Ok, here I am at work again with a lot of time on my hands, so I figured I'd post another blog. This one is going to be about heaven.
Modern Christianity seems to hold many misinterpreted beliefs in our modern day, most of which are not rooted in the Bible. Consequently, I think the result of many of these beliefs will be harsher than just a slap on the wrist. One of the most common misbeliefs is a false picture of heaven; a heaven designed solely for our pleasure, a sort of magical place where all our dreams come true.
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road" (Matt. 13:19). This verse states that those who do not understand heaven (the kingdom) in its true nature will be snatched up by the enemy, so it is imperative that we don't follow or teach our own ideas of what heaven is. The kingdom of heaven resides wherever God is recognized and served as King; it is God's area of dominion, and it's our job as Christians to bring that dominion here. When Jesus returns, the earth will be joined fully with the kingdom of heaven, and that domonion will be made perfect. "The kingdom of the world [will] become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11:15).
Last but not least, is the view of heaven as a deciding factor of the Christian life. We should not think of Christianity as 'do I want to go to heaven?' (and how often does this come along with a pleasure-driven version of heaven as stated above...). No doubt being in God's presence for all eternity is preferable to an eternity of suffering, but that is no reason to follow God. Even the Israelites, having no knowledge of heaven, followed God. Our highest claim as Christians has to be that we follow God because He is true.
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5 comments:
Years ago, Rob developed 2 questions in response to the "Do you want to go to heaven" type of evangelism.
1. IF there were no heaven, would it be enough to have served God in this life only?
2. If you knew Christ wasnt coming back for another 1000 years, would you serve Him today?
How you answer gets at the heart of what you think the purpose of Xianity is.
Have you read CS Lewis'essay in God and the Dock called Man or Rabbit? Same as what you are saying. We should follow Christ first and foremost not becuase it is helpful or comforting or bold or edgy or whatever...but becuase it is TRUE.
Good post, Andre.
I think that one of the biggest misconceptions plaguing modern Christianity is that heaven is a place we go off to when we die, as opposed to seeing it as that which is finally joined with earth in the new heavens and earth, where we will rule and reign with Christ in the resurrection.
Simply put, heaven is God's dimension; it is his sphere of dominion and rule.
Or put another way, heaven is not our reward, new creation is. And this is all then tied to Christ's dominion and reconciliation of all things to himself, as opposed to a sort of "get-out-of-hell-free" card.
Sorry, I know this is a rabbit trail, but I think it should inform our discussion of heaven.
Cheers,
Andrew
Oops!
I just reread your post, (I had skipped the second paragraph, assuming it was all taken from the parable!), and so I just realized that what I actually commented was a poor reiteration of what you had already stated so well!
Anywho, excellent post; you da man.
Andrew
dude i am reading a book called "right behind" which is a scathing satire of the left behind books. the author nathan wilson puts this in the mouth of the antichrist: "... I've been studying the rapture for three decades. As i came to hate God, i realized that the rapture typified everything that i hated about Christianity. It didn't affect anything in reality. Christians talked really big about being involved in politics and culture, but they simultaneously had no idea what that might mean. Everyone was always looking forward to the Rapture. My father and uncles were all pastors when they were young. And all of them attempted to construct something worth having, worth dying and fighting for. They attempted to construct a communal culture. But is was always shot down by the doctrine of the rapture. No long term plans are ever approved in evangelical churches because nobody currently alive would get to see them."
it touches on that same idea of, everything on earth not meaning anything the "this word is not my home i'm just a-passing through" which leads to complacency and laziness.
I have been baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity and have had original sin washed away.
As St. Augustine wrote against the Pelagians, man is completely unable to avail himself in meriting the free grace of God, but his natural will can cooperate with this prevenient grace when it is quickened by the Holy Spirit.
And St. Augustine wrote against the Manichaeans, the mystery of election is in the hidden counsels of God and singularly unto salvation (not "double" unto reprobation); yet, anyone that enters hell does so by their unassisted "free" choice.
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