There are great cities on the earth containing majestic works of architecture. The spires reach to the skies. The beauty is dazzling. But this is an illusion. There are neighborhoods in that very city filled with poverty, disease, filthiness, murder, robbery, rape, child prostitution, adultery, witchcraft, gossip, slander, strife, dread, fear, and every other undesirable situation and practice. These human conditions put the lie to the glory of the city.

Now, when we picture the Paradise of God we see beauty, peace, love, generosity, patience, kindness. There is a total absence of poverty, disease, filthiness, murder, robbery, rape, child prostitution, adultery, witchcraft, gossip, slander, strife, dread, fear, and every other undesirable situation and practice.

Are you with me so far?

Now, what happened to the poverty, disease, filthiness, murder, robbery, rape, child prostitution, adultery, witchcraft, gossip, slander, strife, dread, fear, and every other undesirable situation and practice?

Think carefully about this question. The answers given today are usually not scriptural and therefore not dependable. But there is a scriptural answer.

You may notice that we have intermingled, in our list of undesirable features, conditions such as poverty, which is not sin, along with adultery, which is a sin. The reason is, disease, poverty, fear, and dread, would no longer exist if everyone was righteous. It is not that it is a sin to be poor or sick, or that one is poor or sick because he or she has sinned, rather it is that sin brings about such problems in the social order. The wealthy are greedy and hoard their money and resources and many people are impoverished as a result. Also, when sin is practiced, or the demons are worshiped, there is much sickness in the environment and many people suffer as a result.

When a family or community or nation practices righteousness in the name of Jesus Christ there will be Divine blessing and much good coming to those people.

The vision of a wonderful world of beauty, peace, and joy is a true one. But the problem of worldliness, lust, and personal ambition will not vanish except according to the scriptural specifications. Sin will not just up and leave!

Obviously there can be no Paradise to look forward to if sin is still present!

The Traditional Assumptions Must Be Reexamined.

Let's think for a moment about the traditional assumptions regarding how sin is to be removed from the inhabitants of Paradise.

First we need to , that entering Paradise does not settle the sin question. Sin began with Adam and Eve when they were in Paradise. The fact that they were in Paradise in bodies containing no inherited sin did not prevent sin and death from entering. Also it must be kept in mind that sin actually originated around the very Throne of God in Heaven in Satan who was a covering cherub.

We can see therefore that entering Paradise does not of itself take care of the problem of sin.

To be continued.