This is one of the great question of life and religious faiths of all kinds attempt to answer this question. Even atheistic/materialistic evolution has an answer for this question: we rot!
Christianity has a unique view of life after life that all too often gets mushed up with other views and our own imaginations, so we need to get some clarity.
First, the Christian doctrine of the afterlife is based on the belief that human beings possess something that other creatures do not: an immortal soul. This is based on what we read about the creation of Adam in Genesis. All of the other creatures God simply spoke into existence, but God “formed” Adam and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Gen. 2:7) There is a part of us that will continue to live on somewhere after this earthly life. (In case you are thinking reincarnation, Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment.”) So, we are all going somewhere after we die, the question is, where?
The Bible says that it will be one of two places. These two places go by various names in the Bible but we most often refer to them as heaven and hell. The Bible does not describe either of these places in much detail. Most of what we have come to think about them has actually come from human imagination. However, the Bible does tell us enough to want to go to heaven and not go to hell. So the question is, how do we get to heaven?
Some people think that everybody just automatically goes to heaven. However, Jesus himself says that there is a hell and people will actually go there. (See Matt. 25:31-46 and others)
Other people think that one can get into heaven by being good. The problem is that heaven’s standard is not merely good, it is perfect. Nobody is good enough to get into heaven.
So how do we get into heaven? Or, as the crowd asked Peter on the Day of Pentecost, “What should we do?” Peter’s response is, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38) We get into heaven by being forgiven for our sins when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by faith. However, this does not mean that we simply get away with what we have done. We will be judged and held accountable, but will not be condemned. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and others)
At the moment of our physical death our spirit leaves our body and goes to heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. But heaven, as wonderful as it is, is not the end of the story. We also look forward to the resurrection of the body, which we will talk more about next time.
The greatest thing about heaven is the ultimate hope that it gives us. Physical death is the very worst that this world can do to us but, because of our faith in Christ and our hope of heaven, we face death with courage and even with joy. Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:4-5)
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
2013 Doctrine Series #10 – The Holy Spirit and Sanctification
Most of us are familiar with the story of the Holy Spirit coming on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. However, for many people the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood person of the Trinity.
Perhaps I should take a moment here to at least define, if not explain, the Trinity. (It would take an entire article, in fact a series of articles, to even try to explain it.) The doctrine of the Trinity (Tri-Unity) states that the Father is God, the Son, Jesus Christ, is God, and the Holy Spirit is God united in such a way that the three are distinct, unique, and equal persons but that there is still only one God. The Trinity is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is one of those things we believe even though we do not completely understand it.
All three persons of the Trinity are present and active in all the works of the Trinity, however, we do often speak of certain person of the Trinity doing specific things, so the work of the Holy Spirit is, among many others…..
• Drawing people to God. (John 6:44)
• Convicting us of sin. (John 16:7-11)
• Helping us to understand and remember Scripture and the teaching of Jesus. (Luke 24:45; John 16:13; James 1:5)
• Comforting us. (John 14:16)
• Helping us pray. (Romans 8:26)
• Gifting and empowering all of us for ministry. (1 Corinthians 12)
o There are a variety of gifts. Each of us has gifts. There are given for the good of the church and the mission.
• Producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. (Galatians 5:22-23)
o Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
• Sanctifying us or Making us holy. (1 Peter 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:3)
o Sanctification is a distinctive of Wesleyan/Methodist theology, and other theologies as well. Sanctification or, as Wesley called it, Christian Perfection, is a state which is attainable in this life in which a person commits no known and willful sin. However, there are two important facts to keep in mind: First, Sanctification is not something we do or earn, it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is not about trying hard nor is it something to have pride about, that would be sin. Second, Sanctification does not free us from mistakes, misunderstandings, or limitations. It strictly deals with the idea of known and willful sin. Sanctification is something we should pray for and allow the Spirit to work in our lives; it is a process.
Before closing I would like to take a moment to lift ups another distinctive of Wesleyan/Methodist theology: the three types of grace…
1. Prevenient Grace – The grace that goes before. This is the grace that is active in creation and providence but it is also the grace that opens our eyes to our need for God and his forgiveness and draws us toward a relationship with God.
2. Justifying Grace – This is the grace that was revealed in the life and ministry and the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This is the grace we receive when we put our faith in Jesus and receive him as our Lord and Savior. This is saving grace.
3. Sanctifying Grace – This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives empowering us and making us holy.
Perhaps I should take a moment here to at least define, if not explain, the Trinity. (It would take an entire article, in fact a series of articles, to even try to explain it.) The doctrine of the Trinity (Tri-Unity) states that the Father is God, the Son, Jesus Christ, is God, and the Holy Spirit is God united in such a way that the three are distinct, unique, and equal persons but that there is still only one God. The Trinity is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is one of those things we believe even though we do not completely understand it.
All three persons of the Trinity are present and active in all the works of the Trinity, however, we do often speak of certain person of the Trinity doing specific things, so the work of the Holy Spirit is, among many others…..
• Drawing people to God. (John 6:44)
• Convicting us of sin. (John 16:7-11)
• Helping us to understand and remember Scripture and the teaching of Jesus. (Luke 24:45; John 16:13; James 1:5)
• Comforting us. (John 14:16)
• Helping us pray. (Romans 8:26)
• Gifting and empowering all of us for ministry. (1 Corinthians 12)
o There are a variety of gifts. Each of us has gifts. There are given for the good of the church and the mission.
• Producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. (Galatians 5:22-23)
o Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
• Sanctifying us or Making us holy. (1 Peter 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:3)
o Sanctification is a distinctive of Wesleyan/Methodist theology, and other theologies as well. Sanctification or, as Wesley called it, Christian Perfection, is a state which is attainable in this life in which a person commits no known and willful sin. However, there are two important facts to keep in mind: First, Sanctification is not something we do or earn, it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is not about trying hard nor is it something to have pride about, that would be sin. Second, Sanctification does not free us from mistakes, misunderstandings, or limitations. It strictly deals with the idea of known and willful sin. Sanctification is something we should pray for and allow the Spirit to work in our lives; it is a process.
Before closing I would like to take a moment to lift ups another distinctive of Wesleyan/Methodist theology: the three types of grace…
1. Prevenient Grace – The grace that goes before. This is the grace that is active in creation and providence but it is also the grace that opens our eyes to our need for God and his forgiveness and draws us toward a relationship with God.
2. Justifying Grace – This is the grace that was revealed in the life and ministry and the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This is the grace we receive when we put our faith in Jesus and receive him as our Lord and Savior. This is saving grace.
3. Sanctifying Grace – This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives empowering us and making us holy.
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