Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

I probably should have just asked "why are you a Christian?"

To all, the question I asked doesn't have anything to do with what happens after we die. The question is about while we are here on earth.

You would have likely got a very different answer but it would not have satisfied your curiosity because what you would really like to know is if anyone here would answer yes to the question, are you only a christian because of the offer of an afterlife?

Many might feel compelled to answer, yes, for it is how they were attracted and began. However, once you have been changed by the Holy Spirit and know that eternal life begins the moment you believe and have begun to experience that life, you realise that God is with you right here and right now.

As Jesus said, "He who has the Son has life," and will continue to have it for all eternity.

Many will say, no, because it was other witnesses that led them to the Saviour. I am one of these but I am not ignorant nor not desiring of that eternal promise. It is our goal.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Those who say the Old Testament saints had little or no knowledge of eternity have not read their Bible. Hebrews 11 tells us plainly that they knew it all too well.

 

[Noxot]

I want to continue to exist. if I can't then I might as well stop existing right now. there is no point in following Christianity if I cannot have "the fullness of life".

 

[Fervent]

This is a question I have some difficulty answering, personally. If the question were simply if there were no promised eternal life for me, I believe I would still continue to strive to walk after Christ. For a significant portion of my faith journey I was convinced I was going to hell no matter what I did, and that spurned me to follow all the more and proclaim to others the good news of Christ. But if there were no afterlife period, I'm not sure I would because that would in many ways invalidate a significant portion of what Christ taught calling into question the entire enterprise.

 

[RDKirk]

There would not be such a thing as "Christianity." The apostles would not have preached it or died for it. There would not be a church.

 

[fhansen]

This is a question I have some difficulty answering, personally. If the question were simply if there were no promised eternal life for me, I believe I would still continue to strive to walk after Christ. For a significant portion of my faith journey I was convinced I was going to hell no matter what I did, and that spurned me to follow all the more and proclaim to others the good news of Christ. But if there were no afterlife period, I'm not sure I would because that would in many ways invalidate a significant portion of what Christ taught calling into question the entire enterprise.

yes, and I believe that we're designed with that desire to continue to exist that goes far beyond a mere survival instinct. it's part of who God is, a part of his justice even that he would create us and have eternal life as a part of our goal and purpose. We should love and value the existence he's given us. So to desire that is no more wrong or selfish than desiring to eat when we're hungry.

 

[Jipsah]

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'm a Christian because I believe Christianity to be true, just as "A=A" is true.

 

[ozso]

This is a question I have some difficulty answering, personally. If the question were simply if there were no promised eternal life for me, I believe I would still continue to strive to walk after Christ. For a significant portion of my faith journey I was convinced I was going to hell no matter what I did, and that spurned me to follow all the more and proclaim to others the good news of Christ. But if there were no afterlife period, I'm not sure I would because that would in many ways invalidate a significant portion of what Christ taught calling into question the entire enterprise.

The idea of Christianity is loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul, and your neighbor as yourself. That it's all about doing what He wants and pleasing Him because you love Him, and you recognize Him as your Lord and Master. Which when it's fully surrendered to, is actually quite liberating.

 

[Jamdoc]

The idea of Christianity is loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul, and your neighbor as yourself. That it's all about doing what He wants and pleasing Him because you love Him, and you recognize Him as your Lord and Master. Which when it's fully surrendered to, is actually quite liberating.

I guess it's kinda some interesting definitions of what Christianity is to people, seems like most the people who pick yes see Christanity as mostly a system of morals to live by and view the question as would they still follow those morals if there was no afterlife.

Which I think most people would still try to follow the morals as much as they do now (and still have failings)
Some people simply see it as an acknowledgement of truth, which yeah, okay you'd still believe that God created everything.

But for me.. part of Christianity is a faith that is not just believing that God exists and created things, the acknowledgement of truth, but faith that God loves you, wants what's best for you, and will deliver you no matter what happens on this earth. Like even if you die, God still has something planned for you that's for your good. That's the kind of faith needed to endure hardship for Jesus' sake, and even death.
With no afterlife, that kind of faith wouldn't exist, because if God told you to preach the word of God in Iran and you got stoned to death in the streets that's it. That wasn't for your good.

 

[RDKirk]

The idea of Christianity is loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul, and your neighbor as yourself. That it's all about doing what He wants and pleasing Him because you love Him, and you recognize Him as your Lord and Master. Which when it's fully surrendered to, is actually quite liberating.

Jews can do that.

 

[ozso]

I guess it's kinda some interesting definitions of what Christianity is to people, seems like most the people who pick yes see Christanity as mostly a system of morals to live by and view the question as would they still follow those morals if there was no afterlife.

Which I think most people would still try to follow the morals as much as they do now (and still have failings)
Some people simply see it as an acknowledgement of truth, which yeah, okay you'd still believe that God created everything.

But for me.. part of Christianity is a faith that is not just believing that God exists and created things, the acknowledgement of truth, but faith that God loves you, wants what's best for you, and will deliver you no matter what happens on this earth. Like even if you die, God still has something planned for you that's for your good. That's the kind of faith needed to endure hardship for Jesus' sake, and even death.
With no afterlife, that kind of faith wouldn't exist, because if God told you to preach the word of God in Iran and you got stoned to death in the streets that's it. That wasn't for your good.

The only way someone is going to have a proper understanding of what Christianity is about, is to read the entire New Testiment. It's a fairly small work. About 310 pages iirc. Without that one is just basically guessing what it's about. Or going by what someone else says it's about.

 

[Jamdoc]

The only way someone is going to have a proper understanding of what Christianity is about, is to read the entire New Testiment. It's a fairly small work. About 310 pages iirc. Without that one is just basically guessing what it's about. Or going by what someone else says it's about.

Yeah and the New Testament had people preaching Christ and getting stoned, Stephen was stoned to death, Paul got stoned and left for dead but miraculously survived because God still wanted to use him. Other martyrs too, the tribulation period is full of them. There's self sacrifice involved in Christianity and the only way that that can be worth it is if God has something better for you than this life. Our example sacrificed His life for us. Following Jesus is not just "live a good life" following Jesus is enduring hardship, persecution, and maybe even death.
Matthew 16:25
The apostles all lost their life for their faith except John, who was exiled for it.
and that's just New Testament.
Old Testament had Jeremiah, forbidden to marry or have children, jailed, tasked with preaching the destruction of his entire nation and the deaths of many of his friends and neighbors, Judah was so bad at that time that Jeremiah was told not even to pray for these people, and that God would have the Jews slaughtered and their bodies wouldn't even be buried, just heaped like dung on the earth.
Daniel and his fellow Jews, they were thrown into a furnace, only Jesus kept them from burning, Daniel himself thrown into the lion's den, and God preserved him, but what was being asked was rather extraordinary, they risked their lives for God. It was not just "live a good life"
Jonah was told to preach the doom of Ninevah, and he disobeyed out of fear, God chastised him and had him spend 3 days in the belly of a whale before he did as he was commanded.
Hosea was commanded to marry a harlot, even though he knew she'd ditch and go back to her sin. Then Hosea was commanded to go and find her and take her back even though she'd betrayed him and committed adultery on him.
Joshua was commanded to GENOCIDE people, even women and children.
It is not easy to be in the will of God.

 

[LionOfPatmos]

Regardless of an afterlife, I could imagine I would want to live a life serving the righteous laws of God rather than the malevolent lies of men.

 

[Saint Steven]

What about what Christianity offers in this life?

YES! --- Even without an afterlife, "Christianity" (a relationship with God) is better than life without.

However, going to church begrudgingly, simply out of a fear of God's wrath (hell), is NOT a better life. This is the biggest problem with Damnationism. It creates a spiritual desert island of fear about an imaginary angry volcano god. As if Jesus died to save us from God.

 

[Saint Steven]

Yes. Jesus' mission was to establish the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. I think it's a better way to live. Jesus believed this was just the beginning of eternal life, but even if it's not I think it makes sense.

If you just endure being a Christian because of what you hope is coming, you should reexamine your idea of the Christian life.

Well said. Thanks.

Life is better when we put others first. Life is better when we let God lift us up to the place he wants us to be rather than striving to get there on our own. Life is better when we tell the truth instead of always covering for our lies. Life is better when we help the less fortunate. When we feed the hungry, care for the sick, visit those in prison and clothe the naked. Life is better when we hold our tongue and don't have to regret saying something. Life is just better, regardless of an afterlife.

 

[Saint Steven]

If there is no afterlife, it means we are not spiritual beings, and Christ did not have to save us from spiritual death. Therefore there is no Christianity, and no one can be a Christian.

Wow.
Are you saying, "No hell = no Christianity"?
Fire insurance is the only TRUE value of Christianity?

 

[Saint Steven]

I always think conversations like this that are not based upon reality and facts are nothing but futile speculations.

Right. Like a two-legged stool.
Hard to imagine a spiritual life here without an afterlife.
Still, life with God, even without an afterlife, would be a better life.
If we removed everything from the Bible about the afterlife, it would still be an excellent "Best Way to Live" book.

 

[Strong in Him]

YES! --- Even without an afterlife, "Christianity" (a relationship with God) is better than life without.

But if Jesus was not raised from the dead then we have no faith, Jesus was not who he said that he was, did not reconcile us to God and no relationship with God is possible.

Look at the OT; yes, people believed in God, as some remote being they had to approach through prophets and maybe as someone who would punish them if they didn't obey his law. But they couldn't call him Abba - dad, nor receive his Spirit to live in them.

 

[Saint Steven]

Most who profess Christ appear to think that, in my opinion.

Perhaps the problem is what we define as "Christianity".

MMXX said: ↑
Is it just to stay out of hell and get into heaven?

 

[Saint Steven]

What about the afterlife? We hope for it and anticipate it. But in the meantime, that is in the future, and all we have now is the present. Let us make the most of our present situation and to make the very most of our opportunities to love God, to cherish our neighbour, and to always seek what is good and right. In our life as Christians, the journey is just as important as the destination. It moulds us and defines us for the people we really are.

That's a good way to look at it. Thanks.

 

[Saint Steven]

But if Jesus was not raised from the dead then we have no faith, Jesus was not who he said that he was, did not reconcile us to God and no relationship with God is possible.

Look at the OT; yes, people believed in God, as some remote being they had to approach through prophets and maybe as someone who would punish them if they didn't obey his law. But they couldn't call him Abba - dad, nor receive his Spirit to live in them.

As to your first paragraph, we are approaching the subject as if there is no afterlife. So none of that applies. The question is whether we would still be a Christian if there was no afterlife. It does no good to negate the question on the basis of reality.

Is life better when we put others first? Is life better when we help the less fortunate? Is life better when we seek God for help? Is life better when we are directed by God? None of these things require a resurrection, nor an afterlife.

In fact, I might trade the afterlife for a MORE connected relationship with God in the here and now. Imagine what life would be like if everyone we prayed for received an instant healing. Or walking on water was a daily occurrence. Or God's voice was not obscured by our own small thoughts; that we could always hear him speak clearly. Imagine actually moving a mountain when you spoke to it. Or multiplying food simply by thanking God for it, to feed the poor. Jesus said we would do greater things than these. When will this happen?

Saint Steven said: ↑
YES! --- Even without an afterlife, "Christianity" (a relationship with God) is better than life without.