Question Time
A question came to me from a college student that went something like this.
If Lucifer rose up against God and was cast out of heaven what’s to stop that from happening again? The Bible essentially ends with a happily ever after but doesn’t progress any further than we will spend eternity in heaven or hell?
I believe scripture teaches that the fall will not be repeated in heaven. Here’s why: For those united with Christ through faith in His finished work on the cross and in His resurrection, the blood He shed establishes a new covenant. This new covenant ensures that we will not experience a fall like Satan or Adam did.
This new covenant is an expression of God’s unwavering commitment to His people, grounded in His promise to preserve and sustain us. This divine covenant is more than just the assurance of eternal life; it is a declaration that God, through the sacrifice of Christ, is resolutely dedicated to keeping us steadfast in our faith. Unlike Adam and Eve, who succumbed to temptation in their innocence, we are the privileged recipients of a blood-bought covenant, shielding us from falling away.
At the Last Supper, Jesus declared the significance of this covenant saying, “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20). This statement signifies that those who believe in Christ and are covered by His atoning blood are the beneficiaries of a new and everlasting covenant. This is a covenant sealed with Christ’s blood, affirming our secure standing before God.
The nature of God’s commitment in this new covenant is even described in the words of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. These passages help us to grasp the depth of God’s promise.
Jeremiah 31:31-34, depicts the new covenant this way: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
In these passages we see the transformative power of God’s grace, writing His law on our hearts and establishing an intimate relationship with us, marked by forgiveness and the removal of sin.
Ezekiel 11:19-20 further reveals God’s commitment: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” God promises a spiritual heart transplant, replacing our stubborn, unyielding hearts with hearts that are responsive to Him. This transformation enables us to live in accordance with His will, walking in obedience and faithfulness.
The most reassuring promise comes from Jeremiah 32:40: “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” This is the essence of the new covenant. God pledges not only to do good to us perpetually but also to instill a reverential awe of Him in our hearts, ensuring that we remain faithful and do not stray from Him.
You might also be thinking that this seems at odds with having free will in heaven. Yes, we will have free will, but we will also have a new nature – a nature that is not inclined to sin. I think 1 John 3:2 says it clearly, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” This will complete our sanctification as God takes us home.
As we reflect on these promises, we see that the foundation of the new covenant is God’s active role in our perseverance. He is not a passive observer but a committed guardian of our faith. The promise, “I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me,” underscores that our perseverance is not solely our responsibility. God Himself takes charge of keeping us in His fold. He places within us a profound fear of Him, not as a deterrent but as a loving reminder of His holiness and our dependence on Him.
The glory of the new covenant lies in the assurance that God will never be in a position where His redeemed people turn away from Him. The very heart of this covenant is His commitment to prevent such a turning away. This is a divine safeguard and a testament to His love and faithfulness, ensuring that we remain His, forever secure in His hands.
“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
Oh, that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood-washed linen
How I’ll sing thy wondrous grace!
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels soon to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
(Robert Robinson, 1758)
Credit: Ron Kelley
If Lucifer rose up against God and was cast out of heaven what’s to stop that from happening again? The Bible essentially ends with a happily ever after but doesn’t progress any further than we will spend eternity in heaven or hell?
I believe scripture teaches that the fall will not be repeated in heaven. Here’s why: For those united with Christ through faith in His finished work on the cross and in His resurrection, the blood He shed establishes a new covenant. This new covenant ensures that we will not experience a fall like Satan or Adam did.
This new covenant is an expression of God’s unwavering commitment to His people, grounded in His promise to preserve and sustain us. This divine covenant is more than just the assurance of eternal life; it is a declaration that God, through the sacrifice of Christ, is resolutely dedicated to keeping us steadfast in our faith. Unlike Adam and Eve, who succumbed to temptation in their innocence, we are the privileged recipients of a blood-bought covenant, shielding us from falling away.
At the Last Supper, Jesus declared the significance of this covenant saying, “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20). This statement signifies that those who believe in Christ and are covered by His atoning blood are the beneficiaries of a new and everlasting covenant. This is a covenant sealed with Christ’s blood, affirming our secure standing before God.
The nature of God’s commitment in this new covenant is even described in the words of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. These passages help us to grasp the depth of God’s promise.
Jeremiah 31:31-34, depicts the new covenant this way: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
In these passages we see the transformative power of God’s grace, writing His law on our hearts and establishing an intimate relationship with us, marked by forgiveness and the removal of sin.
Ezekiel 11:19-20 further reveals God’s commitment: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” God promises a spiritual heart transplant, replacing our stubborn, unyielding hearts with hearts that are responsive to Him. This transformation enables us to live in accordance with His will, walking in obedience and faithfulness.
The most reassuring promise comes from Jeremiah 32:40: “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” This is the essence of the new covenant. God pledges not only to do good to us perpetually but also to instill a reverential awe of Him in our hearts, ensuring that we remain faithful and do not stray from Him.
You might also be thinking that this seems at odds with having free will in heaven. Yes, we will have free will, but we will also have a new nature – a nature that is not inclined to sin. I think 1 John 3:2 says it clearly, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” This will complete our sanctification as God takes us home.
As we reflect on these promises, we see that the foundation of the new covenant is God’s active role in our perseverance. He is not a passive observer but a committed guardian of our faith. The promise, “I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me,” underscores that our perseverance is not solely our responsibility. God Himself takes charge of keeping us in His fold. He places within us a profound fear of Him, not as a deterrent but as a loving reminder of His holiness and our dependence on Him.
The glory of the new covenant lies in the assurance that God will never be in a position where His redeemed people turn away from Him. The very heart of this covenant is His commitment to prevent such a turning away. This is a divine safeguard and a testament to His love and faithfulness, ensuring that we remain His, forever secure in His hands.
“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
Oh, that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood-washed linen
How I’ll sing thy wondrous grace!
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels soon to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
(Robert Robinson, 1758)
Credit: Ron Kelley
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