Gospel-centred life

Principle: Eternal glory offers more than this life.

Consider this

Sitting in the dentist’s waiting room, Lucy flicks through House & Garden magazine. She loves the photo shoots of beautifully restored homes. She dreams of a country cottage. But she and her husband have decided to serve God in the city. Looking at the antique furniture and cottage garden of some rural idyll in the country, she begins to wonder whether it’s worth it.

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A day is coming when Christ will be revealed in glory for all to see. A day is coming when God will recreate this sad, broken, sin-ravaged world. A day is coming when God will transform it into a world of joy, life, freedom and justice. We won’t spend eternity up in heaven. Christ is coming from heaven to renew this earth. Our bodies will be raised physically, just as the body of Jesus was raised physically to live for ever in a physical new earth. ‘Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body’ (Philippians 3.20-21; see also Revelation 21.1-5).

If this is for real — and the Bible says this promise is trustworthy and true (Revelation 21.5) — then it changes everything.

But suppose for a moment it isn’t true. Suppose death is the end. What kind of life would make sense? Paul tells us: ‘If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”’ (1 Corinthians 15.32). We should live for the pleasures of this life. Hoard possessions. Pursue acclaim. Have sex whenever we can. Go on holiday. Eat and drink. For tomorrow… nothing.

But if the dead are raised, if the glory of Jesus awaits us — or the judgment of Jesus — then that changes everything. What kind of life fits with that hope? Again, Paul tells us: ‘And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day — I mean that, brothers — just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (1 Corinthians 15.30-31). In the light of eternity, a life of daily dying to self, a life of danger, a life of sacrifice makes perfect sense. Indeed, it becomes the sensible option. Our lives are so short when compared to eternity. Sin and temptation are just a moment compared to eternity. Wealth and fame are just a moment compared to eternity. Service and suffering are just a moment compared to eternity.

So why live for the temporary glory of a broken world when you can live for the eternal glory of a renewed world?

The question is this: do our lives reflect the belief that tomorrow we die or that tomorrow we live forever? Is it obvious that your life is shaped by eternity? Are your ambitions, possessions and schedules radically different from those of your friends, colleagues and neighbours who have no eternal hope?

Consider Sue and Peter. There are so many things they miss — family and friends, cornflakes, movies, 24-hour electricity. And missionary service is demanding. Sometimes there are pangs of resentment, but they discipline their hearts. They look back to the cross. They look forward to eternity. If they think about the country they’ve left, then they think about returning. So instead they long ‘for a better country — a heavenly one’ (Hebrews 11.15-16).

Or consider Aisha. She parks her Fiesta alongside the Mercedes and Jags of colleagues. ‘When are you going to get a decent car?’ they keep asking. But a flashy car doesn’t do it for Aisha. It just doesn’t seem important. She has better things to spend her money on — like mission and the poor. That’s where her heart is. And that’s OK. The treasure of heaven is better than the treasure of earth (Matthew 6.19-20).

Biblical background: read Hebrews 11.8-11 and 24-26; 12.1-3.

Questions for reflection

Someone once said that they try to plan their diary and finances as if they knew Christ were returning tomorrow. If your life were organised on this principle, how would it be different?

The Gospel-centred Life is published at £3.00 by The Good Book Company: http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk

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