Well, that sounds depressing. :) How can we love God "with all our heart" but without passion? If someone said "I have a passion for God and His word" should we discourage him? :) Don't you all have a passion for venerating Mary that will continue in Heaven? (no shot intended) --- I found this:
Sure, there are sinful passions, we know those will be gone. But doesn't this also say there are Godly passions? What is "joy" without passion or emotion?
I think we need to be careful with the word “passion” which, technically, is about things that happen to one. It’s not necessarily the same thing as “feeling”.
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Excellent points, FK.
AS I reflect on the numerous narratives of visits to Heaven . . . the descriptions are
ALWAYS of
ROBUST EMOTIONALITY--not flighty and not idiotic or unfitting--
Just very INTENSELY APPROPRIATELY ROBUST EMOTIONALITY.
The very flowers and grasses are alive with emotion, joy, LIFE. In some narratives, it is as though the flowers turn and gleefully follow gazing at the Believers passing by.
!!!!JOY!!!! is an intensely and persistent expression rather commonly.
Love is intensely expressed; somehow without being maudlin.
Affirmations are exchanged easily, routinely, without phony affectation.
Eagerness to authentically prefer one another's priorities is consistently a way of being there--without being doormats or fawning.
What is described is the OPPOSITE of an intellectual/spiritual OHHHMMMMMMMMMMM unperturbed, sterile, emotionless average or SOP.
I certainly don't know a lot about Heaven, of course. However, I believe that a lot of those narratives are quite accurate. They just ring true to my spirit.
Roland Buck's ANGELS ON ASSIGNMENT is but one case in point:
http://www.angelsonassignment.org/
And Jesse DuPlantis as well as Mary Baxter also have vivid, convincing narratives to share. His story is unique in the anals of such in our era . . . because of the 5 hours in Heaven, he did not make it into the auditorium where he was the scheduled speaker until the middle of the service, or end of the music or some such. AND AS HE WAS MAKING HIS WAY FROM THE BACK TO THE FRONT TO SPEAK, FOLKS ON THE ASILE WHERE HE WAS WALKING UP, WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT HE WAS GIVING OFF A VISIBLE HEAVENLY GLOW a la Moses because of his 5 earth hours in Heaven. He had no idea he was giving off such a glow.
Here's his YouTube presentation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-wM-u8-aA
And his website
http://www.jdm.org/jdmDefault.aspx
Jesse, BTW, was reared as a Roman Catholic et al and didn't really have that strong an opinion, originally, about Protty, Roman Catholic et al/Vatican related issues at all. He was just floating along doing his own thing until God apprehended him big time.
Mary K. Baxter, as do most such folks, also has a vivid narrative about hell.
Her website:
http://spiritlessons.com/Mary_K_Baxter_A_Divine_Revelation_of_Hell.htm
I find the better such narratives to be wonderfully affirming of God's Word about Heaven. And, to help folks realize that HEAVEN is not some wispy, etherial, wimpy, 'matrix' kind of NONPLACE. IT IS REAL. GOD OF THE ANGEL ARMIES IS REAL. IT IS TANGIBLE.
Anyway--may interested folks be edified and brought closer to Jesus in checking such things out.
Blessings,
These are not passions. These are virtues.
Most, for example, self-control, peace, patience, gentleness and faithfulness are the opposite of passions. Some have a passion confused with it, for example, love has many meanings in addition to the virtue of charity. Joy as a passion, likewise, could be conceited and selfish, adn not at all a virtue. It is instructive that all of these are put in contrast to "sinfull passions" in Gal. 5.
The difference is, I think, that virtues are modalities of power and truth. It takes strength, for example, to be patient. It takes knowledge to be charitable. A passion is a lack of power, it is not anchored in truth, it means a submission to instinct. See:
you, brethren, have been called unto liberty...
the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal. 5)
he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors, 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ; 14 That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive. 15 But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ
...
henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. 19 Who despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error. 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: 24 And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.
(Eph. 4)
The Fall left us with weakened will, darkened intellect, confused instinct. Christ leads us out of bondage by giving us strength to attain virtues. This is a process: there is some overlap in a living man where a passion is harnessed to feed the virtue. It is sometime difficult to tell which is which. But in the end, we want virtues to win, and passions to lose.