Does the Bible state that when we go to heaven, we can still be tempted?

Question

I have asked several questions relating to the fall of Satan. It is concluded that Satan has made one-third of the angels in Heaven follow him. Therefore, all of these angels has sinned. My question is simple. If we die, does the story of Satan also apply to our heavenly lives? Do we still have the will of making dicisions according to our choice or we are just changed completely without temptations? If Satan has tempted one-third of the angels to follow him, would Heaven be considered as sinful?

Answer 1

I think the short and sweet answer is that because of the New Covenant of Christ on the cross we will become like Jesus when we see Him as He is! The transformation that the Spirit of God is doing and will complete in us will make us such that we will not sin.

I John 3:2 - Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Digging deeper, there are two parts to this:

• the power of the New Covenant in Christ and indwelling of God's Spirit
• freedom from our sinful nature - freedom from the evil desires of the flesh - a redeemed body

The New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3 is all about how the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant because the Old Covenant of the law brought death, but the New Covenant in the Spirit brings righteousness. By the power of the New Covenant in Christ we are transformed into His image.

2 Corinthians 3:7-8,18 - Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-we-know-we-cannot-sin-in-heaven

Our Bodies will be Redeemed - we will be free from the fallen nature / flesh

Right now we must crucify our flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5). But in the New Creation we will have redeemed bodies - those evil desires will no longer be there.

Romans 8:12-13,23 - Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies

Answer 2

The best book in the Bible for learning what it will be like for the redeemed to be in God's presence in heaven is the book of the Revelation. This answer will offer no interpretation of the following relevant quotes. They are given in the hope that the scriptures themselves will speak to those reading, for they are crystal clear, no matter how one views the book of the Revelation.

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them" 12.9-12

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." 20:4

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." 20:10

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." 21:1

"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." 21:5

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." 21:8

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." 21:27

"And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." 22:3-4

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." 22:14-15

The selected verses show a progression of events, culminating in what the new heaven will be like, once all evil has been judged, and cast into that eternally burning lake of sulphuric fire. Quite apart from the total absence of any verse in the Bible that even suggests or hints at temptation to sin still being around in heaven, those verses show the exact opposite, I would suggest (no matter what school of interpretation of Revelation one follows.)

Answer 3

Anyone having been born of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to continue sinning, because he has been born of God 1John3:9

Unfortunately the whole concept of being reborn of God is mistaken if one thinks they are born again at baptism. We are reborn, as Jesus was, into immortality and holiness at our resurrection or change at his return.

Once made ‘like he is’, finally fully formed in the image of God, we will not be willing to sin, being filled with God.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:23

This new state made possible only after Jesus returns, shows that we are made incorruptible- this is plain speaking of our new holiness made permanent.

We are not told about going to heaven anywhere, God is coming to dwell among men on earth. Zech 2:10, Ez 37:27

My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

The earth will become ‘Holy ground’ when God dwells with His redeemed creation.

Heaven is often spoken of figuratively, not a literal place with a seat for God to sit on, He is an invisible spirit!

Answer 4

I'll just give a short answer. Yes, I believe its possible to have temptations then unless we have no free will or we are as perfect as God. But considering Satan had temptations and succumbed to them, and drew a third of the angles with him, I think its very possible we will not be perfect either.

Answer 5

Frankly, I do not see The Holy Bible teaching that believers even go to Heaven, so I would say there can be no temptation of believers in Heaven or after their death, based on the following scriptures. "The dead do not know anything." (Ecclesiastes 9:5) "The meek shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5) We see Jesus going away to prepare a place for us (John 14:2) and then to return (John 14:3) on "the last day' (John 6:40), so that, having met Jesus in the clouds upon His return (1 Thessalonians 4:17) we can then be where HE is, beginning with The Mount of Olives "on that day" of His return, (Zechariah 14:4) and then to be with Him forevermore. There is no chance at all for believers to be in Heaven, being tempted after their death. The new earth comes down OUT of Heaven. (Revelation 21:2) If the saved are already in Heaven, being tempted, they will need to jump back into their graves to avoid contradicting Jesus, who promised to call deceased believers out of their graves (John 5:28) upon His return on 'the last day' ... the same "last day" that Martha knew, would find her brother being raised from the dead (John 11:24). Lazarus would not need to be afforded a resurrection if he was already alive and in Heaven being tempted for these past 2000 years. If Lazarus is still in his grave waiting to be raised when Jesus returns, then so is every other deceased believer since Lazarus' day. And we know that we, who are still alive at Jesus' coming, do not precede the dead being raised (1 Thessalonians 4:15) when receiving our spiritual bodies in an instant. The dead, including Lazarus, are raised first. If eternal life in Heaven was the reward of the saved, Jesus would not have to have His reward with Him (Revelation 22:12) when He returns to Earth on 'the last day'. Having our citizenship (πολιτεύεσθε - our form of government) reserved for us in Heaven (Philippians 3:20) does not mean that we are going to Heaven where we could be subject to temptation. It is from Heaven that the new earth will descend, with the government resting on Jesus' shoulders (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Himself expressed the following to His Father in Heaven: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one." (John 17:15) If believers are not to be taken out of the world and up to heaven, and we are to be kept from the evil one, which was Jesus' own prayer to His Father, then such does answer your question from the scriptures, that, no... believers will never be in Heaven being tempted by the evil one.