Yesterdays post on the afterlife generated a few comments that got me to thinking about my views further. In retrospect, I wanted to offer one disclaimer to my opinion on the relevance of the afterlife to my understanding of the gospel. So here goes:

I think that the idea of heaven (which is described in various places in Scripture) can be very motivating, awe-inspiring, and encouraging in our pursuit of Christ. We should not abstain from thinking on heaven and longing for "this better country" God has promised simply because we may not be able to conceptualize it completely.

Saying this, I also believe the most motivating aspect of heaven (for me) is that God dwells there and we will see and worship Him there without this hindrance of "flesh" and sin we currently are shackled with. For some people this is not the motivation; it is more about eternal security or as some have called it, "fire insurance." It’s that motivation coupled with the matter-of-fact certainty we Christians sometimes hold regarding our views on heaven / hell that I was reacting to. (Probably the concept of hell more than heaven even!)

Knowing God and being involved in His mission is what the gospel message is for me. It is the primary motivation I would have in looking beyond this life into that which is to come. Maybe thinking on heaven helps many people live out that mission here in this temporal life, but I think it also can be a distraction (as funny as that sounds) even in subtle ways from knowing the beauty that God has for us in this life. Maybe this sounds like existentialism wrapped up in a Christian bow, and maybe that’s what it is? But I think the fact that God entered our humanity and continues to dwell here in us and in His creation should not be undervalued in our approach to life and theology. I guess I’m saying (as with most things) there has to be a healthy balance.