“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.” (1st John 3:2)
When we are glorified, our sinful nature will be removed, for no one without being glorified can see God and live, and we will see God, in our flesh and with a new nature. But once again I am voicing questions that have no complete answers in this life, yet they are worthy of contemplation, for the mind that seeks the face of God is focused and centered upon Him.
To begin these considerations, we must look at Adam, and for that matter, at Lucifer before his descent into pride.
“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” (Eze. 28:15)
Was Satan’s beauty, or better yet, his recognition of it, a temptation to him, was his place in the creation of the Almighty as the covering cherubim the cause of his eternal fall? Was Adam created with or without a sinful nature, yet still with the capability to sin, because of the free will he, and all who have ever been born have been blessed with?
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)
These unanswerable questions are pertinent to us in this regard, we will be in the presence of Almighty God with our resurrected bodies.
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1st Thess. 4:17)
Standing in the glory of our Savior in heaven for the time period of seven years of Tribulation here on this earth, without a sinful nature, glorified to serve Him in love for all eternity. But then, we will return with our Lord to land on the Mount of Olives, where, after all who have denied His Sovereignty have been cast into hell, and those who endured to the end will begin the thousand-year reign with Him on this planet, we will continue to serve Him.
Here is the question I am pondering then. Satan’s influence will be removed for much of that thousand years, yet those who will walk into those days will still have, as well as those born during those days, a sinful nature. We will not, for we have been glorified, yet our free will, will remain within us.
So then, that question that cannot be answered by us in this life, whose answer must await that day, is temptation necessary for mankind to sin?
If Adam was created without a sinful nature, yet sinned when the temptation arrived, “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife,” (Gen. 3:17a) and we, who have the Holy Spirit within us still sin, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1st John 1:8) we who will serve the Living God in that thousand-year time of His absolute reign over mankind will be in the presence of those who will be born in sin, having a sinful nature, so what is to keep us, glorified yet still with free will, from sinning?
You might as well ask what kept two-thirds of the angels from falling into the deception of Satan, and why one-third could not, or would not, see through his lies.
On this earth there will be sin, and that increased exponentially when Satan is released from the pit for a season, and yet we will not succumb to the temptation to sin. If we cannot do that now, what will be modified, removed from us while still retaining the great gift of free will?
Temptations will be present, yet we will not sin.
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15)
In this manner, we will be like Him when we see Him.
This is how you lay up your treasures in heaven my friends, by seeking the face of God for His glory, even when the questions have no answers.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)
Seek Him every day.
