Should the afterlife be a focus?

[Firelord Lionheart]

What I mean is, salvation comes with accepting Christ, but once we do that, should we focus on what's to come after death? I personally believe that we should focus on right now and living a life for the Lord in the mortal world. Also, about Hell, don't you think it is rather insincere to follow God out of fear of Hell (not pointing any fingers)? God would care whether we have accepted His salvation out of sincere love rather than just hoping to escape Hell or earn "Heaven points". Fear of Hell produces hypocrisy towards God and hypocrisy is a sin. Only sincere love of God and His son can bring salvation.

Edited May 26, 2011 by Firelord Lionheart

[Guest man]

I believe one has to have a healthy dose of anticipation of things to come.

Heaven and hell are very real places. Our walk consists of how to stay out of hell. You can't focus on one without focusing on the other.

[Guest man]

I believe one has to have a healthy dose of anticipation of things to come.

Heaven and hell are very real places. Our walk consists of how to stay out of hell. You can't focus on one without focusing on the other.

Heaven and Hell are real places, but your comment of our walk cosist of how to stay out of hell is not true. We don't walk to stay out of Hell. This premise alone is the reason why there are so many that are not growing. There concern is about Hell, and how what they must do to stay out of it. This should no longer be a concern of one who has been born again. We are encouraged to seek Christ to know Him, not stay out of Hell.

Isn't the whole point of knowing Christ, is to stay out of hell?

For God so loved the world, that whosoever believe in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

If hell was not a concern, there would be little to no warnings about it in the Word. If we start ignoring the consequences of sin, sin becomes meaningless.

Jesus said, "Don't fear him who can kill the body but not the soul, but fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell".

[OneLight]

To die to your flesh and allow Christ to live in and through you by His Spirit should be the forefront of every Christians desires. Yet, as we study scripture, other things pop out that we think about and question. We are told to study, discuss and believe His words to us. In doing so, we gain knowledge of both heaven and hell, the next life. Personally, I don't worry, or am not concerned about where I go when I die, for my faith is in Christ and HE will determine where I go when I die. Not one moment of worry will ever change this.

[Guest]

The whole point of knowing Christ is to be able to have a personal relationship with Him and receive the blessings of God. Spending eternity with Him and avoiding the Lake of Fire (remember that hell is thrown into the Lake of Fire along with Satan, the Anti-Christ and the Beast) is the result of that relationship, through the Grace of God. As for those who "accept" or "believe in Christ" in order to avoid "hell," don't you know that God knows in advance whether such a "faith" is genuine and made for the right reasons and not just to "hedge" one's bet against hell, just in case there is an ever after and that one needs to know Christ in order to avoid going to "hell." There is no such thing as "cheap grace." It cost God His only begotten Son, and He will never waste His Grace on those He knows are not and are never going to be sincere about their "faith." Our Holy God would not be Holy God if He did such a thing as that.

[Guest shiloh357]

Jesus preached a lot about the after life. If Jesus took a lot of time to deal with the afterlife, I don't think we can live on a higher moral plain than He did.

We are to live with an eternal perspective. In Titus chapter 2 we are to be a people zealous for good works, but we are to live with with a view to the second coming of Christ.

It is not a selfish thing, but if we don't live with an eternal perspective, then how do we communicate that perspective to unbelievers who really need to be concerned about the after life. Our future in Heaven to be with Jesus should be something that we think about all the time.

If two people are planning to get married, their minds are on the wedding day and the life they will live together. They live in anticipation of that future reality. How much more should we live in anticpation of being forever with Jesus either at death, or if He should come first?

[Guest man]

No, that isn't the whole point. Knowing Christ is the whole point. You can not know Him until the fellowship is restored through belief. From this we then are quickened in spirit by the Life of God (reborn). Where we condemn to perish?...yes, but that is not the focus, nor it is the point of salvation. Hell was never supposed to be for us. Although through the work of Christ, those of us who believe will not get judged in that way, the fullness of the work is not about Hell. It is about Christ Himself, and us being built up into Him. About His Life being manifiested in us now, and in full (what ever that looks like) later. Our blessed hope is not Heaven but Christ Himself. So we don't live this life to escape Hell, we live this life to as we are already in the heavenlies with our Lord.

Eph 2:5-6

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Why? Why is simply knowing Christ "the whole point"? What is the one benefit offered by Christ that no other god can truthfully claim? If hell plays no part in knowing Christ, what part does it play with those who don't know Him?

[Fez]

This is the whole point.

Hell has nothing to do with it as far as I am concerned. If you profess to be saved you should not even have to think about it.

2Pe 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

2Pe 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

2Pe 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

2Pe 1:6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

2Pe 1:7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

2Pe 1:8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Pe 1:9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2Pe 1:10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

2Pe 1:11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Why even think about hell?

Blessings

[nebula]

What I mean is, salvation comes with accepting Christ, but once we do that, should we focus on what's to come after death? I personally believe that we should focus on right now and living a life for the Lord in the mortal world.

As far as primary focus, yes. But I'd be against ignoring the issue. As Shiloh mentioned, Jesus talked several times about the afterlife. And He also encouraged us to live in such a way as to create a better afterlife for yourself (i.e. "Store up treasures in Heaven.").

Also, about Hell, don't you think it is rather insincere to follow God out of fear of Hell (not pointing any fingers)? God would care whether we have accepted His salvation out of sincere love rather than just hoping to escape Hell or earn "Heaven points". Fear of Hell produces hypocrisy towards God and hypocrisy is a sin. Only sincere love of God and His son can bring salvation.

I'd be careful about putting that kind of stipulation on someone with regards to coming to Jesus in the first place. And besides, loving Him is something that grows and develops. The Bible says what is needed for salvation is faith. We should just stick with that, I think.

[Guest man]

Phi 3:7-11

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because ofthe surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake Ihave suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not havinga righteousness of my own that comes from the law, butthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith