Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?

[ozso]

No way. christianity isn't christianity without an afterlife and no promise to be with God in the afterlife. Therefore it would be worthless.
If I wanted to be a good person by the worlds standards I could do that without faith(personally I probably couldn't ).

The idea of Christianity is to be in it for God and not for ourselves. Heaven will be even more about being in it for God and not ourselves.

 

[Lion IRC]

Being a Christian is about life here on earth. Most of the NT is about our time on earth and what we do with it for God.

Yes. His Kingdom. His will.
On earth as it is in heaven...

The Op asks; would we - should we - pretend to be subjects of a King who has no Kingdom.

 

[dms1972]

Believers before Jesus' Advent thought of themselves as pilgrims and strangers here on the earth rather than at home here. Hebrews 11:13. The theme of christian pilgrimage continues in the New Testament

 

[Lg2000]

The idea of Christianity is to be in it for God and not for ourselves. Heaven will be even more about being in it for God and not ourselves.

life is but a vapor . Eternity is much much longer. No eternity with god , christianity would be a joke. Yeah we give up our lives for him and his will , that part is understood .
We arent guaranteed to have good lives here, God doesnt promise us good times on this earth . Without the eternity with christ , christianity doesnt mean anything

 

[coffee4u]

Yes I would because God's hand has guided me through life and the older I get the more I see that.

 

[RDKirk]

Yes I would because God's hand has guided me through life and the older I get the more I see that.

But would you then be a Christian...or a "God-follower?" Notice that the New Testament makes a distinction between the two. Cornelius, for instance, was a God-follower. He didn't become a Christian until Peter's visit.

Being a Christian isn't just about being a good person. It's not even just about being a God-follower. It's about accepting the mission that Jesus commanded us to perform.

 

[Mark Quayle]

The Op asks; would we - should we - pretend to be subjects of a King who has no Kingdom.

I didn't see where he asks this: what's the context? What's he talking about?

 

[coffee4u]

But would you then be a Christian...or a "God-follower?" Notice that the New Testament makes a distinction between the two. Cornelius, for instance, was a God-follower. He didn't become a Christian until Peter's visit.

Being a Christian isn't just about being a good person. It's not even just about being a God-follower. It's about accepting the mission that Jesus commanded us to perform.

If I am following Christ I am a Christian.

I never mentioned being a Christian is just being a good person, not sure how you plucked that from my answer. The question was,
Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?And my answer is yes because I would not want to be without God's guiding hand through life. God is Jesus and Jesus is God.

If there wasn't an afterlife we would not know one was lacking, now would we? In this hypothetical world, the Bible would read differently, but we would not be aware of this, it would simply be what it was. Even if life ended and we knew nothing past that, Jesus would still offer love, peace and joy in this life. People follow things for far less than that.

 

[RDKirk]

If I am following Christ I am a Christian.

I never mentioned being a Christian is just being a good person, not sure how you plucked that from my answer. The question was,
Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?And my answer is yes because I would not want to be without God's guiding hand through life. God is Jesus and Jesus is God.

If there wasn't an afterlife we would not know one was lacking, now would we? In this hypothetical world, the Bible would read differently, but we would not be aware of this, it would simply be what it was. Even if life ended and we knew nothing past that, Jesus would still offer love, peace and joy in this life. People follow things for far less than that.

What does "following Christ" mean? Christ came to earth with a specific mission:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17, NIV).

Following Christ means to share in His mission:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. -- John 14

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. -- Matthew 28

This is more, then, than merely being a God-follower as Cornelius was.

 

[dms1972]

There isn't much in specific in the scripture. A lot of things have been made up that people have now accepted as "gospel," but the most solid information from the gospel is, "It's better than you'll ever imagine." So everything that has been imagined...is wrong.

Lewis when he wrote his book The Great Divorce was careful to tell his readers not to become overly concerned with the details in his treatment of heaven because his main point was why some would choose hell over heaven, and that there would be no heaven with a little bit of hell in it.

But I would not say everything that has been imagined in christian art is always simply wrong, I don't think people in the past always thought of artistic depictions as being exactly as heaven would be, I would guess some knew it was imagery?

 

[RDKirk]

Lewis when he wrote his book The Great Divorce was careful to tell his readers not to become overly concerned with the details in his treatment of heaven because his main point was why some would choose hell over heaven, and that there would be no heaven with a little bit of hell in it.

But I would not say everything that has been imagined in christian art is always simply wrong, I don't think people in the past always thought of artistic depictions as being exactly as heaven would be, I would guess some knew it was imagery?

By "wrong" I don't mean immoral, I mean inaccurate.

 

[fhansen]

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 think the OT figures simply trusted-without fully knowing what the outcome would be. But inside every human heart is a desire for continued existence, because that existence, itself, is a good- and one that we cherish without always being immediately conscious of the fact. Extreme physical and/or emotional pain can war against that innate desire but the basic love of and preference for life is still within us.

And the resurrection directly addresses this desire while conquering our enemy called death.

 

[dms1972]

By "wrong" I don't mean immoral, I mean inaccurate.

Yes I knew you meant inaccurate. And of course christian art can attempt too much, and some of it is very poor, but I don't think it always is trying to depict heaven in the manner of this is what you'll actually see when you get there, with little baby faced cherubs etc. that sort of art is pretty poor and and doesn't convey much sense of something awe inspiring. Some of it might be more inspired by Homer, Plato and Vergil than by the Bible.

 

[Jamdoc]

If I am following Christ I am a Christian.

I never mentioned being a Christian is just being a good person, not sure how you plucked that from my answer. The question was,
Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?And my answer is yes because I would not want to be without God's guiding hand through life. God is Jesus and Jesus is God.

If there wasn't an afterlife we would not know one was lacking, now would we? In this hypothetical world, the Bible would read differently, but we would not be aware of this, it would simply be what it was. Even if life ended and we knew nothing past that, Jesus would still offer love, peace and joy in this life. People follow things for far less than that.

In this hypothetical Jesus asks you to take up your cross and lose your life for His sake, do you?
Because Jesus also offers tribulation from the world, and being persecuted.
Of what worth would that be if your existence ended the moment they started throwing rocks at you?

I guess I'm seeing this from a different perspective because I've already given up on this life.

 

[Lion IRC]

I didn't see where he asks this: what's the context? What's he talking about?

I was referring to the logical problem of claiming to be the subject of a King who talks about a kingdom which doesn't exist.

...in My Father's house are many mansions (John 14:2)
...Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10)
...truly I tell you on this day you will be with Me in paradise (Luke 23:43)
...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

If there is no heaven/hell then our King isnt telling the truth. Surely in order to call ourselves Christians we must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:24)

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

1Co 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
1Co 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
1Co 15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Anyone who proposes that those who serve Christ in hope of the afterlife need to rethink their position or theology need to read their Bible. Paul clearly stated that there is no purpose in serving Christ if there is no afterlife.

This question is hypothetical and should not be entertained because it leads you into error.

This is what Jesus means when he said to watch for "in such an hour as you think not I will return."

It is also why he proposed the question in Luke's gospel, "Will the son of man find faith when he returns?"

To entertain faith that does not hope of an eternal future is error and is deluding many.

 

[coffee4u]

What does "following Christ" mean? Christ came to earth with a specific mission:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17, NIV).

Following Christ means to share in His mission:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. -- John 14

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. -- Matthew 28

This is more, then, than merely being a God-follower as Cornelius was.

We are talking of a hypothetical world here, not this world, and not reality. Or that is how I took the title. So given that, this alternate world would have different scriptures.

No need to get yourself in a knot over a hypercritical brother.

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

Well what I'm looking for is people's motivation for being a Christian. Is it just to stay out of hell and get into heaven?

My motivation is Christ, first, last and always. My looking forward to his coming is because he is my motivation.

 

[coffee4u]

In this hypothetical Jesus asks you to take up your cross and lose your life for His sake, do you?
Because Jesus also offers tribulation from the world, and being persecuted.
Of what worth would that be if your existence ended the moment they started throwing rocks at you?

I guess I'm seeing this from a different perspective because I've already given up on this life.

I am sorry to hear you have given up on life.

In this hypothetical I still think that there would not only be different scriptures but a completely different kind of life here.
There would not be persecution to the death if there was no afterlife. I base this on how I view God.

I think people are taking this thread over what is a completely made up hypothetical far too seriously.

 

[ozso]

I am sorry to hear you have given up on life.

In this hypothetical I still think that there would not only be different scriptures but a completely different kind of life here.
There would not be persecution to the death if there was no afterlife. I base this on how I view God.

I think people are taking this thread over what is a completely made up hypothetical far too seriously.

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.