Heaven, Hell, and Jesus

The goal of the Christian life is not to go to heaven. No one in the New Testament preaches, “Believe in Jesus so that you can enter heaven.” The goal is to be with the Lord. Consider the following verses:

• We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Cor 5:8 NIV)

•  I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far (Phil 1:23)

• And 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. (Rev 21:3)

In Martin Luther’s German translation of the Bible, he rendered Psalm 73:25 this way:

What do I care for heaven if thou art not there? On earth I care for nothing if only I have thee. I would not be in heaven if thou wert not there, and with thee would I gladly be in hell. If only I have thee I care neither for heaven nor hell . . .

Luther expanded on the text which says: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” His two additional sentences raise thought-provoking questions: Would you want to be in heaven if Christ was not there? Would you gladly go to hell if Christ went with you? Ultimately, what are you seeking—a place or a Person?

Les Bridgeman

I have served as a high school Bible teacher and counselor in Asia and the U.S. I am passionate about understanding and teaching the Bible. Here’s a link to my book page.