THE GOSPEL WITHOUT ITS 'HEART'?? 

by

Cameron Paine

Pt. 1

The 'heart' or principal concern of the Gospel (the 'good news') is what happens in the eternal dimension.  It is because what happens in the eternal dimension is final and everlasting that it is what believers are to focus on.  It is because what happens there is final and everlasting that what happens in this fleeting life that ends with the disintegration of the body is not so important. It is this eternal dimension that 'began' before creation and is not affected by the death of the body that underlies and gives meaning to the good news (for believers) that the Gospel brings. The fulfillment  of God's purposes, the fulfillment of God's promises 'require' the existence of a dimension beyond the death of the body the same way a living body on earth  'requires' the presence of a heart.
 
The purpose of this meditation is to bring together a few of the many different verses and the many different ways by which the Bible points to, and ‘requires’, an eternal dimension that is bigger and more real than the fleeting existence of the present world

(1)  THE OVERCOMING OF DEATH AND THE BLESSING OF THE GOSPEL

How frequently the blessing of the Gospel is described as, or equated with, the overcoming of the accepted limits of this life, that is, physical death. That God did do away with the death as the limit of 'life' is one of the evidences that there is a dimension beyond death. This is so because the overcoming or doing away with the limits of this life would be a meaningless act of God if there is 'nothing' beyond death. If there is nothing beyond death, death cannot be overcome and all the words in the Bible about overcoming death are deliberately misleading falsehoods.  

Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who can kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you   should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5)  

That is what the gospel, the 'good news' (for believers), is all about--the overcoming of that which brings to an end 'life' under the dominion of sin. The Gospel speaks about what happens in the eternal dimensions--'life eternal' for believers and eternal punishment for unbelievers. In either case the message is that the event when the body disintegrates or 'returns to the dust' is not the end of existence. The resurrection of Christ and also believers from the dead is at the core of the Gospel. This is the 'heart' of the Gospel.

• "For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins....  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:16-17, 19-20)
  
  

• "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ  Jesus, with eternal glory." (2 Timothy 2:8-10)

It was the overcoming of death, the resurrection of the Christ, that proved to men who/what Jesus was--the Son of God, the Son of the Eternal Creator. 

• The Bible speaks of "the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and  who through the Spirit  of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God  by his resurrection from the dead:  Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:2-4)

• The apostle Paul summed it up when he said, "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' (1 Corinthians 15:54; a quote from the Old Testament portion of God's word--Isaiah 25:8)  

Part of the message of the New Testament is the record of the fulfillment of what God said in his revelations during 'old testament' times.

• Back then God said, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?“ (Hosea 13:14)

• In his letter to his church leader protégé (Timothy) the apostle Paul states what Jesus accomplished-- "our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:10)
  
  

• The apostle Paul expressed the outlook of believers--"For 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." (2 Corinthians  5:4)

The New Testament speaks about the overcoming of death which is universal in the way it 'runs' the behavior of individuals. "Since the children have flesh and blood, he (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14-15)  

For believers the death of death and what is meant by the 'life' that is described as 'eternal life' in the next dimension is the heart of the Gospel.

(2)  THE PROMISE AND GIFT OF 'ETERNAL LIFE' PRESUPPOSES THE EXISTENCE OF THE ETERNAL DIMENSION

   

What does 'eternal life' and the promise of 'eternal life' in the Gospel mean if no eternal dimension exists?       

Eternal Life is one of the most frequently used expressions to describe the gift of God.  Eternal life' is repeatedly declared to be the reward of believing as the following verses make clear.   

Many times Jesus spoke of the gift of 'eternal life' and its connection with himself-- 

• "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)  

• And again he said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)  

• And again he said, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man (Jesus' designation of himself) will  give you.” (John 6:27)  

• And again he said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:54)

• And again he said, "I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."  (John 8:51)  
  
  

• And again he said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow  me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;  no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:27-28)

• And again he said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and
  believes in me will never die."  (John 11:25-26)  

Do these statements of Jesus recorded in the Gospel according to John refer to anything less than the primary gift of God, the 'heart' of the Gospel?  

The prize of eternal life is a constantly reappearing statement of the dimension that the work of Christ made a reality. The substitutionary death of Jesus the Christ brought God's promise to fruition. Why did God send his Son? To die a substitutionary death. As (perhaps the most quoted verse in the New Testament) says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)  

On an occasion when Jesus was replying to a question posed by some Jews who were known to reject the idea of any resurrection of the dead, he said, "Those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection." (Luke 20:35-36; cf. Colossians 1:12; Revelation 5:9-10)  

In the synagogue in Psidian Antioch the apostle Paul and his fellow missionary Barnabas said to the people gathered there, "We had to speak the word of God to you (the Jews) first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles... When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." (Acts 13:46-48)  

It was the resurrection of Jesus the Christ from dead as he predicted that 'said' to the fearful disciples and apostles (Luke 24:17-21; Matthew 26.31; Mark 14.50) who saw him die on the cross  that everything God had said about him in the Old Testament times and everything Jesus had said while alive on earth was the truth.

• The Bible says, "After his suffering (crucifixion), he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)

• After Jesus' death by crucifixion he appeared and taught his disciples. "He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  He told them, 'This is what is written: "The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." 'You are witnesses of these things' " (Luke 24:44-47)
  
  

• In the first chapter of the book of Romans the apostle Paul says about Jesus--"who as to his human nature was a descendant of David,  and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:3-4)

• "But God raised him (Jesus the Christ) from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (Acts 2:24)
     
  

• In the Bible believers are told  "And this is what he promised us--even eternal life." In the fifth chapter of the same book the apostle John says, "I write these things to you who  believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 2:25 ; 5:13)  
   

• What is the Faith of Christianity all about?--the overcoming of death, the overcoming of what marks the end of life in the present dimension  "We (believers) know  that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence."         (2 Corinthians 4:14; see also    1 Corinthians 6:14) 
  
  

• What is the core or heart of the Christian Faith? --"a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time." (Titus 1:2)
  
  

• "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9) 
  
  

• The apostle Paul said to Timothy, a young leader in the church--"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12)  

To repeat God's words--"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now  been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:9-10)

To repeat God's words--"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written (in the Old Testament) will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' " (1  Corinthians 15:54)   

Are all the promises of God quoted here or elsewhere in the Bible just pretty sounding lies designed to deceive like in a confidence game? Or do they point to the 'heart' of the Gospel? Do they presuppose the reality of the bigger eternal dimension which like a foundation underlies the Gospel and gives meaning to its statements?         

The apostle Peter speaks of a promise that God makes to believers who are cultivating the Christian qualities or behaviors the apostle had listed in his letter to believers, saying, “For if you do these things, you will never fall,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11) Is that promise of God just a big lie designed to lead to holy behavior?   

(3)  'ETERNAL LIFE' IS A DIFFERENT DIMENSION, NOT JUST AN EXTENSION OF THE PRESENT LIFE

While the most obvious thought that the expression 'eternal life' brings to mind is that 'life' as we know it continues after the death of the body that is not the essential difference between the 'life' which the world calls 'life' and what the Bible calls 'eternal life'. In fact, even thinking that 'eternal life' is essentially the same as the 'life' we have always known--except that it does not end when the body disintegrates--even obscures the truth that there are other features of the eternal dimension which set it apart from the 'life' that we know.  

Several times the New Testament speaks of what on earth is called 'life' as death. These statements of God suggest and imply that the difference between what the world considers 'life' and the dimension that the Bible refers to as 'eternal life' is much more profound than just an extension of the life we know prior to death.  

• In the Gospel according to John that 'life' is even spoken of as 'death'. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."  (John 5:24)  
   
  

• Years later the apostle Paul spoke about the kind of 'life' believers had prior to their coming to faith. He referred to that state of being as being 'dead'. To the   believers at Ephesus he said, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us (believers) also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts." (Ephesians 2:1-3; see also 1 Corinthians 6:11)
  
  

• In the Gospel according to Matthew Jesus himself used this kind of language--“Another disciple said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'  But Jesus told him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'" (Matthew 8:21-22; see also Luke 9:59-60)  

The movement or transition from this dimension to the eternal dimension (from death to life --John 5:24 above) is so radical that it is sometimes described as being ‘born again’, or as being ‘born from above’. Jesus put it this way--"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3; see also John 1:12-13; 1 Corinthians 2:14)  

Another way the Bible indicates that the 'eternal dimension (referred to as 'Eternal Life') is different from the present dimension, the present world, the  present life, is that different 'laws' apply. The many miracles Jesus wrought bring out the fact He was not operating under the 'laws' that govern this dimension. (The significance of miracles is dealt with later in this meditation as a separate category).  

Other statements in the Bible point to the difference between the present dimension and the eternal dimension.  

• In the apostle Paul's letter to the believers at Corinth we read, "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." (1 Corinthians 15:50)
   

• The apostle Paul in his letter to the believers at Rome says, "Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2)  
  
  

• In the book of Acts we are told, "He (Jesus) must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." (Acts 3:21)
    
  

• In the last book of the New Testament the dimension that believers are citizens of (that is, 'heaven') is described this way:  "He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)  
   
  

• In the same book of the Bible the conditions that exist in that dimension are described this way: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God ...The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." (Revelation 21:1-2, 23)  
   

• On the very night Jesus was arrested he rebuked the apostle Peter who had used his sword to defend Jesus, saying, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:33) (A 'legion' refers to a unit of soldiers in the Roman army numbering 6000 men.)
     
  

• Later that same night Jesus said to the heathen judge/ruler before whom he appeared, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight." (John 18:36)

Another of the ways the Bible refers to the contrast between this life and 'eternal life' or the dimension beyond physical death is the startling statement which (although made in the context of Christian beliefs) implies that the reality of the other dimension is more real, more meaningful, than what happens in the present dimension--the one that for each individual ends at the moment of death. 

• "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence." (Hebrews  9:24)
     
  

• When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. (Hebrews 9:11; see also 8:2,5) 
    
  

• The apostle Paul expressed the same (or similar) idea in a letter addressed to believers who were surrounded by Jewish traditions, saying, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)  
   

There are many other statements of God scattered throughout the New Testament that reveal the difference between the 'life' that ceases to exist with the death of the body and the 'life' (often, but not always, called 'eternal life') that individuals who have crossed over from  'death to life' (John 5:24) have. The 'eternal life' that Christ brought to them that believe is not a continuation of their previous state--being dead in 'transgressions and sins' (which is still every unbeliever's state). (Galatians 3:22 ; Ephesians 2:1-6; 1 Corinthians 6:11)  

• The apostle Paul's instructions about Timothy's duties as a minister spoke of the the different quality of 'eternal 'life' as being the life that is 'truly  life'. "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in  good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the  coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19) (Other  translations translate the idea as 'life indeed', 'truly life', 'really is life, etc.)
    
  

• The 'life' that the Bible refers to as life is more than an extension of the time the body is alive before it disintegrates. "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." (Luke 12:23)  "Why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even (king) Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat'? or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:28-33; see also Colossians 3:1-2)
    
  

• In a parable of Jesus first a rich man revealed his thoughts; then God revealed his thoughts. The rich man said to himself, "'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my   grain and my goods.'  And I'll say to myself, 'you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be   merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This  very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what. you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for  himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:18-21; see also Matthew 6:19 -20)
    
  

• Jesus said, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing  of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5; see also Matthew 10:28)  

• The apostle Paul contrasts the 'life' that ends with death to the 'life' that believers will experience after the death of their bodies--"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 5:1 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. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling." (2 Corinthians 4:17 --5:2; see also Hebrews 11:3)  

How much bigger the promised eternal life is than the 'life' that ceases to exist at death! In an earlier letter to the same church the apostle said this: “Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a 'fool' so that he may become wise.....All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas(Peter) or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." (1 Corinthians 3:18,21-23)  

In another letter addressed to the church at Rome the apostle Paul wrote this: "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?....Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or  persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?.... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:32, 35, 38-39)  

In the last book of the New Testament we read, "Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’ “ (Revelation 14:13) --follow them into a ‘time’ or dimension that doesn't exist? What a ridiculous promise that would be!  

What happens in the stage of 'life' that takes place after the death of body is infinitely more important than what happens on earth before the body returns to the dust. Jesus expressed this truth this way: 

• “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes   out.  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to  sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,  where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:43-48)      

• “ 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said, 'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel  will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29 -30; see also Matthew 19:28-29)

There is more to the life believers have in Jesus than the 'life' everyone has experienced on earth. The apostle Paul put it this way: "For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body."(2 Corinthians 4:11) Elsewhere believers are told, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:8)  

The eternal dimension is not limited by earthly rules, even by death. The death of the body does not interfere with the eternal life God bestows. The death of the body does not affect the connection between believers and God. The death of the body does not terminate or affect the destiny of believers (Hebrews 11:13 -16) or their heavenly citizenship (Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 1:3, 13-14) Is this the 'heart’ of the Gospel?  

Many times the Bible refers to the eternal dimension using common labels that ordinarily refer to other 'times or places':  kingdom,  heaven,  glory

The Kingdom        

• “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:43)  
  
  

• “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) 
  
  

• What did the apostle Paul and his fellow missionaries say when they went through the cities where they had been strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith? “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they said." (Acts 14:22 )     
  
  

• “Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’ ” (Luke 9:62)
  

•  “Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60)  
  
  

• “Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 19:8)   
  
  

•  “For he (Jesus) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Colossians 1:13)  
  
  

• Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence  and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28)  
  

•  “Boldly and without hindrance he (the apostle Paul) preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.“ (Acts 28:31)  
  
  

• ”Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)  
  
  

• The Bible says, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:5)
      

•  What did the faithful leaders of early Christianity spend their time doing for believers?-- "encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:12) 
  
  

• "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit, You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ “ (John 3:5-8)
     
  

• In the last book of the New Testament which speaks about the what will happen near the end of history we read, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)  
   
  

• “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" (James 2:5)  
  

Another expression the Bible uses frequently to refer to the dimension beyond the death of the body is the term   'heaven'. 

• ”But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20)  
  
  

• ”Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ " (Matthew 19:21)  
   
  

• "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.” (Luke 6:23)
       

• To his disciples who had just returned from a missionary journey they had been sent on, Jesus said ,”Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20)
    
  

• The apostle Paul told believers, ”But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20) 
  
  

• ”And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)
                            

• The Bible speaks to believers about what God has given them—“an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4)
  
  

• The Bible speaks to believers about ”the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.” (Colossians 1:5)  

Another expression the Bible uses frequently to point to the other 'world' or the other dimension in which the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:19) takes place is the term   'glory'.          

• “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things (die on the cross) and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26)
  
  

• “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) 
     

• What Jesus said in his own prayer shortly before his sacrificial death on the cross--“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:5)  
      

• After Jesus’ first miracle-changing water in good wine--“This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee . He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” (John 2:11)
   

• Listen to Jesus’ words from his own prayer--"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)
    
  

• ^“You are witnesses,” (the apostle Paul and his fellow missionaries said to the believers at Thessalonica), "and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; see also Hebrews 12:7-10) 
   

• Jesus said, ”If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38 ; See also Luke 9:26)
    
  

• Jesus said, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
      

• The apostle Paul told believers, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17)
   

• What should believers be happy about? The apostle says, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:13) 

The apostle Paul told believers, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)  In his 2nd letter to the congregation at Corinth the apostle spoke of the connection between the present circumstances of believers and what they can look forward to in the next dimension. ”For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

The apostle Peter also spoke of what believers can expect in the next dimension, saying, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."    (1 Peter 5:4; see also 1 Peter 5:1)

Introduction

(4)  GOD'S STANDARD Is Not Concerned With What Is Passing Away

What is God's standard concerned with? Righteousness. Holiness. Blamelessness. All of these qualities transcend the beginning and ending of the present dimension. The eternal God's standard has to do with his nature which is, of course, eternal. That nature is righteous and holy. Only as a contrast or contradiction of God's holy nature does sin have any meaning. Because what gives meaning to sin is its being a contradiction to the eternal God's holy nature sin cannot be defined as, or equated with, the presence or absence of any ethical qualities like selfishness, injustice or racism etc. all of which cease to have any meaning for an individual when that individual dies. Sin and holiness or righteousness can't be present in a body at the same time the same way a body of water can't be be pure if contaminated or polluted water is present in it. Purity and contamination can't coexist. Holiness and sin can't coexist. (Habakkuk 1:13)

What is God's standard concerned with? Righteousness. Holiness. Blamelessness. The absence of sin.

• "For he chose us in him (in Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:4; see also 1 Peter 1:15-16)
  
  
• "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son." (Romans 8:29).
  
  
• What does the Bible say about what Christ did for his people? It was "our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:13-14)
  
  

• The apostle Paul summarized the benefits of the Gospel for believers, saying, " Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of  your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." (Colossians 1:21-23)
  

God's standard is eternal. It is eternal by definition because it began before he created the world or human beings; It was the 'outworking' of God's eternal nature. Also it does not cease to be applicable or in effect when a person dies or the world ceases to exist. (2 Peter 3:10,13) God's standard does not cease to have significance when a person dies any more than a person's grades in school lose all significance when changing from being a student to being in the job market. The death of the body and even the end of this world does not cause God's eternal standard to become meaningless or irrelevant. If there were no eternal dimension, no dimension beyond the death of the body the eternal God's standards would cease to mean anything when the person dies. Because this is so, what pleases the eternal God--righteousness or what offends the eternal God--sin (or unrighteousness) necessarily presupposes the existence of an eternal dimension in the same way that biblical exhortation to believers to be holy (1 Peter 1:15) presupposes that those individuals have the freedom and ability to act that way. 

While earthly goods or pleasures cease to have any significance for an individual when he or she dies that is not true of God's eternal gifts; that is not true of God's approval or assessment. God's 'goods' or praise is eternal. Conformity to God's holy nature does not cease to exist or cease to be applicable when this dimension comes to an end for every individual--when he or she dies. If that were the case there would be no judgment, no condemnation, no reason to fear God. But the Bible says there is reason to fear God.  (Hebrews 9:27;10:31; Luke 12.4-5)

• "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17)
  
  
• "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
  
  
• "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat." (2 Peter 3:10-12)

God's eternal standard is concerned with what believers are to 'be' now and forever--to be in accordance with the eternal God's character and revealed will.

• God's redeemed people are told, "Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I (your God) am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15-16; see also Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20;26; Romans 8:29)
  
  
• The apostle Paul and his fellow missionaries demonstrated the standards believers should pay heed to, saying, "You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed....encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:10,12)
  
  
• Jesus' example: He said to his disciples, " 'My food,' ...'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work' " (John 4:34).

What believers are to be concerned about is the approval of God and what brings honor to his name. (Matthew 6:1, 33; Luke 12::21) "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,  faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone  serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 4:8-11; see also Hebrews 11:6; Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:1; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 10:18)

• "Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'" (Luke 12:15)
  
  
• Elsewhere Jesus spoke of the different standards this way-- "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans (unbelievers) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:31-33)
  
  
• To make the contrast between the eternal goals of believers and the momentary pleasures of this world that unbelievers seek stand out, Jesus told the people a parable: "'The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself'? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21; see also Colossians 3:1-2)
  
  
• When a wealthy individual who believed he had kept the commandments asked what he should do to get eternal life "Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" (Matthew 19:21)
  
  
• " 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.' " (Luke 18:29-30; see also Matthew 19:29)

What is the eternity-dominated outlook of believers? The apostle Paul summed it up, saying,

•  ^"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) And again, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18; see also 2 Peter 3:10-13; 1 Timothy 6:17-19)
  
  
• In his letter to the believers at Philippi the apostle Paul expressed very clearly the contrast between the eternal goals which he as a believer had and the fleeting goals of unbelievers, saying, "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law (keeping it), but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:8-9; see also Luke 12:19-21; Hebrews 11:26)
  
  
• In another letter the apostle Paul spoke of his objective in life and that of his fellow missionaries, saying "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 5:8-10)
  
  
• "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12; see also 2 Timothy 4:7-8)
  

• In the last book of the New Testament 'which God gave him (the apostle John) to show his servants what must soon take place', we read this: "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)
  

• Since believers are looking forward to an unbelievable inheritance of blessings in eternity their behavior is guided by the values of the eternal God now. "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."(2 Corinthians 7:1)
  

But the connection between the eternal dimension and God's eternal standard of righteousness involved a transaction which did not--and could not--take place in the present dimension, a transaction which would 'enable' the eternal and holy God to avoid having to punish everyone who ever committed sins.  The fact is that the condition of all human beings is contrary to the holy God's character and revealed will. (Galatians 3:22) The Bible says so. 

• "We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles (i.e., all people) alike are all under sin. As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; no one who seeks God. A ll have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one....for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:9-12, 23; see also Psalm 14:3;Ecclesiastes 7:20; James 2:10; Isaiah 64:6)
  
    

• "The sinful mind  is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8 ) 
   

Sin--because it is a reality not of this world--cannot be removed by this world's physical means such as killing the body or surgery. Even the guidance and rule of the perfect law of the all-wise eternal God was insufficient and ineffective in resolving this conflict between the eternal God's holiness and man's sinfulness. (Romans 8:3)  Because of this conflict between the holy nature of the eternal God and the unholy nature of human beings --the eternal God himself had to do something about it. The eternal God laid our sins on his eternal Son, Jesus. 

• The Bible says it this way. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:5-6; see also 1 Peter 2:24) 

The effect of what the eternal God did for us is described in many ways.

•  "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12) 
  
  

•  "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
   

• Another way this transaction of delivering a people from the control of sin is set forth is the Bible's statement, "he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13; see also Titus 2:14)  

All these actions of God are connected with his eternal standard of righteousness or holiness. And all these actions occurred in a dimension that is more real and enduring than the existence everyone experiences in this 'world'.

The difference is that the sins of believers have been forgiven (Psalm 103:10-12; Romans 4:7-8). That this is so was accomplished, as shown above, by an eternal transaction--the eternal God laid the penalty for the sins of believers on his eternal Son Jesus the Christ. (Isaiah 53:5-6;1 Peter 2:24) Because of that transaction believers are destined for 'eternal life' while, on the other hand, unbelievers have their sins counted against them and they must 'pay' the consequence for their treasonous crimes against the eternal, holy God. (Romans 6:23) The Gospel is good news--but only for believers or individuals who become believers.

It is forgiveness forever that is the gift of God to every believer. (John 3:16) This is the message of the Gospel--eternal forgiveness because Jesus the Christ has taken the punishment that believers deserve. 

• Jesus told his disciples the message they were to proclaim-- "repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47)
  
  
• "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (Romans 4:7--quoted from Psalm 32:1-2)
  
  
• Jesus said, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
  
  
• What does the Bible say?--"All the prophets testify about him (Jesus) that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:43)
  
  
• Believers are told, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins." (Colossians 2:13; see also Ephesians 2:1-5)
  

This is the good news, the Gospel--"In him (in Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." (Ephesians 1:7)

• The apostle John in his letter to believers wrote--"I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name." (1 John 2:12) And again, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9; see also Titus 2:14)
  
  
• What was the apostle Paul's mission regarding unbelievers?-- "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:18)

The Bible does not say that it was a lack of this life's blessings that Jesus came to remedy but the presence of sin, the presence of those qualities that are a contradiction to the nature of the eternal holy God. It was not to save people from the temporal circumstances that affect the body in this life, in this dimension that Jesus came into this 'dark', sin-dominated world. Jesus did not come to save his people from circumstances such as poverty, sickness, distress, suffering, calamity, the death of the body. It was not to bring about adjustments in this temporary world like the removal of germs or viruses, the removal of the practice of war or a corrupt government etc. that Jesus the Christ died on the cross according to the plan of God. (Acts 2:23) All these 'afflictions' or maladjustments are relevant only to this world, the present dimension; they will cease to have any meaning for people who are no longer living. The primary purpose of Christ's sacrifice was not to change what happens to the body prior to death but to change what happens after the death of the body--to do away with the eternal consequence of the sins believers have committed. 

• The Bible says of Jesus' mission-- "He will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
  
  
• He also said, "I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (paragons of law keepers in Jewish society), you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
  
  
• "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18)
  
  
• Jesus' own words to his disciples after his resurrection-- 'This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 
  and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47)

Without the eternal dimension many statements about Jesus would be absurdities, ridiculous lies. "Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." (Hebrews 7:24-26)
Ha!

• The apostle John wrote to believers, saying, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 2:1-2)
  
  
• What blessing does Jude give praise to God for? It has to do with elimination of sin and the blamelessness that God purposed for his people.. "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy." (Jude 24)
  
  
• The Bible says, "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:28)

If there is no eternal dimension then what did Christ die for? God's concern was to deliver his people from the power of sin so that they might be holy and blameless. To express the same idea in other words, that God's people might be "qualified ...to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:12; see also Titus 2:14; 1 Corinthians 6:11)

• "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)
  
   
  

(5)  THE 'TIME' when the righteous and the wicked 'enter' their different destinies
                                                           Is not in this Dimension

• "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
  
  

• "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
  
  
• What is the destiny of unbelievers?-- "only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." (Hebrews 10:27)
  
  
• Jesus spoke about the future 'time' in God's history when the righteous and the wicked will cease to be intermingled but will enter into their separate destinies, saying, "When the Son of Man (a reference to himself) comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' " (Matthew 25:31-34,41)
  
  
• "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day." (Jude 6)
  
  
• The apostle Paul described the day when God will judge the actions of individuals. He said, "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5 ; see also Matthew 12:36; 1 Corinthians 4:5)
  
  
• Jesus said, "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)
  
  
• In the book of the Bible which speaks about the last days, we read, "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done." (Revelation 20:13)
  
  
• And again, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." ( Revelation 21:8; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
  
  

If there is no eternity in which to enjoy God's blessings or suffer his punishment why care about the Judgment Day? Why obey or fear the Lord? Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5) Why turn down the opportunity to experience any earthly pleasures in order to please God if so much of what 'God' said is untrue? An individual would be an idiot to anticipate an inheritance of eternal blessings that will never be. Who waits eagerly for his 2000th birthday when he will come into his million dollar inheritance? Without the eternal dimension many of the promises, the exhortations and warnings that the gospel is full of become lies and nonsense--the meaningless ravings and delusions of a madman whom the Bible calls the Son of God!

Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

The working of true miracles by Jesus and by the disciples to whom Jesus gave the power to work them (Luke 9:1; 10:19) is another pointer to the existence of the dimension beyond this world. Those actions of Christ (whose function is to show that Jesus the Christ is from another 'world' or dimension), imply the existence of a greater dimension that is not constrained by the physical laws that govern what occurs in this world.

• "Great crowds came to him (Jesus), bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel." (Matthew 15:30-31)
  
  
• "As he (Jesus) approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, Don't cry. Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, Young man, I say to you, get up! The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother." (Luke 7:12-15; see also John 11:14,43-44)
  
  
• "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." (Psalm 33:8-9; see also Jeremiah 5:22)

Miracles had an eternal function. In addition to bringing about awesome results on earth to some people who would eventually die in this world sometimes miracles also 'created' faith (with eternal consequences), that is, led individuals to believing in the doer. In Jesus' case miracles were signs and pointers to who/what he really was. (Matthew 9:4-7)

• During a wedding festivity to which Jesus and his disciples had been invited he turned a lot of water into the best wine. The Bible says, "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." (John 2:11; see also 11:43,44,45)
  
  
• "And you, Capernaum (a  town), will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. " (Matthew 11:23)
  
  
• "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 14:11; see also Matthew 11:20, 21; John 10:25,38; 15:24)
  
  
• "Then he (Jesus the Christ) got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!'. He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'" (Matthew 8:23-27)
  
  
• One time a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus when there were some prominent Jews present who did not believe he was God/the eternal Son of God. When Jesus said to the paralytic, " 'Friend, your sins are forgiven,' the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?' (Luke 5:20-21) Jesus said to them, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven'? or to say, 'Get up and walk'?  But so that you may know that the Son of Man (a title Jesus often used when referring to himself) has authority on earth to forgive sins....he said to the paralytic, 'Get up, take your mat and go home.' And the man got up and went home." (Matthew 9:4-7)
  
  
• "As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned', said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life'....Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.  'Go', he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." (John 9:1-3,6-7)

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Hebrews 11.3 )

Miracles are another feature in Biblical history that point to the existence of a dimension that is bigger than death, bigger than the laws that seem to govern life in this dimension.

(7)  Jesus the Son of the Eternal God is From a dimension that is bigger than this life

The constraints of time and history which govern in this world, are surpassed by the eternal 'person' of Jesus the Christ

• "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." (John 17:24 )
  
  
• Jesus life, Jesus existence, did not begin in the manger. Jesus said to the Jews, " 'Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.' 'You are not yet fifty years old,' the Jews said to him, 'and you have seen Abraham?'  'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!' " (John 8:56-58)
  
  
• This world is not the ultimate reality. The Bible says "what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal...we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. 5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven," (2 Corinthians 4:18--5:1)
  
  
  
• Jesus said, " Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Luke 21:33)
  
  
• On the night when the soldiers came to arrest him, Jesus rebuked the apostle Peter who drew his sword to physically fight the soldiers. Jesus said to the apostle, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53) (A legion refers to a unit in the Roman army of about 6000 men)

On at least one occasion which the gospels record, Jesus simultaneously healed a man's paralysis and forgave that man's sins. This occasion was referred to in the preceding section on 'Miracles'. The healing of the man's paralysis was a change in the present dimension. But the forgiving of sins by Jesus went far beyond that. Jesus, the eternal Son of God changed eternal reality--making the sins disappear from reality as if they had never occurred. The Bible speaks about the significance of forgiveness. It says the sins have actually been removed, or, to use biblical imagery, -- "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12; see also Psalm 32:1-2 and Romans 4:7-8) Another way the Bible speaks of the eternal significance of forgiveness is to say the consequences of the sin have been laid on the back of Jesus.  (Isaiah 53:5-6;1 Peter 2:24; Romans 8:3)   Jesus, being an eternal 'person' had the power to change eternal realities.  

• Jesus said to the leaders of the Jews, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world." (John 8:23; About his disciples Jesus said this --John 15:19; 17:14,16)
  
  
• Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)

                  (8)  Where Believers Are to Focus their attention and locate their hearts

Where believers are to focus their attention and where they are to locate their hearts is beyond either physical death or the ending of the present dimension which will occur when that eternal 'person' Jesus the Christ, the Son of God enters history for the second time.

It is the hope of eternal life which underlies the message and the faith of Christianity. "The faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness-- a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time." (Titus 1:1-2)

What should believers be focusing on? -- the life that is truly life; not the life in this world that the death of the body puts an end to. It is the 'life' beyond death that deserves our attention and our longing and anticipation. It is the focusing on the life in that eternal dimension-"where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4); What energizes believers? --their focusing on the life in glory, on the life in the Kingdom of God.

• "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11; see also Matthew 5:12)
  
  
• "For whoever wants to save his life a will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25)
  
  
• "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25)
  
  
• The apostle Paul and his fellow missionaries expressed their faith in these words, saying, "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." (2 Corinthians 5:8-9)
  
  
• In the apostle Paul's letter of instructions to Timothy a younger church leader, he says, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
  
  
• Jesus put it bluntly, saying, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20)
  
  
• Jesus said in so many words: 'act the right way now and you will be rewarded in the next dimension.' "When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:13-14)
  
  
• The believers in Colossae were told, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3; see also 1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 6:33)
  
  
• What does the apostle Peter exhort believers to be doing?  "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13; see also Titus 2:13; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 9: 27-28)
  
  
• Addressing believers the apostle Paul said, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)

• "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:4-5)
  
  
• "We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel." (Colossians 1:4-5)
  
  
  
• In the letter the apostle Paul wrote from prison when he believed his mission on earth was nearly over, he said, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day---and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."     (2 Timothy 4:8)
  
  
• The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds the believers to whom he was writing to persevere--"You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Heb 10:34-36; see also Ephesians 6:13)
  
  
• Moses looked upon the future rewards as more important than the Egyptian comforts of the present which were readily available to him. The Bible says, "He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (Hebrews 11:25-26)
  
  
• " Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." (Colossians 3:23-24)
  
  
• Jesus said, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." (Luke 16:9)
  
  
• In the apostle Peter's 2nd letter addressed to believers he said, "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13)

The apostle Paul expressed the Christian's new scale of values. He confessed, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21) And again, "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8) And again, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." (Philippians 3:10)h

Can an individual be a believer and not have any of serious thoughts on what happens in the eternal dimension? 

                                                                             The importance of belief

•  "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." (1 John 4:15)
  
  
• " Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
  
  
• Belief in the dimension beyond this world, beyond death is synonymous with believing in the eternal Creator/God. "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4-5; see also Matthew 10:28)
  
  
•  Belief in the dimension beyond the death of the body is not an option --for the believer. "For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:16-17)  Later in the same chapter the apostle Paul says, " If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Corinthians 15:32) The J.B. Phillips translation of this verse catches the force of the apostle's words: "And if, to use the popular expression, I have "fought with wild beasts" here in Ephesus, what is the good of an ordeal like that if there is no life after this one? 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!' Belief in the dimension beyond physical death is not an option--for the believer!.
  
  

• While on earth Jesus said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)
  
  

• "But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:38)
  
  
• "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31) 
  
  
• "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)
  
  
•  Jesus said, "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." (John 8:24)

In the last book of the New Testament Jesus speaks. He says, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." (Revelation 1:18)

An unwavering belief--in the words of the apostle Paul: "If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us....For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."" (Romans 8:31-34,38-39; see also 1 Corinthians 3:22)

Without the heart of the Gospel is there any Christianity left?

It was seeing visible proof that the limit of death ('the grim reaper', etc.) had been overcome that changed the disciples and the 12 apostles into
bold witnesses who were more than willing to die, to become martyrs for the faith. "After his suffering, he showed himself to these
men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3) It was after the resurrection of Jesus the Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and apostles that the awesome truth of Jesus' statements and teachings sunk in and transformed those early believers into mighty men and women of God. (John 2:22,17;12:16;Luke 24:44,45) 

Unless an individual believes in the existence of the eternal dimension the eternal attributes of Jesus are denied. This is very apparent in regard to God's standard of righteousness and holiness. The character of Jesus is seen as unholy if what he believed, and taught is not true. If Jesus' words were not true then the Jesus who is pictured in the Bible, the one whom the Bible calls the Son of God, a saviour, is in reality a phony, a fraud, and a liar. 

• "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son." (1 John 5:10)
  
  
• The Bible says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) Is this a lie?
  
  
• "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." ( Hebrews 10:31) Is this a lie?
  
  
• "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) Is this a lie?

When (not 'if') the Christ enters the dimension of human history the second time will the eternal Son of God say to you, 'good and faithful servant?' (Matthew 22:11-14;25:13,14-30) What a ridiculous and outrageous lie that is if that can never happen! Why fear the Lord because there can't be an inhabitant of a dimension that doesn't exist! No Gospel. No God. "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons," says the apostle Paul, "what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" (1 Corinthians 15:32)

For believers to treat what is the heart of the Gospel-the promise of eternal life-as if it were a fringe benefit tacked on to the Gospel is to flirt with danger and play with eternal fire if it is not actually a disguised form of total rejection of God's message. 

 

(If you appreciate what you read here please tell your friends about this URL and sign my guest book on the homepage. Also, if, as you read any of the meditations, you feel you know of a situation that beautifully illustrates any of the points made I would be delighted to learn of it. I might incorporate it.) mailto:camppp21355@comcast.net

 

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