The following post comes from my friend, Jay Wingard, from his Soli Deo Gloria blog. Posted with permission.
“Heaven would be hell to me without Christ.” – Thomas Goodwin
The false idea of heaven for many people
This beautiful quote from the Puritan Thomas Goodwin also reminds me of a question John Piper asks in his book God is the Gospel: would you be happy in heaven if Christ were not there? Before the Lord saved me I was a professing believer and my desire for heavenly things was strictly carnal. I wanted the everlasting life and of course to escape hell. I wanted the golden streets and the pearly gates but I did not want God. I wanted to go to heaven, I just didn’t want God to be there. I was ashamed of Christ and I never spoke of Him to others. I’m so thankful that the Lord in His sovereign grace turned my heart of stone to a heart of flesh and granted me the gift of repentance and faith in His Son. He saved a man who for most of his life professed faith but possessed it not and was ashamed of the gospel and it’s Author. It’s only through being born from above by His power and grace that I can echo the words of Goodwin that heaven would truly be hell without Christ.
I know there are many people who believe they are seeking God. Through church attendance, morality, activities and even a head-knowledge of who Christ is (James 2:19), they believe they are heaven-bound. But Scripture speaks otherwise. Not a single person outside of Christ seeks God. Period. Paul tells us in Romans that people don’t seek God. (Romans 3:11) The reality is that people seek the things of God but they don’t seek Him. They want heaven and all God’s benefits but they simply don’t want Him. They truly could be happy in heaven if Christ were not there. This is why I laugh at so-called “seeker sensitive” churches that model their worship after and for unbelievers. Unbelievers and nominal Christians aren’t seeking God. They are seeking health, happiness and the American dream and in their minds God is often a way to get those things. Seeker sensitive churches simply feed this devilish lie. This is why false teachers like Joel Osteen pack their seats service after service with people who want everything God (and the world) has to offer except true salvation and the ultimate result of that salvation: God Himself. Salvation truly is a means to an end. And that end is unhindered communion for all eternity with God in Christ. John sums up heaven for us in five beautiful words: “we will see His face.” (Revelation 22:4)
The grand reality is that God must seek us before we will seek Him. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) God causes our dead souls to be born from above and then and only then do we come to Him in repentance and faith. Paul describes regeneration as a miracle greater than that of the creation account. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Do you love Christ or do you love His benefits? One affection is the result of a transformed heart. The other is a natural desire of the fallen nature. If you do love Christ above all things, rejoice in His sovereign grace and be humbled that nothing inherently in you caused this regenerative miracle. (John 1:13) If you honestly can say that you’d be happy in heaven without Christ, cry out to the Lord Almighty to open your eyes to His glory in the face of Jesus Christ and embrace Him in repentance and faith. All who come to Him He will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)
Soli Deo Gloria
airō 
Normand G Lavoie
December 30, 2011
The following quote is where my ultimate affection lies:
“Do you love Christ or do you love His benefits? One affection is the result of a transformed heart. The other is a natural desire of the fallen nature. If you do love Christ above all things, rejoice in His sovereign grace and be humbled that nothing inherently in you caused this regenerative miracle. (John 1:13)”
I cannot wait to be rid of this carnal Rom. 7 body sold to sin and to behold the LORD’s face in all its glory – I John 3:1-3! Heaven without the splendor of the glory of God on Christ’s face would indeed be hell for me.
Justin Edwards
December 30, 2011
Amen, brother – you and me both!
Brendt Wayne Waters
December 30, 2011
“This is why I laugh at so-called ‘seeker sensitive’ churches that model their worship after and for unbelievers.”
Because theological error is so hilarious.
Justin Edwards
December 30, 2011
Figure of speech, bro. The methods employed by these circuses are pathetically laughable.
Brendt Wayne Waters
December 30, 2011
Is “pathetically laughable” another figure of speech?
Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for laughing at error, either literally or figuratively.
Maybe I’m just old school, but I kinda subscribe to the Bible more than human impulse..
Justin Edwards
December 30, 2011
Firstly, Galatians 6:1 is regarding confronting an individual brother in sin and has nothing to do with how churches conduct themselves. Secondly, what is laughable, truly, is man being so proud as to think his man-centered methods and circus antics will convert people into the Kingdom. It is folly and proves a gross waywardness of the visible church from the orthodox understanding that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16), not circus tricks and gimmicks.
These things are not laughable as in funny haha, but laughable in the sense they should be looked at with scorn and treated as the irreverent, absurd, ridiculous, foolish excuses for biblical churches they are.
This might be more helpful: http://vimeo.com/26100841
Brendt Wayne Waters
December 30, 2011
Re-phrasing your first sentence: “The cited passage is applicable to situation A and therefore I have no responsibility whatsoever to determine if it might be applicable to situation B also. In fact, it’s highly probable that I ought to do the exact opposite thing in situation B.”
But take heart; you aren’t alone. This attitude is almost as prevalent as it is tiresome.
Since you’ve hamstrung me with the all-purpose “that’s not applicable”, I can’t respond with further Scripture. But I will note that you appear to be forgetting that *churches* do not make decisions to do the wrong thing. People do. Or to borrow from your words, “individual brothers” do.
(It is left as an exercise for the reader to determine if this, therefore, is really situation A anyway.)
On what basis do you feel that it is proper for one person to “scorn” another and call him “irreverent, absurd, ridiculous, [and] foolish”? I’ll even be charitable and let you attempt to rely on Scripture for your proof, even though you’ve declared the Bible inapplicable.
Justin Edwards
December 30, 2011
Brendt, I’ve hardly declared the Bible inapplicable, but rather your use of that particular passage. Frankly, you seem to have missed the point of the article and are playing a game of semantics. The Apostle Paul would call them dogs, those who preach another gospel.
Brendt Wayne Waters
December 30, 2011
Your outright denial of the possibility of applicability of the passage gives you *carte blanche* to repeat the same denial for any other Scripture that I cite. So there’s no point in my relying on the Bible. In retrospect, it was incorrect of me to state that you declared the Bible inapplicable. But you have effectively declared it unusable by those who disagree with you.
On the contrary (to your next sentence), I do catch the point of the article. And, on the whole, I agree with it. Heaven minus Jesus ain’t heaven at all. But the concept of laughing at others sticks out like a pile of hamster skubala in the middle of a steak dinner plate.
As to the Apostle Paul reference, wasn’t he also the guy that wrote 2/3 of the New Testament, much of it in attempts to actually correct error, rather than just point and laugh?
Justin Edwards
December 30, 2011
Brendt, there is clearly a language barrier here. No one is pointing and laughing. It’s a figure of speech to say how ridiculous it is that seeker sensitive churches model there programs after and for unbelievers. It’s completely unbiblical and absurd. If you can’t understand that, I’m sorry.
Spend some time on my website if you wish and you’ll see just how much I uphold Sola Scriptura. I didn’t say there was 0 applicability. You’re making assumptions. If this sort of thing happened in my local church, you can be sure the leadership would be confronted biblically. The article here is discussing generalities, with the exception of using Joel Osteen as an example.
If you haven’t watched the video I posted, please do.
Brendt Wayne Waters
December 30, 2011
So it’s a “language barrier” when Wingard says that he “laughs”, you say that you “scorn” and think them “foolish”, and then you turn around and say “no one is … laughing”?
And it’s a “language barrier” when you say that “Galatians 6:1 … has nothing to do with how churches conduct themselves” and then turn around and state that you “didn’t say there was 0 applicability”?
Also, you keep referring to all of this as being a “figure of speech”. For some reason, with both phrases (“language barrier” and “figure of speech”), I am reminded of Inigo Montoya when he said, “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”
In short, it’s not either, but it IS insurmountable.
The vast majority of people who I’ve heard say that they uphold Sola Scriptura actually uphold Sol*o* Scriptura. Perhaps this isn’t the case for you, but that Latin phrase is not a good thing to try to convince me of your viewpoint.
As to the video, I guess I’m hoisted on my own petard, as I laughed the first time you pointed out the video and suggested that something from Washer would be helpful.
(I’ve got to head to bed soon, and will probably be off the radar for a couple days, so please don’t consider lack of further response as blowing you off. Though, as I stated before, I *do* think our differences are insurmountable. So this may be the tail end of the conversation, anyway.)
Justin Edwards
December 30, 2011
Honestly, I think you’re trolling, Brendt, and will agree it’s probably best this is the end of our conversation. Take care.
Brendt Wayne Waters
December 30, 2011
See previous Montoya quote.
Darrel
December 31, 2011
It is so refreshing and encouraging to read this post. I, too, was lost in my religiousity and even had the gall to tell God that no matter what I did He was still obligated to allow me into His heaven upon my death. All I was interested in was my “get out of hell free” card. But then His light did shine out of my darkness. Mercy, repentance, and forgiveness was given to me along with a longing in my heart to be with my Savior. There are few who will speak of the theme of II Cor. 13:5 (examine yourself). Thank you!