Attracted to the Good

Another post on the future hope of worshipers of Jesus (Tangent: I actually really struggled with how to word this first sentence.  As I said in the previous post, calling the future home of believers "heaven" is only partially correct and, more than that, we tend to have all sorts of unhelpful connotations and images related to the word "heaven."  So I prefer to say something like "the future hope", "life in the new creation", or "the resurrected life."  Furthermore, I struggled to know what to call those who will enter into this life.  My gut is to say "believers", but I'm afraid that word has become somewhat misleading in our culture as we can think that being a Christian only means agreeing intellectually to a certain set of beliefs.  Needless to say, the devil believed in God and it doesn't turn out to well for him.  I could have used the word "Christians" but, once again, we all know people who call themselves Christians who don't show any evidence or fruit of actually being a Christian.  So I went with "worshipers of Jesus."  Because those who have caught of glimpse of Jesus as he really is and believed that he is the Lord and Savior of the world will worship him with their whole lives.  They will live changed lives.  End tangent.)

N.T. Wright says, “All Christian language about the future is a set of signposts pointing into a mist."  I certainly don't want to put myself forward as an expert on "the future hope of worshipers of Jesus."  Most of what we can say about this hope is merely informed speculation, like reading "signposts pointing into a mist."   Here is one possible signpost:

Peter says that righteousness will dwell in the new heavens and new earth.  Now, I admit, hearing this eternal home characterized by righteousness doesn’t immediately get me jumping out of my seat in excitement.  Couldn't it be characterized by year round March Madness?  Or all-you-can-eat steak and lobster?  But let’s think through this.  

Righteousness means right living; it means thinking, feeling, and acting as we were made to, as we ought to.  Sometimes living right, or living as God wants us to, doesn’t seem very exciting to us.  Oftentimes, sin seems more enticing, more thrilling.  But anyone who’s been a Christian for long enough also knows that sin is deceptive.  It may seem more exciting, it may seem to give life, but it actually steals life, steals joy, and steal peace.  Sin lies; it tricks us.  It offers us happiness and then lets us down.

But when we arrive at our new home in God’s new creation, we will no longer be tricked and deceived by sin. Not only will we live rightly, but we will love living rightly; we won’t want to do anything else.  That which deceives us and steals life will no longer look exciting!  Sin will no longer seem appealing.  Rather, that which gives us life and joy and hope and peace will be attractive.  We will cling to what is good and love to cling to what is good.  

More than that, everything and everyone around us will also be living rightly and loving living rightly.  We won’t be hurt by other people’s sin.  We won’t be lied to, gossiped about, have trust broken, or have friends betray us.  Right living, and the love of right living, will be everywhere.  Things will be as they ought to be.