The question, what do you do after you believe, is the subject of Tom Wright’s new book: After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters
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Today I want to examine what Tom sees as the three ways Christians have framed what we are to do “after we believe”.
Questions: Are these the big three for you? Or are there others? How has your church framed what you are to do “after you believe”? How do you see the differences between option two and three?
Option one: The Wait for Heaven Option
1. The goal is eternal bliss in heaven, up there, but away from this earth.
2. The goal is achieved through Jesus Christ’s life death and resurrection. We cling to this by faith.
3. Christian living is anticipating the eternal through “detached spirituality” and “avoidance of the world.”
Option two: The Work for the Kingdom Option
1. The goal is God’s kingdom on earth by our own hard work.
2. This goal demonstrated by Jesus in his earthly life.
3. The Christian life anticipates the kingdom by working for justice, peace and ending poverty and distress.
Option three: The Live out by way of Anticipating the Kingdom
1. The goal is the new heaven and the new earth.
2. This goal is achieved through the kingdom-establishing work of Jesus and the Spirit, grasped by faith, participated in through baptism, lived out in love.
3. Christian life is about anticipating the Spirit-led, habit-transforming, truly human practice of faith, hope, and love.. sustaining Christians in worship and this will reflect God’s glory.
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