sinners to be covered in Christ’s righteousness. However, until we are on the other side of glory, we will continue this battle with the flesh. Daily, we must reject the temptations that attack and entice us. Because we still live in this fallen world, we still wrestle with sin.

But in heaven, as Benge reminded us, there will be no more sin or temptation. The battle, while conquered in Christ, will finally be over. We will be able to roam the streets of gold, engage in perfect fellowship, and serve our Lord in faultless bliss without anything getting in our way. All those days and nights spent fighting the flesh will be gone forever. Think of some of your biggest temptations, the ones you’ve been trying to say no to perhaps your whole life. Those, too, will be eradicated. While those in Christ are already free now, we still feel the effects of a broken world. But in heaven, we will be free, and there will no longer be even an ounce of sin or temptation competing for our affections. The battle will be over; the flesh conquered.

2. ‘No More Tears, No More Pain, No More Sorrow’

Not only will we be free from the sinful temptations that attempt to plague our spirit, but we will be free from the grief that drags our spirit. Some of you are suffering right now. Some of you have recently lost loved ones to death. Some of you are struggling with unemployment, or perhaps you’re barely scraping by financially. Maybe even some of you are desperately trying to survive in the trenches of loneliness, depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. Whatever you’re suffering from, please know, it’s not going to be the end of you.

I don’t know all the reasons why the Lord allows us to go through pain, but I do know that it’s a part of this fallen world and leads to our sanctification. I also know that God has promised, for those who believe in Him, that their pain is temporary. Many people make irreversible decisions due to temporary problems. But dear Christian, turn to Christ! He offers you a hope that transcends any suffering you may face in this brief life. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” He also wrote in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Beloved, Paul wrote this because he understood that, in heaven, all of our present suffering will go away. Revelation paints this precious picture of how our King will personally wipe away our tears. What glory. And so, no matter what you’re experiencing, be it abundant tears, immense pain, or insufferable sorrow, hold on to hope. The day is coming when it all will be no more.

3. ‘No More Evil’ and ‘No More Separation’

Have you experienced slander? Perhaps you can hardly look at the news due to an inconceivable number of violent crimes constantly taking place. As politically engaged believers, many of us are on the frontlines as we deal with the issue of abortion, transgenderism, and more. We see how evil some of these secular ideologies can be as they tear babies apart in the womb or turn children into walking experiments. But whatever evil you see in the world, we can look forward to our lives in heaven, in which evil will be cast out forever.

Evil, unholiness, sin — all of these things separate us from God. They pull us away from the good, the true, and the beautiful. But in heaven, we don’t have to worry about it anymore. We don’t have to fear for the well-being of our loved ones. We won’t even have to think of another violent crime, act of injustice, or atrocity ever again. We will be in heaven where evil is not only lacking, but where any gap between us and our Father will be closed. May we look forward to walking with our Lord in the cool of the day, just as we were always intended to.

4. ‘No More Death’

Ultimately, whether we’re talking about pain, sin, evil, or anything else, they all have one thing in common: death. All sin leads to death. Evil leads to death. In this world, there are cultures of death and industries of death. There are wars, causing innumerable deaths. We have ravenous diseases, many of which lead to death. Death, death, death — it’s everywhere! Sometimes it feels like we can’t escape it.

But we can. And for those in Christ, we already have. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 reads, “‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Beloved, death has been defeated! For those in Christ, not only do we have life, but we have it abundantly. Christians ought to understand that death does not have the final say, because Christ already said, “It is finished.”

We are free from the chains of death, sin has no hold on us, because Christ rose from the grave. And He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, eager to welcome us home. As Benge put it, “Jesus has conquered all and has purchased, for all believers, ever-increasing joy, forever!”

I don’t know about you, but heaven, the world of love and the place of “no mores,” is a place I can hardly wait to be in. In fact, for this reason, Psalm 23 has always had a remarkably powerful impact on me, specifically verses 5 and 6: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Forever is not so far away. My prayer is that we can eagerly await, with great anticipation, our true home. I pray we never forget the glories that are to be revealed to us, glory beyond all comparison. And as we wait, may we share this Good News with the world, having a genuine desire to see more and more enter the Kingdom of Heaven. May we share God’s word as we wait for heaven, where we will be with God face to face.

“There in heaven,” Edwards wrote, “this fountain of love, this eternal three in one, is set open without any obstacle to hinder access to it. There this glorious God is manifested and shines forth in full glory, in beams of love; there the fountain overflows in streams and rivers of love and delight, enough for all to drink at, and to swim in, yea, so as to overflow the world as it were with a deluge of love.”

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Republished with thanks to The Washington Stand. Image courtesy of Unsplash.