The Endless Joy of Heaven: Growing in Love and Delight

What is the true nature of joy in heaven? Will we become bored or complacent after being there for an eternity? These are questions that many people have about the concept of eternal life. In this article, we will explore the teachings of Jonathan Edwards and delve into the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of the joy that awaits us in heaven.

1. Our Capacity for Joy Will Increase

According to 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, our resurrected bodies in heaven will have an unimaginable capacity for joy. Jonathan Edwards describes this as our earthly souls being transformed into a bright and ardent flame, like the sun in its fullest brightness. Our bodies will be stronger, fuller, and more spiritual, allowing us to fully enjoy the presence of God. This means that the joy we experience in heaven will far surpass anything we have ever experienced on earth.

But what about the fear of complacency? Will our joy eventually fade away?

2. Our Capacity for Joy Will Continue to Grow

In heaven, our capacity for joy will never cease to increase. Sam Storms explains that our capacity for love, knowledge, understanding, and joy will be ever-expanding. This means that heaven will never become boring or static because our ability to enjoy God and his gifts will always be expanding. Each day in heaven will bring new ways to experience joy, as we see more clearly, understand more fully, and feel more deeply the truest joy that comes from being in the presence of God.

But how is this possible? Won't we eventually run out of things to enjoy?

3. We Worship an Infinite God

The reason our capacity for joy in heaven is limitless is because we worship an infinite God. The love, grace, kindness, wisdom, power, and mercy of God are each infinite universes for our affections to delight in. C.S. Lewis once said that joy in this life is an unsatisfied desire, more desirable than any satisfaction. In heaven, our desire for God will be fully satisfied, but it will also continue to grow. The character of God is endlessly deep and inexhaustible, and we will never tire of exploring and experiencing his infinite goodness.

Imagine the vastness of the universe, with trillions of shining stars and billions of spinning galaxies. As magnificent as they are, they pale in comparison to the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ. Our ever-increasing enjoyment of God for all eternity will simultaneously become the ever-increasing glorification of himself.

So, after ten thousand years in heaven, we will not look back and say, "I knew everything there was to know about God." Instead, we will say, "How little I knew of him then. How much I have grown in my love for him. Yet, how much more I still have yet to know of his character!"

Prayer for an Ever-Increasing Capacity for Joy

Knowing that our joy in heaven will continue to grow, we can pray for an ever-increasing capacity to know and enjoy God as we long for eternity. We can ask God to deepen our love for him and to reveal more of his character to us. We can seek to cultivate a heart that is constantly hungry for more of God, knowing that he is the source of true joy.

Conclusion

The joy that awaits us in heaven is far beyond anything we can imagine. Our capacity for joy will increase and continue to grow for all eternity. We worship an infinite God whose character is endlessly deep and inexhaustible. As we long for eternity, let us pray for an ever-increasing capacity to know and enjoy God, knowing that he is the source of true joy. Heaven will never be boring or complacent because our ability to enjoy God and his gifts will always be expanding. So, let us eagerly anticipate the day when we will experience the fullness of joy in the presence of our Lord.