Christian Discipleship:
Connecting “Here & Now” with “There & Then”
The spiritually healthy Christian is one whose life in the present is loaded with the future, and whose future is loaded with the present.
But many believers live as though their present efforts toward maturing as a Christ-follower are disconnected from their future life in heaven, that one has no particular bearing on the other. That’s understandable when we consider how radically different they are. Our present life is “here and now,” physical and visible, and intensely practical. Our future life in heaven is “there and then,” spiritual and unseen, certain and secure, but somewhat fanciful and speculative.
Discipleship isn’t just about becoming a better follower of Christ in this life, worthy as that is. It is infinitely more important for the life to come. Here’s why.
The Race Marked Out for Us
It is misleading to speak of a present life and a future life as though they were separate realities. If it is true that eternal life begins the moment of our Christian conversion, then the more accurate view is that we have one continuous life which is lived in stages. The author of Hebrews suggests we think of the Christian life as a race to be run:
“. . .since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw
off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1,2 NIV
We can expect this journey to include three stages common to all believers.
The Stage of Spiritual Growth
As a believer cooperates with the Holy Spirit in his transforming work, he gradually becomes like Christ in character, thought, and deed. He embraces virtues such as love, forbearance, grace, and kindness, and he becomes even more useful and effective.
The Stage of Transition
The rite of passage we call death merely describes our transfer from our present earthly existence to the future spiritual realm. We undergo glorious change, including the elimination of our sinful nature, and become equipped to live in a resurrected spiritual body. Our personality, skills, spiritual gifts, and experience gained in life—everything about us—remain intact as we morph from mortal into immortal.
The Endless Stage of Reigning With Christ
It is almost impossible to think about this stage without becoming choked with emotion. This is our unimaginable future life with Christ for which we are being prepared, and it for us.
Heaven will be teeming with life and brimming over with endless creative activity in a community of oneness with God and countless other believers. We will each of us have enlarged, ennobling responsibilities as we learn to serve Him who is rightly called The King of Kings:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has
prepared for those who love him.” Isaiah 64:4; I Cor. 2:9, NIV
Herein lies a subtle and serious problem. Unless the connection is made between discipleship in this life and full participation in the next, there will be multiple consequences.
First, we rob the present. Take away his hope in the future and most of what enables the Christian to function is removed. Hope empowers the believer to live in the present. It defines and sustains us as nothing else can. The glory of the life to come makes the worst trials of this life seem like a trifle. Paul said,
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that
will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18, NIV
The future, understood and embraced, makes the present make sense. Dallas Willard observed,
“We are greatly strengthened for life in the kingdom now by an understanding
of what our future holds, and especially of how that future relates to our present
experience. For only then do we really understand what our current life is and
are able to make choices that agree with reality.”
Second, we shortchange the future. If Christian discipleship is about the perfecting of character, then it is the most serious business we undertake. In heaven we will not sit and stare at each other, or at God, watching for what happens next, or waiting for someone to make a move. We are created to take an active role as we join the Father in his never-ending creative work. Jesus made it clear that the development of our character and faithfulness in handling responsibility sets the level of our participation:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things,
I will put you in charge of many things.” Matthew 25:23, NIV
Being entrusted with many things speaks of the excellence of our character and our trustworthiness which permit God to grant us unprecedented freedom and empowerment in the life to come.
Our Astonishing Service in Heaven
The author, John, speaks of man’s role in the new heaven and earth God will create:
“The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his
servants will serve him.” Revelation 22:3, NIV
Think of a new and perfect universe filled with people who are perfectly right with God and right with each other, who are in perfect harmony with His will, and who have a heart to serve! In our known universe there are millions of unoccupied galaxies available for growth and expansion, providing unlimited space for creative things to be done that will boggle our minds.
As I visualize what our service in heaven might be like, it helps to remember the role originally given Adam and Eve, as well as all mankind. Adam was told to “work it (the earth) and take care of it.” He was placed in a position of oversight and stewardship.
All through his long and storied history, imperfect man has been doing imperfect work imperfectly in a imperfect world. We cannot fully grasp or understand the terrible extent to which sin crippled God’s plan and wrecked man’s ability to glorify Him.
Perhaps man will once again be liberated and empowered to do God’s will, not in the Garden of Eden, but in a new order and on a glorious scale that is unimaginable. Redeemed men will have undergone a spiritual makeover that eliminates forever the devastating, scarring effects of sin and rebellion.
I cannot wrap my mind around how it will feel to be exactly like our Lord, to experience what it means to be a son of God and joint heir with Christ, and not feel the downward pull of a sinful nature. What will it feel like to effortlessly love God with a sterling heart?
Equipped with a new heart, a renewed mind, and a transformed body—capable of only noble thoughts, gracious words, and worthy deeds—we will be productive at a level that staggers the mind. How little we grasp the implication of the phrase, “his servants will serve him.” (Revelation 22:3, NIV) Jesus did not say specifically how he would reward his followers for their good works, but the suggestion is strong it will include greatly enlarged opportunities to serve.
I believe there will be mind-numbing challenges to solve and causes to champion in heaven that will stimulate our minds and require our leadership abilities as never before. In the boundless expanse of eternity there will be great good to be done and indescribable service to perform that requires the utmost bravery from the stoutest heart.
Preparing To Serve in Heaven
For the believer, our present stage—what we called “The Stage of Spiritual Growth” —is a critically important time of preparation.
The Scriptures repeatedly use the analogy that, at conversion, we are born spiritually much like a human baby. (II Peter 2:2) With our obedience, and the patient work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can and should grow into mature, fully devoted followers of Christ. (Colossians 1:28) In that spiritual journey, we begin as immature disciples who need training and empowering, and grow to assume a greatly enlarged role as servants, as joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14, 16 NIV), and as his co-regents to reign over the new order:
“. . .his servants will worship him. . .and they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 22:3-5 NIV
We enter heaven as the same absolutely unique person we were on earth. Nothing about us is diminished or lost. We will be who we have always been, except we are retrofitted with a supernatural body like that of Jesus. We happily discard our sinful nature, and our character becomes morally flawless. The rich experiences we gain while on earth through diligent labor, practice, testing, and adversity—plus our spiritual gifts and skills honed to perfection—are all requisite to our future heavenly service.
The Bible does not provide clear answers to countless questions that tug at our minds. How will God be fair to believers whose lives were cut short, who did not have the privilege others had to grow and serve? We have so many questions about children and the kingdom. In heaven, how is God going to make the playing field level? We simply do not know. Regardless how He chooses to do it, we can be sure He will do the right and just thing with all His children. There will be no need to make comparisons, no “have’s and have-not’s,” and no inequities.
What is startlingly clear is the grave responsibility that rests upon those who know the joys of extended life and have many more opportunities to demonstrate their trustworthiness:
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from
The one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Luke 12:48 NIV
“What did you do with what you were given?” will be the penetrating question that searches the soul of every Christ-follower.
The thought that we are to join Christ in ruling and reigning over the heavenly order stretches my understanding. How can we, even though we are related to God and allied to heaven like no other part of creation? —“in our image, after our likeness.” What abilities do we possess that make us like Him, in form and semblance? At least four come to mind: the ability to think, speak, choose, and act. But how do we prepare?
Man is capable of action to effect change, the power to make things happen. To guide him in the use of that power he has been given the faculties of reason and volition. Reason informs our will, and our will directs our actions. So that right thinking leads to right choices which, in turn, lead to right behavior and deeds. Speech provides interaction with the world of others.
As one lives his life, can he become more like God in character and become better equipped to reign with Him? Yes. But never in the sense of getting where one can handle things on his own and outgrowing, as it were, our need of Him. Jesus showed us how.
With Jesus as our example, we are to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Philippians 2:2 NIV We should lay aside selfish ambition, vain conceit, and in a spirit of humility look to the interests of others more than our own: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” 2:3-5 NIV
Jesus demonstrated through his life how it’s done: right thinking, which leads to right choices, which, in turn, leads to right actions. Philippians 2:2-11 NIV expresses it this way:
- Right Thinking “in humility” and “consider others better than yourselves” (vs. 3); “look to the interests of others” (vs. 4)
- Right Choosing “he made himself nothing” and “he took the very nature of a
nature of a servant” (vs. 7)
- Right Acting “he humbled himself” and “became obedient unto death” (v. 8)
And what was the result of all this? “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name . . .” (vs. 9) Jesus’ example of thinking, choosing, and acting shows us how to please God. This is man acting like the man God created him to be, in His “image and likeness.”
Can you and I as Christ-followers grow in our ability to think the thoughts of God? Yes. Can we make better choices like those He makes? Yes. Can we behave in ways that reflect His character and bring honor to Him? Yes. And we must.
The Wise Use Of “Here & Now”
What do you and I need to be doing if the following precepts really are true?
- What we acquire in this life (character, personality, knowledge, experience,
spiritual development, giftedness, skills, etc.) is fully retained when we die and is absolutely vital in the life to come, our “There & Then.”
- The level of our opportunities to serve in heaven—our sharing with Christ in the rule and reign he promised—is directly dependent on our diligence, faithfulness, and
trustworthiness in our present life and work, our “Here & Now.”
We ought to be devoting every moment we have, and every ounce of energy we have, to proactively engaging in extreme living—embracing virtues like grace, humility, love, compassion, and goodness until they become our true character. We ought to proactively seize every opportunity to learn, grow, and develop as much as we possibly can. And, finally, we must understand, as Dallas Willard said, it is God’s intention that all believers become spiritually transformed to the point He can empower and set them free in the heavenly order to do that toward which they are drawn. For this to happen, the character of the Christian is not just important, it is everything!
In the “Here & Now” of our lives we can grow steadily forward—thought by thought, word by word, choice by choice, deed by deed—and become more like Jesus, thus taking on a strong resemblance to the royal, reigning family of which we are a part.
Despite all his sin, false starts, mistakes, and failure—despite the agonizing slowness with which growth and character development come—the Christian is still part of heaven’s nobility who will someday join the Great King and share the blessings of His reign.
Don M. Hull ©2021