Christian teens ask great questions! That’s why we started this series six years ago. If you are a Christian teen or the parent or teacher of Christian teens, we invite you to send questions to us.

Here is our next tough question.

Will we be sinless in Heaven?

Thanks for your question!

We know that the process of “sanctification” on earth takes time. The word means “set apart for sacred service,” and we find it throughout Scripture. We know that sanctification is God’s will for us (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4), so it’s important that we focus our spiritual attention on that every day. Being conformed into the image of Christ and the renewing of one’s mind doesn’t happen quickly. Some Christians are conformed more quickly than others, but it’s still a lifelong process.

What happens quickly is the change we experience when Jesus returns for us. Jesus has a chosen people (Israel) and His Body (the Church) to redeem. We know that the Lord’s redemption of the Church (Christians) will be fast (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4; 1 Corinthians 15). It would seem from the definition of the words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 that the “change” we experience in “the twinkling of an eye” will complete both our physical and spiritual change. Mortality putting on immortality speaks to our physical change. Corruptible putting on incorruptibility speaks to our spiritual change. Sin and death will no longer have a hold on us.

As Paul pointed out in Ephesians chapters 2 & 3, Jews and Gentiles becoming “one new man” through the shed blood of Jesus is a mystery in a biblical sense. That was a secret God revealed in the New Testament. That one new man is Christians, the Body of Christ. Jews and Gentiles still exist today, so what’s new is the new man Jesus created in Himself, “thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, therefore putting to death the enmity.” (Ephesians 2:15-16)

I have wondered what we’ll think about ourselves and others one-millisecond after we are caught up in the air to be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4). Will our sin nature be gone? Will we still covet? Will we still envy? Will we continue the slow process of sanctification after our bodies become immortal and our spirits are incorruptible? I do think our ultimate redemption (Ephesians 1:14) will destroy the sin nature (sin and death) and that our obedience to Christ will be complete from that moment on. 

Israel is a different matter. The redemption of Israel as a nation and Jews as a people will take longer. We see that in many of the Old Testament prophecies about Israel’s final redemption, the words of Jesus to His apostles, and the Book of Revelation. We know that the sin nature will continue in people during the Tribulation Period and Millennial reign of Christ. After that time, Jesus will judge the living and dead and then usher in a new age of perfection on earth. Revelation chapters 21 & 22 show us that nothing that defiles will enter the New Jerusalem. Revelation 22:3 shows us that “there shall be no more curse.” The curse of sin and death and its impact on humanity will be over. “And they shall reign forever and ever.” 

We will know for sure when we get to Heaven, but I don’t see where Christians will continue to battle with sin once we’re there. 

Thanks again for your question! I hope this answer helps.

Next Time

What about what Paul wrote about eating food sacrificed to idols? How does that affect Christians today? We will look into that next time as our special Tough Questions series continues.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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