Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?

[Strong in Him]

The resurrection was a manifestation that was witnessed in this world. He wasn't seen standing in up in Heaven right after He came back, he was seen walking down the road, and other places, and he was seen in a room by the apostles.

He was raised from the dead, appeared to a few on earth, for a while and then ascended to heaven.
Paul's teaching is that if Christ were not raised, then no one is raised.

In that room Thomas was only convinced of the resurrection by touching the physical body of Jesus, to which Thomas said to him "my Lord and my God".

Jesus invited Thomas to touch his hands and his side - we are not told that Thomas actually did so.

The question I'm driving at is why does one choose to follow Jesus?

For me it's because what he said and taught was true - including that he died for my sins and was raised from the dead.

Was it just to get a ticket to heaven?

Someone who didn't believe in an afterlife wouldn't believe anyone could get to heaven. They might not even believe heaven existed.
Humanists/atheists believe that when we all die; that's it - nothing.

Millions followed Moses and built the tabernacle to serve and worship God, even though there's nothing in Moses' writings about an afterlife.

There is still a Jewish belief in the afterlife.
In Jesus' time it was the Sadducees who didn't believe in the resurrection and they disputed with the Pharisees about it.

 

[Jamdoc]

The resurrection was a manifestation that was witnessed in this world. He wasn't seen standing in up in Heaven right after He came back, he was seen walking down the road, and other places, and he was seen in a room by the apostles. In that room Thomas was only convinced of the resurrection by touching the physical body of Jesus, to which Thomas said to him "my Lord and my God".

The question I'm driving at is why does one choose to follow Jesus? Why does one choose to become a Christian? Was it just to get a ticket to heaven? Or was it out belief, faith and love for Jesus and the Father who sent him?

Millions followed Moses and built the tabernacle to serve and worship God, even though there's nothing in Moses' writings about an afterlife.

No instead the promise was of blessings on earth if they live according to God's law, and that He will dwell among them.
We look for the same, life on a new earth with God dwelling among us and all blessings.
It's not about heaven in the way that many think of it, it's about the same vision that God gave the Old Testament Hebrews, a promised land, with all needs met, and God dwelling among them. It's just a better promise, instead of long days it's endless days.
But do you honestly believe that anyone would follow God's law if it had no benefit to themselves?
as I said earlier some of what God commands us to do in individual callings is self sacrificial, or very difficult. Jeremiah was forbidden from marrying and having children and was imprisoned and had to proclaim the doom of Judah, and watch his country die. Who would do that without a promise that it will work out better for them in the end?

 

[Mark Quayle]

Israel was promised many physical blessings on Earth if they keep the covenant of Law.

So it made sense for them to believe for those.

But for us in the Body of Christ, our blessings are spiritual, in the heavens, which mainly come after we get our glorified bodies.

So if there is no afterlife, all these would not make sense.

You make it sound like the Old Testament saints are not part of the Body of Christ. Not to say that what happens in this life is not eclipsed by what is to come, but we have salvation from sin now. We have every bit of the blessings in this temporal life the OT saints did.

 

[Mark Quayle]

How would there be communion in Christ if Christ is dead? What obedience can there be to a dead man?

Why are you talking about Christ as if he was dead? That wasn't the question.

 

[Guojing]

You make it sound like the Old Testament saints are not part of the Body of Christ. Not to say that what happens in this life is not eclipsed by what is to come, but we have salvation from sin now. We have every bit of the blessings in this temporal life the OT saints did.

Can you quote anything from Paul epistles to the body of Christ, that promised Israel physical blessings for us?

He never used even once the favorite phrase used by word of faith preachers, “by Jesus stripes You are healed!”

 

[LostMarbels]

I decided to reword this.

The Old Testament has very little to say about what happens in the afterlife. Yet throughout the OT many worshipped and served God, even to the point of execution. So hypothetically speaking if heaven and hell were put aside, would you still follow Jesus?

Answers could be something like "no way, I'm just in this because I don't want to fry" or "yes I would continue to follow Jesus no matter what" to "as long as the church serves coffee and doughnuts, I'm in"

Yes... we are a created being, and we were created to be in fellowship with our creator. If it was in fact the same Christ I know today, that would suffice. To be in fellowship with my creator would be/is my purpose. If that is my created purpose, who am I to argue?

As far as heaven or hell, that is God's will. My prayer is if He wills it, may he write my name in the lamb's book of life. I confess Jesus as Christ, and the Christ as the word manifest in the flesh. And again, the relationship I have will suffice. It is my will that it be far from me to curse Jesus's name, and has always been more important to me than where God so chooses to place me. So I have always prayed for and still strive to follow Christ even if that meant damnation. How can I curse my God for his sovereign authority? I have no more control over my death than over the day I was created. It is in God's hands. God's will be done.

 

[Mark Quayle]

You misunderstood my point. If the end of life is the same regardless of how one lives, why is following Christ better than following one's own desires? One may miss out on Christ in the pursuit of radical selfishness and sin, but the end is the same regardless. One may commit genocide, murdering millions, and meet the same final end as the missionary who sacrifices his life in service to Jesus. And if it pleases the genocidal maniac to kill millions of people rather than to live for Jesus, how do you persuade him that the way of Jesus is better? If there is no afterlife, he has nothing to fear, nothing to answer for, no ultimate justice to face. If he is like, say, Stalin, no one can stay his hand, no one can tell him "No"; he can live a totally evil life and yet come to the very same end as Mother Theresa. "Jesus is great" would ring very hollow to such a person. If there is no hereafter, "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!"

Put another way: Is the man who is going to hang in the morning living better if he eats a healthy, nourishing meal rather than cake and ice cream for his final supper? No matter what he eats, his end is the same.

I understand about the end. But tha end is not all there is. Aside from the afterlife, this life is better lived in righteousness.

 

[IntriKate]

I decided to reword this.

The Old Testament has very little to say about what happens in the afterlife. Yet throughout the OT many worshipped and served God, even to the point of execution. So hypothetically speaking if heaven and hell were put aside, would you still follow Jesus?

Answers could be something like "no way, I'm just in this because I don't want to fry" or "yes I would continue to follow Jesus no matter what" to "as long as the church serves coffee and doughnuts, I'm in"

I wouldnt have made it this far without Jesus. Obviously I want to spend eternity with him but if there was no afterlife I'd still need and want his friendship while I was alive.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Can you quote anything from Paul epistles to the body of Christ, that promised Israel physical blessings for us?

Do you mean "...Israel's physical blessings..."? Explain to me what the difference is concerning Israel's physical blessings and ours? All the promises concerning righteousness and being "natural to the vine" apply to those who are "grafted in". Everything I read from Paul concerning the Elect applies to any of the Elect, whether Israel or Gentile. The Elect are God's chosen people.

I could make a better case for the blessings of freedom in Christ shown in the New Testament than the happiness of obligation to the law of the Old Testament.

 

[GirdYourLoins]

Truth is probably not. The only reason being that life is hard, being a Christian makes you an enemy of the world and this has been hugely evident in my life. Just been through my 21st company/department restructure in my working life and the 20th that has been detrimental to me, circumstances always seem to be against me and for the last 20 years Ive been a Christian and people always comment that circumstances outside my control always seem to be really bad. For example, the 2nd person to hit my car in an accident tin 2 weeks recently apologised and said he as having a really bad time so a bit distracted. When I told him what I was going through he just said "OK, you've got it fr worse than me" but truth is that was pretty much normal for me. Every time I try to get ahead something I have no control over pushes me back again. Its been like it my whole life, and as I said its not just my view, those close to me have always seen it as well.

I am cursed in this world and I have seen nothing from God to stop it happening, He is either doing it or allowing it to happen. I have no understanding of why. No one, including every Christian I have ever met which includes some world renowned preachers has been able to give an answer and their prayers have made zero difference, even when Ive had absolute faith things would change. Now Ive been through it so many times and for so long I have lost all faith God can/will turn it around.

 

[IntriKate]

I just wonder how hurtful it would be to read people you love saying they are only in it for a reward. What about the actual relationship side of it, his holy spirit and his company, is that all just not important all of a sudden.

 

[Guojing]

Do you mean "...Israel's physical blessings..."? Explain to me what the difference is concerning Israel's physical blessings and ours? All the promises concerning righteousness and being "natural to the vine" apply to those who are "grafted in". Everything I read from Paul concerning the Elect applies to any of the Elect, whether Israel or Gentile. The Elect are God's chosen people.

I could make a better case for the blessings of freedom in Christ shown in the New Testament than the happiness of obligation to the law of the Old Testament.

Israel was promised material blessings and healing from diseases if they were faithful to keep the covenant they entered with God in exodus.

I trust you know where those promised are found in the ot? If not Deuteronomy 28 would be a good choice.

 

[tturt]

We can be thankful that the blinders have been removed from our minds ("...for their minds have been blinded by the god of this age, leaving them in unbelief. Their blindness keeps them from seeing the dayspring light of the wonderful news of the glory of Jesus Christ, who is the divine image of God." II Cor 4:4)

Then we can:
-"So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always." Phill 4:8
-"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.":"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Matt 22;37, 39
-"...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance..." John 10:10
-"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isa 26:3
There's many more We read some of these and think well that's a nice verse. But God's Word is wisdom. Even research shows we benefit physically by applying Scriptures such as these
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." Pro 17:22 - "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh 8:10

God even tells us how including "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" II Cor 10:5 Also, how to have the fear of the Lord:
"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God" Pro 2:1-5.

 

[Jamdoc]

Why are you talking about Christ as if he was dead? That wasn't the question.

We're talking about if there is no afterlife which would mean no resurrection.
so in that hypothetical situation, Jesus would just be dead.
To be fair, it's kinda whataboutism, but at the same time I do understand what they OP means in that asking for people's motivations in following Christ.
But I do think it's a bit unfair
I think everyone seeks after Christ but also wants to have joy themselves as well.
Nobody's saying "well if Jesus thinks the best place I can serve Him is by being in hell burning forever then that's what I'll do"
Not having a resurrection, or afterlife or new heaven and new earth where God dwells among us .. it changes the entire relationship with God and to a point, that kind of world would be a different character of God, a God that is not our God as we know Him, a God that could be considered cruel, demanding people do harsh things in life and suffer for His sake and offers nothing in return except nonexistence.
Why would I love and follow that God?

 

[RDKirk]

My apologies everyone, I worded the original post poorly.

I decided to reword this:

The Old Testament has very little to say about what happens in the afterlife. Yet throughout the OT many worshipped and served God, even to the point of execution. So hypothetically speaking if heaven and hell were put aside, would you still follow Jesus?

God promised the Jews a homeland full of milk and honey, a fruitful and pleasant life on earth if they followed His law (which was a pretty decent law...for its time).

Jesus doesn't provide that promise for this life. In fact, Jesus promises a life on the cross, no better than His earthly life.

 

[RDKirk]

Why are you talking about Christ as if he was dead? That wasn't the question.

If there were no afterlife, Jesus would be dead.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Israel was promised material blessings and healing from diseases if they were faithful to keep the covenant they entered with God in exodus.

I trust you know where those promised are found in the ot? If not Deuteronomy 28 would be a good choice.

I know about those promises. Israel, as a nation did receive certain promises other nations did not. I don't think that is what we are talking about though.

Still, if we as individuals belong to Christ, obedience still produces the same rewards Israel was promised as individuals.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Israel was promised material blessings and healing from diseases if they were faithful to keep the covenant they entered with God in exodus.

I trust you know where those promised are found in the ot? If not Deuteronomy 28 would be a good choice.

I hope we are not 'talking past each other' here. But Romans 9 says, "..not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring." When he says, "...and so all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26) he is talking about the Church, the Body of Christ, ALL of the Elect --not just Jews.

National Israel of the Old Testament no doubt had advantages over the other nations, but none that I know of exceed the blessings the Gentile believers enjoy now.

 

[Mark Quayle]

If there were no afterlife, Jesus would be dead.

Sure. I began answering this thread with that very sort of reasoning. The question is bogus, moot, as an actual hypothetical, for many reasons. But if what the OP meant to ask is whether it is worth living this life for its own sake as an obedient believer, then the answer is yes.

 

[AK1982]

The Old Testament has very little to say about what happens in the afterlife. Yet throughout the OT many worshipped and served God, even to the point of execution. So hypothetically speaking if heaven and hell were put aside, would you still follow Jesus?

When God “reveals” himself to a man what He wants that man to know & understand about HIM, that man would crave for God’s fellowship and company from the very moment, irrespective of the fact whether that fellowship would last for eternity or not. That’s the power of God’s conquering love and His amazing attributes in general.

Old Testament believers experienced that revelation from God and that is sufficient for them to reciprocate to God in love to the point of execution.