I was confronted recently with a friend who holds to the theology that there is no eternity in heaven. This theology holds that the kingdom of God is on the earth now. The mission of the followers of Christ is to make this earth a better place. Our task is to make the kingdom of God ‘on earth as it is in heaven’, by fighting poverty, aiding the sick, saving the environment, fighting injustice, etc. They believe as the church embraces this mission, then the future will change so as to become ‘heaven on earth’. That is the kingdom of God! They do not believe in the second coming of Christ, judgment, heaven or hell. The kingdom, while already here, will progressively become like heaven as we attack the social issues around us. We have the power to make heaven on earth.
I have to admit that this conversation left me contemplating and even questioning if the scriptures they used to back this up could be true (there are many). For, my friend attacked my intelligence by saying that many Christians don’t question what they have been taught. Could all their arguments be true? As all these thoughts consumed my mind, I begin to feel the hopelessness of this theology.
I believe the drive to fight injustice around the world is what Christ calls us to do as his church. I have no problem agreeing that the church, over the years, has lost much of the compassion and vision that Christ called for while he was here on earth.
However, from studying Scripture, I cannot embrace this theology. If this is all there is to live for, even if the earth does become a better place to live, I am left with a sense of futility. If this is all there is, then striving for purity and holiness may not be worth it. For: there will still be death, pain, sickness, weeping and sorrow.
I have a’ living hope’ that there is more than this life has to offer; a hope based on the resurrection of Christ from the dead. This hope is for an eternity in heaven. Because of this, I can face trials of every kind because I have a hope far beyond what I can see.
My joy stems from a faith that the salvation of my soul is not just finding peace with God and serving Him here on earth. My faith rests in the fact that I also have an inheritance in heaven that will never perish, spoil or fade. And, through God’s power, this faith of mine will be shielded until the coming of the salvation that will be revealed in that last time. ‘So, in this, I greatly rejoice, though now for a little while I may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, these have come so that my faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.’
I have a ‘living hope.’ My faith rests secure! And because of that hope, because of my faith, I will strive to end injustice, to aid the sick, to stamp out poverty, and to preserve the environment. I will strive to live out my faith in such a way as to draw all men to a saving knowledge of Him: not only to bring them peace on heart, but also an eternity in heaven.
My heart aches for those whose hope rests in a ‘wish’ that the earth will become a better place to live.
(All Scripture notations taken from 1 Peter 1:3-9 and Hebrews 11:1)