The End
Ah, the End. My offspring’s current obsession with Minecraft has led him to discover a portal that will bring him to “The End”. So, today, let’s hop that portal to our own potential “end”.. .
we are the treasure we store in Heaven—that the choices we make here on Earth prepares us to experience our heavenly home, because it allows us to acculturate to the new life. Once the redemption of the blood of Christ cleanses us in judgement (the process of going “knurd”), what is left of us, what we gave to Him here on Earth, continues to live eternally in true joy. Recall the proposition that
The question many struggle with is what sin, or depth of sin or combination of sins, essentially throws the tipping point to the “downward” plane? Even with the assurance of Christ’s redemption, Christians are warned that this redemption could be lost if we chose to “grieve the Holy Spirit”.[http://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-30.htm] Because of the previous verse, some people believe that using God’s name in vain could, in fact, be “the biggie”. The following verse, talking about holding onto anger, bitterness and hatred, may also be why some Christians have been taught not to allow such negative emotions to be acknowledged.
Taking a step back, and looking at all those verses together, my belief is that “the biggie” sin is more of a process than a single act. It is the process by which we become calloused to God and all His creation, through vanity and self-righteousness—which would allow us to foster anger and all its bitter fruit to the very end.
In The Story We Find Ourselves In, McLaren proposes what a conversation between God and the ultimate navel-gazer would look like:
Neo says,” [...] I tried in every way possible to get through to you, but you wouldn’t respond to my grace. Even if I forgive and forget all the bad things you have done, is there enough of your character left for you to continue existing in my new creation? And would you even like living with me in a story you have avoided, minimised, resisted or subverted all your life?[ [...] I feel regret about what you could have become, but didn’t. I wish you had given me more to work with, but you haven’t. Your story has been a tragedy of waste and missed opportunities.” (p. 167)
Note the “Would you even LIKE living with me in a story you have avoided...all your life?” This person would not have engaged in learning the culture Heaven here on Earth—not learning about a self-giving love, or refusing the vulnerability of the intimacy of Heaven.
Taking a step back, and looking at all those verses together, my belief is that “the biggie” sin is more of a process than a single act. It is the process by which we become calloused to God and all His creation, through vanity and self-righteousness—which would allow us to foster anger and all its bitter fruit to the very end.
In The Story We Find Ourselves In, McLaren proposes what a conversation between God and the ultimate navel-gazer would look like:
Neo says,” [...] I tried in every way possible to get through to you, but you wouldn’t respond to my grace. Even if I forgive and forget all the bad things you have done, is there enough of your character left for you to continue existing in my new creation? And would you even like living with me in a story you have avoided, minimised, resisted or subverted all your life?[ [...] I feel regret about what you could have become, but didn’t. I wish you had given me more to work with, but you haven’t. Your story has been a tragedy of waste and missed opportunities.” (p. 167)
Note the “Would you even LIKE living with me in a story you have avoided...all your life?” This person would not have engaged in learning the culture Heaven here on Earth—not learning about a self-giving love, or refusing the vulnerability of the intimacy of Heaven.
Heaven would feel alien, painful, and uncomfortable—perhaps if this person were allowed in, he or she would be left in the pain or isolation they had created for themselves. Perhaps they would be simply obliterated.
C. S. Lewis provides a comparable image in The Great Divorce. He describes the possible directions that different souls take, based on whether or not they choose to go through the process of unburdening themselves:
"It depends on the way you are using the words. If they leave that grey town (i.e. Hell) behind it will not have been Hell. To any that leaves it, it is Purgatory. And perhaps you had better not call this country Heaven. Not Deep Heaven, you understand. You can call it the Valley of the Shadow of Life.”
Oddly enough, in these images, it is almost as if we choose our end, although we believe God to be the great judge. We face Him, we are measured by His pattern, and we respond yea or nay. Ultimately, those of us who don’t “make it”, chose to no longer hold onto any redeeming bits of self, and are then left to our own devices—forever.
"It depends on the way you are using the words. If they leave that grey town (i.e. Hell) behind it will not have been Hell. To any that leaves it, it is Purgatory. And perhaps you had better not call this country Heaven. Not Deep Heaven, you understand. You can call it the Valley of the Shadow of Life.”
Oddly enough, in these images, it is almost as if we choose our end, although we believe God to be the great judge. We face Him, we are measured by His pattern, and we respond yea or nay. Ultimately, those of us who don’t “make it”, chose to no longer hold onto any redeeming bits of self, and are then left to our own devices—forever.