Carl Trueman asked an important question: “Has our wealth fueled our eschatology?” Of course the answer to this question is quite anecdotal, but I do think it is worth answering. For example, I was watching a TV special a few months ago about “Heaven.” Many “experts” from different religions were asked to define heaven, and I noticed that all of the evangelicals stressed that “heaven is a place of no calories.” No calories? I know there is a slight joke in that response but still… The evangelicals sounded like all they cared about was eating, drinking and being happy. It was the same attitude the Muslims had about their virgins in heaven. One Imam said, “We are told we will be in comfortable homes, reclining on silk couches … so we’re given the delights of sex, the delights of wine, the delights of food with all of their positive things without their negative aspects.” You could almost sense the evangelicals shaking their heads in agreement. Sadly, the only one on the program who gave a theologically sound answer about the essence of heaven was a rabbi, and unless he trusts Christ he will not even go to heaven.
Of course, you can watch TBN any day and hear “consumerist triumphalism” in their eschatology — mansions, gold, new cadillacs, eternal giggles, and everybody gets purple hair if they want it. What does this say about the Western view of Christianity? What does this say about what we really believe our purpose is for being saved? Do Christians around the world, including the persecuted church, have this same pie-in-the-sky view of heaven? I don’t think so. When Paul said, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What did he mean by gain? Did he mean no calories or did he mean more Christ? I think I know the answer.
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Jason Robertson is a husband and a father and a pastor. He is dedicated to leading and equipping his the Church with God’s word and biblical theology for life ministry, using a combination of pastoral, church planting and evangelism experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is experienced in church planting, evangelism, missions, and the training of pastors and Bible teachers.
Jason has been preaching the gospel since 1985, serving the first ten years of ministry as a Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist out of Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, LA which ordained him in 1993. He has preached in hundreds of churches in over 30 States and 4 countries. He planted churches in Siberia, Russia in the summers of 1993 and 1994. He founded Murrieta Valley Church in California, which he planted in cooperation with the SBC NAMB in 2001. He also teaches ministry students at California Baptist University.
You can hear his sermons and read his manuscripts on sermonaudio.com. Just follow the link to "sermons" at the top of this page.
You hit the nail on the head!
I for one, eschew emotionalism and euphoric religious experiences; however, one night during my Bible reading I was overcome with a sense of awe and wonder and brought to tears with the praises of God. Can you imagine being in the presence of our Lord and Savior and wanting anything else?
Heaven isn’t all the chocolate I can eat without the pounds, it’s being in the presence of the our awesome, sovereign God. There’s no way to comprehend that here on earth.
Amen, dear friend… amen. The glorious mystery of God become man; the wonderful paradox of the justice of God and the mercy of God meeting in the sacrifice of Christ. To see the Friend of sinners face to face! To behold the Thrice-Holy One in all His resplendent glory! Father, Son and Holy Ghost, One God forever and ever. Indeed, who could ever want anything else, unless they have never been born again to new life and a love for the Sovereign Lord who bought them.