Hey friends,

This week, we kick off a monthly column in our weekly newsletter called Common Misconceptions. In this column, we’re going to be exploring common misconceptions that many followers of Jesus have about the Christian faith. Some (or many) of you may have these misconceptions yourself. Before we even get to that though, I want to say that there is a high probability that you have misconceptions about the Christian faith. We all do! When seeking to grow in Christ and learn more about the faith, we must walk in humility, with hands opened, recognizing that we don’t all have it figured out. That being said, let’s dive in!

In our weekend gatherings, we’re currently in a series titled, How God Became King. It’s based on the book by the same name by N.T. Wright, New Testament scholar, historian, and former Anglican Bishop of Durham. In this series, we’re learning that through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus has become King and Lord of all creation. This is not in reference to some future apocalyptic event, but it is in reference to the here and now. Jesus’ summation of His gospel message was, "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15b).

So, this begs the question, What’s a short definition for the Kingdom of God? A great description is God’s rule and reign in heaven and on earth. God’s rule and reign are important in the here and now. This is why we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are praying that God’s rule and reign would be fully realized in His Kingdom. On earth, as it is in heaven.

If you got to this point, congratulations. But, this isn’t the misconception that we’re focusing on today. Many believers can agree on what I just said with a hearty Amen! The misconception is concerning the natural and inevitable conclusion to God’s redemptive work in Jesus. The reason so many people believe that the Kingdom of God is more of a future reality than a present reality is that they have the misconception that heaven is our final goal. That our goal on earth until we die to be with Jesus is to “win” people to Christ in order that they can escape this “wretched” existence and experience bliss too. While it is well-intentioned, this is a very large misconception that will warp our vision of the Gospel if we hold onto it.

Heaven is not our home. It is not the end goal. There, I said it. Before you turn off your computer or close out of your email app of choice, hear me out. Our home and our hope is so much better than heaven. What I’m going to talk about next is spoken of at length in Surprised by Hope by… You guessed it… N.T. Wright. If you haven’t noticed, aside from being one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars, he’s a favorite around here.

This idea that heaven is the end goal for Christians or that heaven = eternal salvation comes more from Platonic philosophy and Gnostic heresy than it does scripture or the church fathers. The software that many Christians have running in the background of their belief (especially in the 20th and 21st century United States of America) is that our physical existence is a “net negative” (to put it lightly) and that Jesus has come to free us from such a wretched existence to experience “true life” with him in disembodied heaven. Again, well-intentioned, but it’s not the Christian faith. Sadly, this is so ingrained in the water of Christian culture that we swim in that we hear this belief play out in various modern worship songs and we hear it from pastors/Christian thought leaders (who should honestly know better).

So, what is the Christian hope? What is the end goal? As we explored, it’s not to go to heaven. Heaven is not our home. But, it is a resting place. The Christian hope is that Jesus is Lord. That He is making all things new, restoring us, and restoring creation. This new creation work began in the incarnation of Christ, was accomplished on the cross, and will be consummated when He returns. The hope is resurrection.

When He returns, He won’t be snatching us up to heaven, He’ll be bringing the New Jerusalem to us. Check out what Revelation 21:1-5 says,

“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, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He 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.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Some things to note, there is a new heaven and a new earth. This is not a description of heaven, it is a new creation. The current state of things has passed away. Also, this new creation is coming out of heaven down to earth. No one is going up, new creation is coming to us. Additionally, it says that God’s dwelling place is with his people, not the other way around. A quick reading of the entire biblical narrative shows God coming to dwell with us is a consistent theme, not us going to dwell with Him. So why would that change when all is put right?

Now, grab a Bible, and let's hop over to 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul gives us his summary of the Gospel. First, we see that Christ’s life, death, and resurrection were all according to the scriptures, meaning the Old Testament (15:3-5). The Old Testament sets the stage and points to the coming Messiah, Jesus. In the Corinthian church, some began to deny that there was such a thing as resurrection of the dead (as many do today). Paul then responds to this. He goes to Jesus’ resurrection to prove that we too will be resurrected to eternal life with God in the new creation. The rest of the chapter is his discourse on the topic (15:12-58).

He goes on to explain that if the dead are not raised at the end of the age, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then we are still dead in our sin. But, if Christ has been raised, then we too, who are in Christ, will be raised to eternal life with Him in the physical new creation that we read about in Revelation 21. This is the true meaning of “for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ” (15:22). He even goes as far to say that if the dead are not raised, “Let us drink for tomorrow we die.” (15:32).

The rest of this chapter is explaining what this will be like, or at least as much as we can understand with our finite minds. Although, we know it will be something like Jesus’ body post-resurrection. It is important to note that “heavenly bodies” in this chapter means that we are given bodies born of the spirit that is incorruptible, not spirit-bodies in the disembodied sense.

This is why, because of Jesus, death has no sting or victory. Jesus has overcome! Listen to this good news,

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 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.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (15:51-58)

This is just a snapshot. This does not answer every question, but it should get you thinking. Indeed, we will be with Jesus in heaven if we die before His return. After all, He told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise. But, nowhere in scripture does it tell us that heaven is our home or that it is our ultimate hope. New Creation is our home and hope in Jesus. Resurrection life isn’t symbolic or merely “spiritual.” It’s physical and is far better than we could imagine!

Please, go and explore this for yourself. Read 1 Corinthians 15 with fresh eyes. Read Surprised by Hope. And if you want to see how deep and wide this theme of resurrection of the dead in a new creation is, check out this link that provides a long list of scriptures that speak to it:

My goal in this is not to shame you if you had this misconception. I did too until another follower of Jesus lovingly opened my eyes to a clearer vision of the Gospel. That’s my hope. To present you with a much clearer and more faithful vision of the good news and the Kingdom that Jesus brought. He, after all, is our hope. In Him, we have real resurrection life.

If you have questions or want to know more, you can connect with Pastor Donnie
who would love to answer any questions you may have!