With God it’s Not About Rules

          In my understanding, the angels were created, personally by God, and were tested “immediately” to obtain the Beatific Vision or not. Though, in a manner. we as humans are tested only in whether we choose God.  But life itself is not a test but, assuming the choice is God, it is a learning, training and then habit-forming exercise so that we interact with other humans so as to be good citizens of heaven, ones such that we completely regulate ourselves through our own wills, the result being that we eternally treat each other correctly and obviate the need for policemen of any sort in heaven.  Since we will be as angels our wills will be totally under our control and if we “will” only good, which is to love to the limit of our human capability, by habit, we will do only good in heaven. In heaven’s alternative eventually the exact opposite will be true – we will exactly what we want to do regardless of what anyone around us wants or how it hurts them. In the end, after death and judgement, after the time of this world has come to its end, and final judgement there will only be 2 modes of existence: eternal life, love and happiness or eternal pain inflicted by the inhabitants of hell on each other (Daniel 12:2, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41-45)          For those who choose to love and follow God, we strive to perfect the 3 supernatural virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity (the most extreme form of Love, basically altruistic Love), the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13) and in the end this is all that will remain in heaven.  Faith will be gone because we will have seen God and since God is the goal and the hope of our lives we will have obtained that and will no longer have any hopes that will need to be fulfilled. Love God with your whole being and love your neighbor as yourself. If you truly love God and one another you fulfill the law (Romans 13:8-13). It’s not about following the commandments or following the “rules,” but about loving God in your neighbor, following the commandments insures you are loving your neighbor and God (John 12:15). The Beatitudes are basically the positive commandments to go above the minimum of the mostly restrictive commandments.   This is what the bible and indeed God’s revelation is about – teaching and seeing the results of good habits, good citizenship and the total authentic altruistic love for one another/God for application in heaven.