Looking toward an Eternal World of Joy

[macuser]

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Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.… While we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:1, 4-10
An old theologian once said, “Who chides a servant for taking away the first course of a feast when the second consists of far greater delicacies?” Who then can feel regret that this present world passes away when he sees that an eternal world of joy is coming? The first course is grace, but the second is glory, and that is as much better as the fruit is better than the blossom. (By C.H. Spurgeon)

[JB Horn]

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1 Tim 6:3 If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, 4 he is conceited, understanding nothing, but having a sick interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slanders, evil suspicions, 5 and constant disagreement among men whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is a great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

You have heard of the name it and claim it, and prosperity churches and other names which denote the false gospel of putting up wealth in today's world as a reward for worshiping Christ. A reading of 1 Timothy 6 makes it very clear in verse seven the old saying that you cannot take it with you as quoted in the King James version, "for we brought nothing into this world and is certain we can carry nothing out ".

1 Timothy 5:18 Paul tells us that a man is worth his labor and that we should pay for work done. So I believe that what we are addressing in chapter 6 is what Christ spoke out against during his ministry, when he pointed to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. I think the difference here can be found in a man's heart and its purpose of teaching the gospel. And this again goes back to the comments we made on other threads where the churches spend most of their effort in growing the church and number and wealth. This is not at all the job of the leadership of the church, this is a job of the Holy Spirit. For only the Holy Spirit knows what God's plan is for any particular assembly of believers.


It is kind of hard to understand this form of theology knowing that we are preparing for eternity, what we have here on earth for a short time seems of no consequence. The way I look at our time here on earth I view this more as a job interview for a long future. I really do not believe that when a pastor stands in front of our Lord on his day of judgment, that he will be judged on how big he grew his church, or how wealthy his church became under his stewardship. God will not look down to see if his church is ornamented with gold and silver, and stained-glass windows of high-value. No I believe God will look down to see what gospel was taught to His sheep and if it was consistent with the Gospel Christ asked his disciples to spread throughout the earth to every creature.