Death, Resurrection, New Life, Salvation, Forgiveness, Tribulation, Heaven and Hell

OUR NATURAL LIFE
We are so accustomed to just living our life that we do not often think about what it involves. Here is the way we see our natural “life” in its broadest possible context. First there are those aspects over which we have no control:

  • Our family (parents, siblings, relatives).
  • Genetics (dna, hair, skin color, body size and shape, predispositions to emotional and physical health and intelligence etc.)
  • Genealogy (where our family came from, where it lives, its history, social standing, occupations and wealth).
  • Physical health — except to the degree that we do things that enhance and preserve it or sabotage it.
  • Physical environment — except to the degree that we change it or change where we live and work

Whatever God has established for us does not change, nor should we want to change it. We should consider it all a unique package of gifts designed just for us as an individual and be grateful for it while being cautious that we do not idolize and worship the gift.

Beyond these God-given parameters, we have almost limitless potential to create and control our lives as we see in the following list:

  • Relationships (family, marriage, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.)
  • Formal and informal associations (with individuals and organizations) designed to complement and advance occupational, religious, political, educational, recreational and social goals.
  • Education
  • Religion
  • Work of all kinds, whether for income or pleasure
  • Preferred and typical ways of thinking about and conducting your life in terms of morals and values
  • Time
  • History of your life
  • History of the lives of your immediate family and ancestors
  • Preferred and typical ways (routines, habits) that you and your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers have developed and adopted to create order and security in your daily activities.
  • Ambitions, plans, ideas, hopes and dreams that ground you and direct your future (short term and long term).
  • Material objects (including money) that you create, acquire and use with some regularity.
  • Home, neighborhood, community, country.
  • Intellectual and emotional concepts and values that you use to guide your thoughts and actions.
  • Thought life (i.e. the things you tend to meditate on and think about).
  • Occupation (including ministry) and lifestyle that the occupation supports.
  • Volunteer service activities that benefit the community, individuals and the environment.
  • Hobbies; educational, political, physical, recreational, creative and intellectual pursuits.

Most of the above life aspects are spiritually neutral. Being the essence of life for everyone, they are neither good (spiritually positive) or bad (spiritually negative). They become either good or bad, however, depending on our attachments to them and depending on how we think about them. And their positive or negative nature depends on how they line up with what God has said. But whatever we have created for ourselves we should always be ready to sacrifice when we sense that it has become an idol in our life.

They become spiritually positive, for example, if they are used to build relationships through which we bless others and serve them (i.e. give life to them) in little or big ways. Life aspects that are “other-oriented” and “life-giving” are not problematic for God. They fulfill the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” They are good also, if God, not us, gets credit for them.

Other aspects of life that destroy life instead of give it become problematic for us and God. God is a life-giving god, and we should be life-givers also. And since God gives life so that he will receive glory, we should not fail to give credit to God for the good things (tangible and intangible) he might accomplish through us. If we believe that we have created a good life for ourselves through our own hard work, or luck, or intellect, or whatever, we effectively deny that God is the source of all good things and that he provides whatever we have so that we can bless and serve others. Moreover, if we are motivated by purely selfish goals (our comfort, security, enjoyment, reputation, etc.), and fail to recognize that God has given to us all that we have that is good so that we can enrich the lives of others (i.e. be other-oriented), we effectively idolize ourselves. If we think that life is all about us and for our benefit, we create problems for both us and God, and we should expect that he will sooner or later want to give them new hearts.

New hearts are necessary because a heart that does not have God’s name (i.e. his character) written in it is a troubled heart. It is full of internal and external conflict. The life aspects in the following table are not neutral. Instead of being life-giving and enriching for you and others, they require excessive physical and emotional effort to acquire and maintain. They always cause some degree of internal stress, and often cause conflict between individuals and groups. Some cause extreme conflict — even to the point of bloodshed. These all draw God’s attention and will sooner or later demand his correction.

HIDDEN LIFE OF OUR HEART
  • Concern, struggle and worry about personal reputation, authority, titles, degrees, status or position that gives you a place (preferably a high place) in a formal or informal association of people (family, business, community, church, civic organization, etc.) in society.
  • Concern, struggle and worry about non-negotiable things (i.e. unwritten laws) that you hold onto, defend and protect when in conflict with someone who does not share an aspect of your life, and/or who threatens to steal, diminish or destroy an aspect of your life.
  • Concern, struggle and worry about traditions, both individual and corporate (e.g. family, church, business, etc.), that you cherish and are careful to observe, advance and preserve for personal reasons.
  • Fears, phobias and idiosyncrasies that control your behaviors.
  • Obsessions to acquire material objects, including land and financial wealth.
  • Obsessions to acquire and control anything, whether tangible or intangible.
  • Obsessions to manipulate control people (individuals or groups) through physical, emotional, religious, financial or political power and authority for your own selfish purposes.
  • Competitive motivations and relationships characterized by jealousy and envy.
  • Hate and unforgiveness that affects how you relate to individuals or groups.
  • Prejudices, judgments and biases you have toward individuals and groups.
  • Concern, struggle and worry about preserving religious beliefs and practices.
  • Constant efforts to preserve and grow spiritual pride.

STUDY TIP: See THE HEART IS THE PLACE for more about the heart.

A heart with these characteristics is not a heart at rest.

All life aspects, both tangible and intangible, no matter how socially normal or benign they may seem, have the potential to become obsessions that rule our life. This can even be true for good things like ministry. When we become preoccupied with these life issues, they have the potential to become idols that effectively displace and replace God. These are the parts of life that God will want to bring to death and redeem for his good purposes.

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