The Problem with a Heavenly Focus

Whatever It Takes!???
So many times (especially here in the southeast) I drive down the road and see signs that say things such as "Heaven or Hell...your choice!" or "Where will you spend eternity?" You can sometimes even hear the occasional sermon trying to scare people into wanting to go to Heaven.

I used to think that was ok; I had the whatever-it-takes mentality.


This is Not a Religion
Now I'm beginning to see why that is wrong. Firstly, true Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship. It is the beautiful celebration of God sacrificing his own son so that we can be united with him, free from the bondage of sin that held us captive to death. Because of the sacrifice, we have been set free and been given a spirit of sonship in which we can call God our Daddy (Romans 8:15).

Remember, Jesus didn't just die for us, he died for God the Father as well. We need Jesus to make us clean and presentable to God our Father; and God the Father needed Jesus to die for us so that he can experience a deep and close relationship with us...in this life and the next. (John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). Religions are all about working for the great reward...trying to impress their god with all of their striving. Christianity says that Jesus already did the work for us, now all we have to do is believe. (Romans 5:1, Romans 9:30-32) That is one of the biggest things that separates Christianity from religions.

What's So Great about Heaven Anyway?
That's a question I would personally wonder if I didn't have a relationship with God the Father. Many unsaved people have no desire to go to Heaven because they don't know God. Trying to get someone to become a Christian by telling them about Heaven is like trying to get someone to fall in love with a really good book by reading only the last page to them.

The idea of scaring someone out of Hell and into Heaven is just plain silly. First John 4:18 states, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." God is love, and if there is no fear in love, then those who are pursuing God simply because they are afraid of eternal punishment don't know love and therefore they do not know God. I really don't see how we can possibly think we are "saving souls" by preaching something contrary to the very nature of God.


Heaven on Earth
Heaven starts here. Jesus says in Luke 17:21 that "the kingdom of God is within you." That is a mighty powerful statement. When reading through Matthew, I believe one of the points Jesus was trying to make is that we are to start experiencing God's Kingdom right here on this earth. This world is full of pain and trouble, and it is easy to slip into the mentality of thinking we are to just suffer through this life for our big reward at the end. But I believe Jesus was saying something different. I think Jesus was saying that we are to start living in the Kingdom right now. This lifestyle has got to be one of the hardest things to do with all of the pain, distractions, and everything else going on in the world.

Jesus gave us this command and promise. He states to "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) In other words, God is going to take care of us if we put His Kingdom first. Letting go of control of our lives can be really hard (I know it is for me). But Jesus has promised that if we put Him first, then He personally will see to it that we are taken care of.

Fortunately, events in our lives truly are out of our control. I say that is fortunate because it forces us to need God. As that one good, but overplayed pop song said, "Jesus take the wheel." I believe when we honestly say that, it is one of the most beautiful sounds to God's ears.


In Summary
I used to think God was mad at me, and my thought of Him was a bit more of a large, towering God in the sky who was upset with me because of all of my imperfections. My fear of Him made it impossible for me to truly draw close to Him. But then I realized that we are not "sinners in the hands of an angry God" but rather sons and daughters in the hands of a loving Father (sorry Mr. Edwards). That revelation is what enabled me to draw closer to God.

I honestly don't care about streets of gold or big mansions. To me, Heaven is being with my Daddy without any earthly distractions.

We have to remember that Christianity is not a religion, it is about a relationship with God made possible by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. I believe we need to learn to experience and "practice His presence" every day in our lives. The Bible states to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17), and I think a large part of that is simply talking to God throughout our day. Talk to Him while you’re driving, working, watching TV, laying in bed, and any other time you think about it.

God is love, and fear and love cannot coexist. Therefore, let’s stop trying to do this ridiculous and impossible feat of scaring people into Heaven and believing in God. The Kingdom of God is within us, and His love flowing through us should be what draws unbelievers to Him.


*(Please note that I am not trying to mock Jonathan Edwards’ sermon. It is beautifully written and it makes some very awesome points. I am merely trying to get the focus off of God’s anger and on His ever abundant mercy.)