If today we seek to please God and this requires a struggle with our own inclinations, does that mean that in eternity we will also have to “make an effort”? This question opens up something important about the nature of salvation and about what God’s Kingdom is like.
Today: the conflict of two natures
“For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” Rom. 7:18–19
Paul describes the real experience of a believer: there is a desire for good—and there is the old sinful nature pulling back. The struggle exists—and it is not a pathology, but the result of living between two ages: the old and the new, the temporary and the eternal.
In eternity: a transformed nature
But God promises not merely forgiveness of sins—He promises a new nature:
“I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.” Jer 31:33
The law written in the heart is not an external requirement that must be obeyed by force. It is the natural reality of what a renewed heart is like. In eternity, love for God and the desire to please Him will not disappear—but the struggle with sin will.
Obedience will not be an effort, but an expression of nature—just as a fish does not “try” to swim: it simply swims.
Practical meaning
- Today’s struggle is not a verdict. It is a sign that the new nature is already present and fighting for its fullness.
- Our goal is not merely to “survive,” but to grow in union with God, where His will becomes our desire.
- Eternity is not a reward for those who “tried” well. It is a gift for those who trusted the One who transforms.
In God’s Kingdom, there will be no effort without joy—there will be joy without struggle. And this is exactly what God is leading us into even now, step by step.
