Revelation 21:4

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Praise God!

In heaven, we will have no sorrow, we will not cry, and we will not experience pain anymore! I think it is impossible to fathom, in our current state of existence, where sorrow, tears and pain are ever frequent and impactful. We have sorrow … for things lost, people lost, pets lost … for guilt and wrongdoing, for sins … for the ever coming end, for frailty, for dying. We have tears. We cry. Jesus cried. In our humanness, we cannot help but cry at times. Our being is overcome in less than a moment, and our physical body cannot resist as it opens and bleeds tears. Yes, we cry. And, we feel pain; physical and emotional pain. Sorrow, and the tears that result perhaps, may also come with pain. The experience hurts. Pain, like tears, cannot be resisted. It simply is, and we are forced to endure … to suffer.

God, in His Wisdom, decrees we experience sorrow, tears, and pain. It’s important to Him. It’s part of the plan. There is no escaping it. Every human, but more importantly, every Christian will feel and know sorrow, what it is to cry tears, and feel the hurt of pain.

But, in heaven, God says these will no longer be for us. Our new spiritual self will be so covered in the presence of God, so clear in His blinding light, that we will understand as He understands. There will be no more sorrow because the impetus of that sorrow will be fully understood by us. The sorrow is resulting from sin; a death, or a sickness, a loss, strife, an injustice, a lie. Whatever the impetus, we will now understand that had the sin(s) never been, then there would be no sorrow over the focus. Heaven, a place of no sin, will be a place of no sorrow.

To be sure, I believe there will be overflowing tears of joy as we live each new moment in eternity with Jesus, however the tears of sadness, of sorrow, will no longer be. We will not cry over those things because we will understand more fully that the fallen world was plagued by sin. The world was in opposition to God and will no longer be something we cry tears over. The memories of the fallen world will be understood in a new way that will fill our beings with significant truth from God’s perspective. The world before will never again be a cause of sadness. Our beings will understand more perfectly that without the work of Jesus on the cross, which provided God’s greatest act of grace for His chosen people, there was never a way for Man to escape his intent to disobey God. Only by God’s grace, were we snatched from that world and brought into fellowship eternally with Him. The tears of before are forever replaced with being face to face with our beloved Savior.

And Christians, how then can there be any pain while we are fully in the presence of our King? We will be untouched by pain’s hopeless pangs. While the world before was filled with daily, continuous pain, the New Heavens will be ruled and energized by the power of our mighty God. There will be no place for pain. God will be all! Forever! Eternal! Not only will there be no pain, but I believe there will no longer be anything which might cause pain. Pain erupts from the acts of sin, and heaven will be vacant of sin.

So, it is a special thing I think, that God allows this unique reality; humans are going to know sorrow, tears and pain in abundance, but Christians in heaven will no longer. I do not think we won’t remember. We will simply be so changed, because of God’s grace and will, that the personal impact will not be what it once was.

I ask the question: If God was going to remove those items from our experience, then why have us know them at all? Even Jesus was made to feel and experience the draw and tug of sin upon Man, while of course He never succumbed, nor could He. As God, Jesus could not, and would not sin, but as Man He felt all of it. So, He too would be made to know sorrow, tears and pain, knowing that in heaven He never would again. Why?

Hebrews 2:17-18

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

These scriptures answer why Jesus was made to know sorrow, tears and pain. But it doesn’t answer it for Man.

 

Romans 7:14-25

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

 

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

It may not be the answer we want, but it is the answer:

“It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

 

Man is fallen by the sin and seed of Adam, but if Craig Rose would have been in that garden, I would have fell too. Man is a sinner. Even the angels who lived in the presence of God were susceptible to sin, and many of them fell because of it, including Lucifer. Man, and the angels are creations of God. By simple process understanding we are, and will have ever been, less than God. By less, I mean Man is like the grass of the Earth to God.

1 Peter 1:24

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

 

What of the angels?

Revelation 19:9-10

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

 

So, I discovered this truth. Instead of questioning why God allowed this to be – for Man to know sorrow, tears and pain – just to remove them later in heaven for His people, I have found that scripture teaches that Man would be sorrowful, tearful and experience pain due to our sinful nature. That knowledge then leads to some of the most joyous revelations of God!

Psalm 56:8

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Psalm 126:5

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

Isaiah 38:5

“Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

Psalm 30:5

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 34:15

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

John 11:33

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

Hebrews 5:7

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

 

You see Christian, that God sees your tears, and hears your cries. He does not overlook them. He does not disregard them. No. Instead, He provides attention, and care. He listens, and wills to provide comfort. His understanding is beyond comprehension. In addition, Jesus came to earth as a man, and now understands even more fully the human experience – in that we are born with a sinful nature, guaranteed to feel sorrow and cause sorrow, cry tears and be a cause of another’s tears, and to feel pain and also cause others pain.

In heaven, we will understand completely our previous sinful nature, and how it destroyed us, hated God, and lorded over us. Moreover, we will understand we wanted it that way. We loved our sin. That was our original state. But God, so rich in His mercy chose us to indwell with His Spirit, and save us by His Son, so that now – here in heaven we can know more deeply what it feels like to be saved. Saved from God’s wrath against the wicked, and saved from further sorrow, tears and pain, replaced by joy, happiness and peace forever and ever. Praise God!

Joy and all the peace of God be with you. Amen.