What is the balance between a seeking a blessed life and living for heaven?

[RemovedbyRequest]

What is the biblical balance in the new covenant for seeking/desiring a good or better life on earth, and not living for this life?

1 Peter 3:10
“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.

Ephesians 6:2-3
“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”


vs


Luke 12:33-34
Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

[Ben Zartman]

It simply shows that there are temporal blessings attached to obedience (and the opposite: the way of transgressors is hard), and then to cap it all, blessings innumerable after. To love life and have things well doesn't necessarily mean treasure laid up on earth--it means a great and peaceful contentment in God, which is better than riches.

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Riches are a very dangerous thing according to the New Testament. Listen how the book of Revelation describes them.

"For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
Revelation 18:3

More often than not, prosperity helps us to take our minds off passionate, self-sacrificial living in the gospel.

I think it's okay to have what we need and enjoy things in life, but there is no need for the luxuries.

 

[RemovedbyRequest]

It simply shows that there are temporal blessings attached to obedience (and the opposite: the way of transgressors is hard), and then to cap it all, blessings innumerable after. To love life and have things well doesn't necessarily mean treasure laid up on earth--it means a great and peaceful contentment in God, which is better than riches.

So you're saying the blessings of 1 Peter 3:10 and ephesians 6:2-3 and other passages are properly understood as blessings such as contentment, mercy, and the joy of salvation, good works, and wisdom (like proverbs 16:16)? Like we should understand these things as primarily spiritual, and secondarily material if the Lord chooses?

 

[Elizabeth]

Paul had the best answer: I have learned to be content, in whatever situation.
If you couldn't let go of your wealth, position and still delight in the Lord, there's a problem. Your wealth and security are your god.
If you bemoan your poverty and complain of not having more stuff like other people, there's a problem. Your desire and envy are your god.
If it doesn't matter to you one whit, as you trust God to steer your life through whatever vicissitudes, you are blessed.
This world is passing away. Hold it lightly, whatever your circumstance.
All we should seek here is God's glory, full stop.
There are tremendous blessings to both states, if you are seeking God's glory, btw. Wealth: the easy ability to do good. Poverty: learning true reliance upon your Lord, day by day.

 

[RemovedbyRequest]

Paul had the best answer: I have learned to be content, in whatever situation.
If you couldn't let go of your wealth, position and still delight in the Lord, there's a problem. Your wealth and security are your god.
If you bemoan your poverty and complain of not having more stuff like other people, there's a problem. Your desire and envy are your god.
If it doesn't matter to you one whit, as you trust God to steer your life through whatever vicissitudes, you are blessed.
This world is passing away. Hold it lightly, whatever your circumstance.
All we should seek here is God's glory, full stop.
There are tremendous blessings to both states, if you are seeking God's glory, btw. Wealth: the easy ability to do good. Poverty: learning true reliance upon your Lord, day by day.

I get all of these things and I agree, but what then do we make of those promises of blessing in ephesians 6 and 1 Peter? Do they mean anything? It does sound like they are promising good days and long life to obedient Christians. If they are promising that, how can we say that we should forget about how good life might become here and just focus completely on eternity, if God is promising temporal blessings too?

I'm not trying to be earthly minded, but if God made promises of temporal blessings, then I don't want to be over-spiritual and say none of those promises are true.

 

[Ben Zartman]

So you're saying the blessings of 1 Peter 3:10 and ephesians 6:2-3 and other passages are properly understood as blessings such as contentment, mercy, and the joy of salvation, good works, and wisdom (like proverbs 16:16)? Like we should understand these things as primarily spiritual, and secondarily material if the Lord chooses?

Even so. If you have Christ, then even if you're poor, or afflicted, or persecuted, or suffer for righteousness' sake, you have everything. God will give you what is best for your sanctification: remember that's the goal. Sometimes your sanctification requires that you be poor or sick; sometimes it requires that you abound in temporal good. God only knows, and gives you what is the best for you just then. But if you are obeying God, you will find that rich or poor, sick or well, you have delight in Him, and your life is good.

 

[pgwolv]

Ultimately, Christians are only really promised a good life and living long on the earth in terms of the new heavens and the new earth. Remember that Christians are warned that we are to expect persecution, and both Peter and Paul were persecuted. Spiritually, yes, you will be blessed, but physically, do not expect it before Glory.

 

[Elizabeth]

I'm not trying to be earthly minded, but if God made promises of temporal blessings, then I don't want to be over-spiritual and say none of those promises are true

Actually, I think you may be too earthly-minded here. Why fret about this? Take what God has given you (poverty or riches or in-between), use it to his glory.

In your first example, I don't see that it has anything to do with temporal/material promises, but rather promises of the goodness of a righteous life. It IS objectively good to 'refrain' your tongue. No matter your earthly, material state/short or long life, it will go better for you if you learn to bridle your tongue.

In your second example, 'may' is the operative word. Being kind/honoring to your parents may enrich your life: though relationship, support and perhaps inheritance, etc. Of course, the Christian CAN honor parents and still, though no fault of his own, not have a good relationship, or support or an inheritance.

That whole section in Ephesians is on how to live relationally with people (husbands, wives, parents, children, servants, masters), not how to 'have your best life now'. It's all within the framework of becoming a 'servant of Christ'. THAT is your best life. Now and forever more.

 

[RemovedbyRequest]

Actually, I think you may be too earthly-minded here.

What I meant was that I don't want to say that God is saying less than what He's actually saying in an effort to appear more holy, like colossians 2:23 , but I think I see your point.

You're saying that holiness, which brings joy, is the blessing promised to all believers through sanctification, (like how restraining your tongue is wise ( Proverbs 21:23 ) and wisdom is better than silver or gold Proverbs 8:10, 19 ). The material situation varies from person to person according to God's perfect will, and is basically irrelevant as far as those promises of blessing are concerned (since they are spiritual).

 

[dhh712]

What I meant was that I don't want to say that God is saying less than what He's actually saying in an effort to appear more holy, like colossians 2:23 , but I think I see your point.

You're saying that holiness, which brings joy, is the blessing promised to all believers through sanctification, (like how restraining your tongue is wise ( Proverbs 21:23 ) and wisdom is better than silver or gold Proverbs 8:10, 19 ). The material situation varies from person to person according to God's perfect will, and is basically irrelevant as far as those promises of blessing are concerned (since they are spiritual).

Yes, and I think it is right to take pleasure in temporal blessings, as well as those that are spiritual, should our Heavenly Father give them. And yes, the material situations will vary. I heard that like the promise of a long life for honoring your mother and father isn't necessarily the length of days, but of a life spiritually blessed (can't think of the wording used, but something like "full of days" as in not quantity but quality. Of course we all know the young person who was respectful to his or her parents but died early and the nasty child that lived to an old age. So of course, quantity could not be all which God has in mind with this promise).

I think you're right in saying that the temporal blessings are basically irrelevant as we should as Paul described in an epistle be content in any situation. God in His infinite wisdom chooses to temporally bless some but not others. The main blessing is enjoyment of our Lord.

A further thought about temporal blessings, since your post made me think of it (though it may not be like the actual topic of your post): An OPC pastor I listened to in a series in Ecclesiastics said that should our Heavenly Father give us temporal blessings here, it would actually be wrong to not delight in them (I understood that to mean like to be blasé about it or think it's not that great or something like that--like since I can't recall the exact words, I'm trying to get what he said across as clear as I can since I imagine the statement may seem perhaps a bit off. But it was something like, to be all stoic and like oh, I feel guilty for having these things while others don't so I'm just like going to push away those feelings of joy and just be like, I really don't want these things. Something like that. I hope basically what he was saying is coming across from my words--hopefully! I don't want to mis-represent what he said).

But as to the desiring of temporal blessings, I think it is fine to desire a better life here on earth so long as we don't set our heart on it and make that the focus of our lives and not honoring and living for God. I can't say it better than how Elizabeth said it, hold what you have here lightly for it's passing away.

So I think the balance may be described as yes, to look forward to a betterment of life by good and properly hard work (not overly like to the point of being a workaholic) and do have future plans by which you endeavor to promote your well-being here on earth; yet, your main focus is on our Heavenly Father and honoring Him and glorifying Him in all you do. Should the Lord bless your efforts and give you a good life then do take delight in that. Yet, should He in His infinite wisdom not bring about what you sought for in this life, then be content also in what He has provided for you understanding that though you may not know how it could be so it is the best situation for you.

 

[RemovedbyRequest]

Thank you all for your replies and helping me to think through this topic biblically.

I'm trying to get what he said across as clear as I can since I imagine the statement may seem perhaps a bit off.

I understood clearly and I think it's a good point that was made

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Maybe it would be a really good topical study for you to look at what the New Testament says about being rich and having a materially prosperous life on earth. And then maybe you can contrast that with how Jesus viewed the poor. One of the amazing things is that Jesus wasn't just referring to the spiritually poor in the gospels during His ministry, but it almost seems as if the physically poor were regularly a focus of His ministry as well.

Blessings!

 

[dhh712]

Maybe it would be a really good topical study for you to look at what the New Testament says about being rich and having a materially prosperous life on earth. And then maybe you can contrast that with how Jesus viewed the poor. One of the amazing things is that Jesus wasn't just referring to the spiritually poor in the gospels during His ministry, but it almost seems as if the physically poor were regularly a focus of His ministry as well.

Blessings!

Yes, I do see that in his ministry and this just occurred to me--what Jesus did here on this earth was show His power in reversing the effects of the fall. The physically poor are that way due to the effects of the fall and sin. People who don't believe in how Jesus came to save us from sin and the wrath of God apparently don't see that this is what Jesus came to do (at least, it would seem that way; I'm not sure why they think the world is so messed up in the first place then--I'm guessing because they don't believe in a Sovereign God and think he's trying his best but just can't fix everything?? I mean those that do believe in God but don't believe He is a wrathful God who hates sin. There are plenty of nonbelievers who see Jesus as a very good person whose whole focus in life was to help others).

Thus, this may be some motivation for the whole "social" gospel taking preeminence over how Jesus saves us from sin and gives us His righteousness. Maybe this is very obvious, I don't know, your post just made me think of it. Yes, it seems Jesus really did work often among those who didn't have very much.