In eternity, will some saints in heaven be more happy than others?

That's the question from Ken who writes in to ask this.

Pastor John, do you believe as Jonathan Edwards did that Christians will enter eternity

at differing degrees of happiness based on the depth and measure of our spiritual development

during our earthly life?

Or do you believe as many Christians do that all Christians enter heaven as equals at the

foot of the cross with the same degree of holiness and happiness for all of eternity?

That is, do you believe in a hierarchy of happiness in heaven?

Well, the short answer is I agree with Edwards, but some of the alternatives that Ken set

up might not be exactly right.

So let me try to dig in a little bit to try to explain what I and Edwards would mean.

Let me put it in a larger context.

The New Testament describes the relationship between our obedience and our condition, our

happiness in the age to come in three ways.

Number one, and this is most basic, the most basic description of the relationship

between our obedience now is that it is not the ground of our acceptance with God now

or in the age to come.

It's not the ground or basis or foundation of our justified standing in his presence.

So Paul says negatively by the works of the law, no human being will be justified in

his sight.

And positively, he says, we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of

the law.

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