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The Daily Word of Righteousness
But What If We—Don't?, continued
For this is what the LORD says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:18—NIV)
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (I Corinthians 15:26—NIV)
So let's continue with those who, from the Bible, have verified my statement that neither Jesus nor His Apostles pointed us to residence in Heaven as the goal of salvation but toward becoming a new creation of righteous behavior.
Remember, we are speaking of the unscripturalness and illogic of the alleged "state of grace" and "standing in grace" teaching that is so much a part of our evangelical tradition.
Man was created on the earth. This is where the Lord intends man should live for eternity.
Man lost the right to live on the earth. He died physically, meaning he was forced into the spirit realm, into Heaven. At least we believe Adam and Eve are in Heaven. We cannot go to Heaven until we are forced to do so by dying physically. We cannot return to earth until we are resurrected physically. It is our physical return to earth that is the victory of the Christian salvation. Isn't this what Paul taught in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians?
Think carefully about the preceding statement for it represents a radical shift in our concept of redemption.
Man's Redeemer has come. To redeem someone is to restore him to his former position.
What did man lose in the beginning?
He was no longer pleasing to God.
He no longer had fellowship with God.
He no longer was eligible and competent to fulfill the roles and tasks of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ no longer knew him and would no longer walk with him.
Adam and Eve no longer bore in their personality, words, and actions a true witness of God, of His Person, will, way, and eternal purpose in Christ.
Can you see what was lost? Far more than Paradise was lost. It was the very purpose for man's existence that was lost.
Heaven was never lost to man because man was not created in Heaven. Therefore, redemption does not bring us to Heaven. Departure to Heaven is a temporary situation until we can be redeemed.
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23—NIV)
We lost our bodies through sin. Our Redeemer will restore our body to us, after our inward nature has been transformed, so we can live once again in Paradise on the earth. Physical death is the last enemy that Jesus Christ will destroy.
I don't believe any Christian would have a real problem with what I have written thus far, except many would have trouble abandoning residence in Heaven as the goal of salvation.
Maybe we do not think hard enough about what we believe. Maybe one part of our brain says one thing and another part of our brain says something else and we have not perceived that our thinking is inconsistent.
To be continued.