No More Curse
I spoke this past Wednesday night on the topic of Heaven. The Bible has much to say about where we will spend eternity and it says that it is not a boring place at all. In fact it is will even be more thrilling and more satisfying than we could ever imagine. However, it seems like most Christians view it with little anticipation for what is to come. As John Eldredge says in The Journey of Desire, “Nearly every Christian I have spoken with has some idea that eternity is a boring, unending church service.” Why do we have such misconceptions?
I believe there is one central explanation for why so many of us have such a vague, negative, and uninspired view of Heaven: the work of Satan. Jesus said of the devil, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44. And we see in Scripture that some of Satan’s favorite lies are about Heaven. Revelation 3:16 tells us that Satan “opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.” Our enemy slanders three things: God’s person, God’s people and God’s place—namely, Heaven. See Satan need not convince us that Heaven doesn’t exist. If he can just get us to think of it as boring, he’ll rob us of the joy and anticipation that will motivate us to share our faith with others.
There is one verse I want to focus on to restore hope in us about how great our eternal home will be. Revelation 22:3 says of Heaven that, “No longer will there be any curse.” If the Bible said nothing else about life in the eternal Heaven, the New Earth, these words would tell us a vast amount. No more curse. After Adam sinned, God said, “Cursed is the ground (earth) because of you.” (Gen. 3:17) When the curse is reversed we will no longer engage in “painful toil” (v.17) but will enjoy satisfying work. No longer will the earth yield “thorns and thistles” (v. 18), defying our dominion and repaying us for corrupting it. No longer will we “return to the ground…from which we were taken” (v.19), swallowed up in death as unrighteous stewards who ruined ourselves and the earth. The curse will be reversed. This is why Jesus came. Romans 8:2 says that Christ came to remove the curse of sin and death. He is the second Adam who will undo the damage brought by the first Adam. (1 Cor. 15:22; Romans 5:15-19). The total work of Christ is nothing less than to redeem this entire creation from the effects of sin.
The removal of the curse means that people, culture, the earth, and the universe will again be as God intended. People will once again walk with God and experience Him face-to-face. People will experience the fulfillment of relationships that are free from pain, mistrust and lies. They will also be satisfied with their work like never before. Christ came to restore everything that was taken away at the Fall. As someone once asked, “How far does Christ’s redemptive work extend?” Answer: As far as the curse is found! So if you want to get a picture of Heaven, you don’t need to look up at the clouds; you simply need to look around you and imagine what all this would be like without sin and death and suffering and corruption.
-Jason McDaniel
Nice post!! Another thing i just heard Chip Ingram mention is that there is no need for a sun in heaven or artificial light because the full presence of God will be all the light we need!! Pretty cool!