Signposts For Eternity

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. (1 Corinthians 15:19)

OVER THE COURSE OF the twentieth century, several of Christianity’s most prominent theologians decided that the idea of life after death did not fit the modern mind and could not be sustained in light of current philosophies and scientific understanding. Still, they continued to commend the ethical implications of our faith, retaining some amorphous concept of God, and some even suggested they found it worthwhile to live as a Christian only for the sake of this life. In that perspective, they disagreed with Paul, who considered our faith pitiable if our hope was only for this age. After all, our entire faith rests on Jesus’ resurrection. But for these theologians, Christianity had become a philosophy, not a concrete faith.

That approach does not satisfy the human heart, of course, which was created for eternity and longs for lasting hope. It will not feed the hungry of our age. Our message is much more life-changing and has much greater implications. It opens the spirit to invisible realities and anchors lives in eternal truth. It gives people a reason to live that goes much deeper than a nice idea.

As you live out your faith in the eyes of others, make sure that it goes beyond an ethical system or a religious philosophy. It should certainly shape your ethics and your worldview, of course, but it should also fill you with a palpable hope that others can sense. Every relationship you have is with someone who will live after death; every trial you face will be overshadowed by glories to come; every decision you make has the potential to be invested with meaning. The Resurrection is true, whether it fits modern understanding or not, and it is our message of hope for people desperately searching for something to base their hopes on. You become Exhibit A in the case for eternity, simply by living out your faith and remaining anchored in the spiritual realm. Never lose that focus. You are living in the Resurrection, both now and in the age to come.

{Jesus, your resurrection is the gateway to life for all who fear death, the hope of eternity for all who feel trapped in time. Let me embody that life and hope and be a standing signpost to the reality of your Kingdom. Amen.