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Question from a reader: On the doctrine of rewards, 1 Corinthians 3:15 says some will “suffer loss” though they are saved in and in the New Earth. That’s always bothered me. Loss implies comparison, and something “bad” in Heaven. Do you think that such loss is permanent? Or might there be opportunity to work past the "loss" and improve one's lot?

Jesus said, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Here in the same sentence, Christ uses the word “eternal” (aionos) to describe the duration of both Heaven and Hell. 

The desire to be popular and avoid people’s disapproval is a common reason for Christian leaders to hold back in pro-life efforts. 

When I need a point-of-view adjustment, I read the last five chapters of Job. That’s where the focus shifts from Job’s questions about his suffering—and his friends’ proposed answers—to God’s majesty.  

This is another one of those areas where we have to speculate. We don’t have the direct biblical teaching on this, but we do have the direct biblical teaching of having real actual human bodies as created by God, not subject to sin and death and suffering.

When a child looks at His earthly father, He should be able to see the qualities of God.

The Bible does not teach there is no marriage in Heaven. The Bible teaches there is one marriage in Heaven: Christ married to His bride, the Church.

There’s no reason at all to think there wouldn’t be. What we see in Revelation 21 and 22 and, for that matter, in Isaiah 60, 65, 66 and other New Earth passages, is that you would expect people to do what they have been able to do—except do it better.

I’ve shared before my concern that children who don't grow up to be readers will not be readers of God's Word. 

Where did sports come from? Who gave us the ingenuity to even create them as human beings? Clearly it is from God. We are made in His image. Satan did not come up with the idea of sports.

I think there is every reason to expect that in the majority of cases that there would be continuity between the old Earth and the New Earth. If there is a New Jerusalem, why not a new Los Angeles? Why not a New Chicago, a New Paris, and a New London?

The following interview originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of Tabletalk Magazine, a publication of Ligonier Ministries.

Jesus tells us that one day His faithful servants will hear their Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23, ESV).  

This is a powerful post by a sister in Christ, who is a former, in her words, “queer activist.”  I encourage you to read it carefully and thoughtfully.