Think Like Jesus:
Make the Right Decision Every Time
Part 2: Developing a Biblical Worldview
Chapter 8: Questions 5: What Happens After We Die on Earth?
Barna introduces the chapter by sharing the story of encounter between Satan and a man, with whom Satan proposes the offer of exchanging his soul for Satan’s “rewards”—money, fame, power and respect.” After reflection the man responds, “There must be a catch.” Barna points out that this shows how clueless most people are about the existences and workings of evil, grace, salvation, the soul, Heaven and Hell. Then he writes, “Displaying typical American optimism, we assume that if we mean well and try heard, everything will work out for the best. That helps to explain why our national surveys have consistently identified a paradox. On the one hand, most people have not confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. On the other hand, more than nine out of ten adults belive that when they day they will experience eternal life. Of course, this is a contradiction only if you possess a biblical worldview. (Pg. 119)
What does Barna mean about the paradox being a contradiction only if you possess a biblical worldview?
TWO DIMENSIONS PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL
Every person has two distinct but intimately related dimensions: the physical and the spiritual….the Bible alludes to it as the heart and soul (the body). Our spiritual essence is manifest through our soul, which seems to be a non-material aspect of our being. Scripture also asserts that your soul is the most important aspect of your existence because it is eternal and its vitality is directly related to your experience with God. (Pg. 120)
Does Barna’s explanation of the distinctness of the physical and spiritual dimensions make sense? Why or why not?
Nurturing Your Soul
Your soul is invisible, but it is both sensitive and conscious. Just as your daily choices affect your physical condition, so do those choices affect your spiritual well-being. You are not likely to feel completely fulfilled in life until your spiritual dimension is in balance—that is, until you have come to grips with your spiritual nature and achieved a sense of peace with God. ….Because we were created for a meaningful bond with God, when that relationship is not nurtured we innately suffer and feel uncomfortable. …. Our society commonly jokes about the soul and treats it either as if it does not exist or it does not matter. Yet your soul reflects the deepest expression of your spiritual reality and experience. There is an invisible, yet seamless relation between heart, mind and soul. …. After you die, your soul will continue to exist in an eternal state. (Pps. 120-121)
What do Barna’s comments about nurturing the soul point out about how we may actually nurture it?
THE PROBLEM OF EVIL AND SIN
...because God desires a genuine, unforced love-based relationship with the intelligent beings He has created, He allows those creatures—angels and people—to choose between seeking to honor and love Him or grasping for self-fulfillment and personal glory. (Pg. 121)
How does free will impact the existence of evil and sin?
Satan’s Rebellion
God’s nature is so glorious that a group of His own angels, led by a renegade (the spiritual adversary we know as Satan), rebelled against God, seeking to overthrow His sovereignty. Satan’s goal was—and is—to rule the universe, believing himself to be better suited for the job than its Creator. Backed by 1/3 of Heaven’s angels, Satan battled against God and His loyal angels—and lost. God cast Satan and all the rebel angels out of His presence. Nevertheless, God continues to rule over them even in their banishment. God uses Satan to test and refine humanity’s love for Him. Satan is therefore devoted to two ends: undermining God and destroying God’s creatures, humankind. Barna points out that Satan has and will seek to undermine humanity until the end of time. Then he will be thrown into a “lake of fire,” along with all who are on his side. Until then we are the primary object of “Satan’s unwavering attention and evil designs. Barna points out that Satan cannot CAUSE us to sin, that is our choice. The devil cannot make us do anything—God allows such temptations to occur in order to test our love and refine our faith. (Pps. 121-122)
What does this summary of Satan’s rebellion and ongoing “work” tell us about his role in our lives?
What is Sin?
Sin is rebellion against God’s wishes and ways. It is our decision to disobey God’s principles. While Satan gets the credit for bringing us to the point of decision, the choice of doing evil is ultimately ours. We cannot blame circumstances, other people, or the spiritual world for our choices; we must own them…The Bible clearly states that no human being has ever been able to resist sin for the duration of his or her life; every person sins against God…..Regardless of the motivation leading to sin, disobedience drives a wedge between our holy and loving God and us, fracturing the relationship He seeks to have with us….God takes every sin seriously because it indicates the sincerity of our commitment to Him. (Pps. 122-123)
How do you respond to Barna’s definition of sin? Would you add or delete anything from it?
Sin Demands Judgment
…Because every action has a related consequence, we must recognize that every sin must receive a response form the One who judges sin. His infinitely just nature mandates that the response be one of punishment through removal of His presence and blessing—unless we can somehow find a way to convince Him that our sins deserve to be overlooked….. my company’s nationwide research consistently shows that Americans are more likely to believe that God will be compelled to award them eternal favor if they are generally good people or have done enough good works during their lifetime than they are to believe that their sins overshadow their deeds, shatter their bond with God, and require some type of spiritual reconciliation with Him….God insists that there be atonement or reparation for our choice to rebel against Him.
What are the implications for our sharing the Good News with others, when most people believe their “goodness” will cause God to overlook their sins?
FORGIVENESS, GRACE, AND SALVATION
Recognizing how impossible it is for us to remain free from sin, but unable to ignore sin, God determined that the only way for Him to enjoy an unbroken relationship with us would be through the provision of a permanent and encompassing sacrifice for our sins. That, of course, is what Jesus Christ’s death on the cross represents for all who acknowledge and confess their sins, ask God’s forgiveness, and accept Jesus’ death and resurrection as a sacrifice on their own behalf. (Pg. 124)
God’s Grace Through Jesus Christ
This incredible act of love by God—sending His perfect Son to earth to take full responsibility for our sins and pay the price for our past, present and future bad choices—is the ultimate example of God’s grace. Grace is God’s gift of love, initiated by God, to those who do not deserve such favor. (Pg. 124)
What are the implication of God’s grace through Jesus for daily living?
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR LIFE?
Many Christians fail to realize that once they embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior, their salvation experience has begun, even while they are still on earth. When we discuss salvation we tend to focus on the life we will experience after our physical death, but God produces immediate changes in our existence the moment we register our commitment to love and honor Him more fully by relying on Jesus as our Savior. (Pg. 124)
What are the present (in this life) realities of receiving the salvation Jesus offers?
Restored and Sanctified
Accepting God’s grace is not merely “eternal fire insurance”—a kind of supernatural death benefit that kicks in after our funeral. Salvation introduces radical changes in our earthly experience as well. The Holy Spirit of God is sent to take up residence within us, providing power, guidance and security that would otherwise be unavailable….The evidence of the change of heart is seen in the “fruit” of repentance. People who genuinely turn their lives over to God, inviting and allowing Him to transform them through the presence and power of His Holy Spirit, are more likely to display evidence of that new way of living through their thinking and activity, and are less likely to engage in conversations, and behaviors that dishonor God. In fact, it is this tangible evidence of a renewed character and conduct that substantiates our claim that we have truly abandoned our life to Jesus. (Pps. 125-126)
What relationship does our profession that we have been justified and are being sanctified have with our daily thoughts and actions?
POSTHUMOUS DESTINATIONS
After death we undergo the final judgment by God based upon the choice we made regarding the role of Jesus Christ in our life. Either we choose to rely upon Him as our means to eternal peace with God, or we choose to be independent and suffer God’s everlasting condemnation for our unresolved sinfulness. (Pps. 126-127)
If we hold the above worldview, what impact will it have on our relationships with other people?
Hell
Those who try to make the most out of life without a life-saving connection to Jesus wind up going to hell. Bible scholars are divided on exactly what “Hell” refers to. …. Hell is created for and experienced by three types of beings: Satan, his demons (who are the fallen angels defeated by God’s angels), and people who reject Jesus’ offer of grace.” It seems that everyone who is assigned to Hell will know pain and devastation through a combination of physical agony along with the emotional and spiritual torment that will result from alienation from God and His blessings. (Pg. 127)
Why do you suppose that so many who claim to follow Jesus, deny the existence of hell?
Heaven
The more appealing alternative—and there are only two options in God’s eternal multiple-choice test—is to spend eternity in heaven? The Bible contains much more information about Heaven than it does about Hell, but there is still debate as to the exact nature of Heaven. … It is reserved for those who love, worship, serve, and obey God—including humans who believe in Jesus as their Savior. …Contrary to some teachings, it appears that those who go to Heaven receive a new body to accompany their soul. The body will be tailor-made for an eternity in God’s presence, reflecting unique character traits, personality, and superior physical qualities. That heavenly body will never experience pain or sickness.
One of the Bible’s more important points is that our final destination is more important than what we achieve during our time on earth, and spending the remainder of eternity in Heaven ought to be our present goal…..only through acceptance of Christ’s atoning death on our behalf do we receive the privilege of being in Heaven for the rest of time. (Pps. 127-128)
What do Barna’s points about heaven lead you to conclude about heaven?
WHY DOES ANY OF THIS MATTER?
Your understanding of sin, surrender, salvation, and the soul have a dramatic influence on how you live. For instance, your response to sin—your belief in its existence, how seriously you take it, your desire to avoid it, your reaction to the commission of sins, your view of the temporal and spiritual affects of sin—has a direct correlation with your behavior, your spiritual commitment, and your relationship with God. (Pg. 128)
A Battle for Souls
In fact, how you respond to sinful urges and behaviors is the deciding factor in the raging spiritual battle that is being waged for your soul. Every choice we make matters to God and has a personal effect; we have the capacity to resist sin, and we have no excuses for choosing not to do so. Gaining insight into the battle for you soul and for your role in that battle impacts the degree of freedom, joy, victory and fulfillment you experience from moment to moment. A biblical worldview would enhance your alertness to the battle (Pg. 129)
What are the implications of a biblical worldview regarding sin, to daily living?
Motivation for Sharing God’s Love
Indeed, if you understand these matters then you must also realize how horrible it would be to live without God at the center of your life. It would not be enough to know about Him, or to be interested in Him, or even to fear Him; Scripture reminds us that event the demons meet those requirements. No, if you rightly perceive these things, then you are filled with a burning desire to respond to God in three significant ways: to love Him through worship, to love Him through obedience, and to love Him by encouraging others to fall on their knees before Him. … I suspect that we have relatively few believers in America who are zealous about the Great Commission precisely because so few of us truly comprehend the meaning of life without God. Most of us believers stumbled into His grace and are generally grateful for the gift of eternal life, but we have not fully absorbed the dimensions of His love for us. Those who do grasp the full scope of His love are overwhelmed and radically transformed. Not only does their worldview change, but also everything in their life is permanently altered by the outrageous magnitude of His love for us. (Pg. 130)
What are the implications for sharing the Good News for others if we truly “get it”?
Living in a Land of Cheap Grace
We Americans live in a land of cheap grace, we gladly accept peace with God through Jesus’ death and resurrection, but we assume no responsibility for change because we argue that we did not agree to that requirement beforehand and would find and alternative route to God’s palace anyway. So deep-rooted is our denial of reality—even among those of us who are blessed enough to know Jesus as a personal Savior—that we fail to recognize that His terrible death on that splintered wooden cross was not our gateway to Spiritual Easy Street. If we are determined to live for God’s purposes and glory rather than our own we must experience personal brokenness over our history and inclination to sin. We must wholly abandon ourselves to God. In practical terms, that means giving up our agendas, our dreams, and our plans in order to listen for His quiet voice that leads us toward a very different and unworldly future….The outcome—greater godliness, more consistent holiness, ever-developing selflessness—is the result of someone who understands the ravages of sin, the burden of guilt, the freedom of God’s grace, the joy of peace with God, and the reformation of a renewed heart and mind.
What does this process of moving from cheap grace to costly grace look like in your life?
FOR NEXT WEEK: Read Chapter 9: Pages 133-147 in Think Like Jesus
Back to the study guide for Barna's Think Like Jesus.