Final Destination #1
Series Summary
‘There is more to life than this.’ As Christians, we believe that our present lives are only the first chapter of our existence, and that through the saving power of Jesus’ work on the cross, we will be ushered into a perfect, heavenly kingdom where we will dwell for all eternity, free from sin and in God’s presence. The danger is that we are sometimes lulled into thinking, “By believing in Jesus, I’ve secured my free ticket to heaven, so whatever I do on earth doesn’t really matter, right?” Or worse, to some of us, heaven doesn’t even sound all that interesting or enticing. This 6-part series takes a closer look at the nature of the afterlife that has been promised to us, as well as how the truth of our ‘final destination’ has profound implications for the way we live today.
Prologue to Final Destination: What Dreams May Come
2 Peter 1:5-15
Before we start on the discussion of the end of things, we need to discuss with what lens we see it with. This is known broadly as a ‘worldview’ (the way one sees the world) and it affects us in the following ways.
Our Worldview Determines how we see ourselves, the people that we come in contact with, and the situations that we experience whether personally or vicariously. That is, our worldview affects our perception.
Our Worldview Grounds us as it represents our identities, our values, and our goals. It is an anchor that we sink into the shifting seas of our experiences so that we may can make sense of the world, others, and ourselves.
Our Worldview Contradicts us, as we are but imperfect human beings with views that are under constant scrutiny. Through cognitive dissonance we can see how we may believe one thing yet act in a way that circumvents the other.
This is why it’s important to be contradicted in our worldviews so that we may arrive, ultimately, at the one which glorifies God and hold fast to it.
We look at two examples. The first being the content of a Sunday-by-Sunday sermon. If the focus of the sermon is always on blessings, we may lose faith when there are none to be had. If the focus of the sermon is always on obedience, we may lose faith when we are constantly disobedient. If the focus of the sermon is always on grace, we have a firm grasp of our identity in Christ no matter the storm that we face, for all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but Christ has paid it all, giving us the free gift of His grace (Romans 6:22-23).
The second explores our view of the final end point of the unsaved sinner – hell. A purgatorial view of hell (a second chance of atonement) and a Universalist view of hell (temporary suffering, finality in the second death) both give leeway for the believer and follower of Christ to lapse into laziness in spreading the gospel. A traditional view understands that hell is a place that no one would wish on their greatest enemies, much less the people that they love and treasure on the earth.
In conclusion, our worldview of the end of days is important if we are to treat our current state of being with the correct valor and vigor that glorifies God. We may hold contradicting views within ourselves and with others but that is a process by which the mature Christian hones and refines his or her own worldview that they may be determined and grounded by it.