Saints, Sinners, Outcasts, Happiness and the Afterlife
The Wesleyan and Apostolic View of Salvation
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
These words were penned by the Apostle John, the disciple characterized in the New Testament as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. He was the one Jesus entrusted during his crucifixion to look after his mom after he had finished his work and left the planet. He is the only Apostle of Jesus allowed to finish his life and experience a normal death outside of being murdered by degenerates. Most scholars estimate he penned these words near the end of his life.
In a very concise and acute way, these words reflect profound wisdom.
John here summarizes the motives by which humans pursue happiness from within the created order. If we are being candid with ourselves, all of us are deeply motivated by a desire for these things. Allow me to flesh them out (pun intended) a little bit as follows:
THE LUST OF THE FLESH – This phrase represents the human motivation to seek happiness through experiencing physical pleasure. Think illicit sex, gluttony, and the abuse of mind altering substances. Whenever a person engages in all of these things they feel happy while they are engaged in the activity. But the consequences of indulging in these activities destroys their ability to feel happiness when they are not engaged in them, the pleasure of which only lasts for a very short period of time. This is the root of addictive behavior, it is born of a person who surrenders to the reality that they are unable to feel happiness outside of doing these things.
THE LUST OF THE EYES – This motivation represents the human desire to seek happiness by being surrounded by beauty. Look, there’s a reason people want to live in Southern California and it’s so insanely expensive. There is a reason why people want a beautiful home nestled in the mountains. There is a reason why people spend a small fortune to spend a few days at Disneyworld. Being surrounded by beauty and wonder makes us feel tremendous pleasure and happiness. But that pleasure and happiness comes at a great price, and this is where the love of money comes into play. In order to be able to maintain these pleasing circumstances, one has to live under the constant pressure of having to pay for it while at the same time live with the constant fear of not having enough to continue. (“OMG, what if I have to move into a trailer park in Arkansas! The horror!”). By the way, more money also means greater access to and a magnification of party time in the first temptation.
THE PRIDE OF LIFE – This last motivation explains the desire to seek happiness in being recognized by others for our talents and achievements. When I am highly esteemed by others, I also get to associate with others whom I highly esteem, and that makes me happy. That typically will mean that I am enabled to do the things that I love to do and care about while at the same time making more money and getting cooler stuff. It also, once again, leads to more party time.
These are precisely the temptations Jesus was temped with in the wilderness by Satan in Matthew chapter 4, and he overcame them all. They are the foundational temptations of all humanity, the temptation is to find pleasure and happiness in this life through satisfying these desires outside of God’s parameters.
Notice none of these temptations function to satisfy the most important desire and longing of all humans, that is the desire to love and to be loved perfectly. One might be satisfied to the fullest in all of the temptations listed above, but if they don’t have someone to share love with they will never be happy. And that is why they remain unfulfilled in lust for these things, they will never be satisfied in the most fundamental and important desire for love.
God wants us to surrender our commitment to pursue happiness in these things so that we can become united to himself by believing in, confessing and obeying his son Jesus Christ (properly referred to as justification). God wants us to have great pleasure in his created order which he himself called “very good”, but also to understand that only by fulfilling the process of being fully united to him can we become happy (sanctification unto perfect holiness). Only the deep satisfaction of having the energies of God’s love manifest in our innermost being can save us from the lusts of our bodies and minds.
Look at how the other one of Jesus’ favorite Apostles, Peter, describes this reality in his second Epistle:
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge (direct first hand, experiential knowledge) of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power (power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities. "Power through God's ability") has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
So it is clear, God is at work to save humans from their lust for the fulfillment of these desires for pleasure within the created order. The lust to fulfill these desires is corrupting not only humans but the planet. God is also saving us so that we can “participate in the Divine nature”, and in so doing experience the powerful energies of God’s love that are indescribably more intoxicating than the pleasures offered by the created order.
It is also clear that in God’s work of salvation, everyone is somewhere in the process of being saved. In some God is working to bring conviction to enter the door of salvation, which in order to make a distinction we will refer to as “justification”. Once they are in the door, they can be called “saved” or “born again”, but that is only the beginning of the larger process of the fuller work that God intends to bring to a completion. They were saved from the lusts of the created order, and they were saved for participation in the kingdom of heaven. Many think the kingdom of heaven is going to be perfect, but it is going to be populated with somewhat less than perfect people.
That is an oxymoron. (A contradiction in terms)
Some others think that God is going to resurrect people, wave a magic Harry Potter wand over their heads, and zap them into perfect people upon death. But this idea violates two very important components of reality, illustrated very clearly by Jerry Walls in his book Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. First, it violates the concept of free will, which is necessary for a real loving relationship to exist between two beings. God isn’t going to cause us to love him perfectly by force, he could have just done that to begin with in Adam and Eve. He is inviting us to participate in the process of becoming perfect, a process in which we demonstrate our love for him by suffering and changing for the better unto full maturity in love and obedience.
Second, it destroys our personal identity and our relationships. If you or I are now good friends in this life and we die in a car accident together and wake up in “heaven”, being now zapped and made perfect, we have two problems. Not only do I not know who you are any more, I no longer even know myself.
With that being said, let’s now categorize humanity in accordance with classical Christian teaching into three distinct categories, all in some sense in preparation for what is to come in the afterlife, for better or for worse:
SAINTS – Some believers, through participation in the divine nature which can only be accessed through participating in the body of Christ, become fully mature in their thoughts, speech, and actions. Though few in number, these people are glorified at death and are capable of seeing the face of God in the afterlife without being destroyed by the unmitigated power of his presence. Indeed, they are capable of experiencing unspeakable pleasure by it. These people have also become capable of participating in the construction of the future kingdom of God. Some of these have already experienced the resurrection from the dead:
Matthew 27:51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
And he took them with him to be in the presence of God the father:
Ephesians 4:7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”]9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
SINNERS – those who have directly experienced participation in the divine nature by being justified before God, and having tasted the divine glory, have been united with God in their innermost man, or spirit. They have received forgiveness and escape the wrath of God, but have not yet learned to perfectly manifest God’s nature in their minds, hearts, speech, and behavior. They also may remain in bondage to some lesser sins. Upon death, they go to a pleasant place scripture refers to as “paradise”, where they continue to make progress in the perfecting of their nature. They do not receive punishment for their sins, but they await becoming fully mature so as to be made fit for the unmitigated full manifestation of God’s presence. They also need to be made fit for the kingdom of heaven after the resurrection so that they don’t mess things up.
Luke 23:42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (not heaven).” (Jesus would be in the lower regions of the earth for the next three days 1 Pet. 3:18-19; Eph. 4:9-10. Jesus didn’t ascend to the father for some time John 20:17)
Now look at how the last and best educated of Jesus’ apostles, the Apostle Paul, describes it:
1 Timothy 5:24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them (they get exposed and dealt with in this life); the sins of others trail behind them (they get exposed and dealt with in the next life). 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever (will be exposed and rewarded in the next life).
Philippians 3:7 But whatever were gains (think progress in happiness in the lusts of the created order) to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead (wait, wasn’t that already attained at the cross?)
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal (I think we can all agree the Apostle Paul was already saved?), but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Hebrews 11:39 And all these (Old Testament Saints), though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect (if they aren’t perfected yet where and how is this process being completed?).
“But as happy as the souls in paradise are, they are preparing for far greater happiness. For paradise is only the porch of heaven; and it is there the spirits of just men are made perfect. It is in heaven only that there is the fulness of joy; the pleasures that are at God's right hand for evermore.” “Of Hell” - By John Wesley, Sermon 73
While the entirely sanctified are in paradise, they will be increasing in grace and knowledge. They will, for instance, comprehend both the nature and the works of God (creation and redemption) in a far greater fashion. "We shall learn more concerning these," Wesley observes, "in an hour, than we could in an age, during our stay in the body." In fact, Wesley imagines an idyllic picture, whereby the saints will be "conversing with all the wise and holy souls that lived in all ages and nations from the beginning of the world," with angels resplendent in beauty, and even with "the eternal Son of God" himself. With this increase in knowledge and wisdom will also come an advance in happiness and holiness, whereby the saints will be "continually ripening for heaven."1
OUTCASTS – Those who refuse to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, confess their guilt, and repent by making changes the Holy Spirit and the word of God demands of them. Upon death, they go to a place of torment scripture refers to as “hades”, or “gehenna”. Here is how John Wesley describes their fate:
“As they that bring most holiness to heaven will find most happiness there; so, on the other hand, it is not only true, that the more wickedness a man brings to hell the more misery he will find there; but that this misery will be infinitely varied according to the various kinds of his wickedness.” “Of Hell” - By John Wesley, Sermon 73
Perfect holiness is REQUIRED for every believer to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Revelation 21:26 They will bring into it (the new Jerusalem) the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Wesley reasons in his sermon number 120 “On the Wedding Garment”:
“The righteousness of Christ is, doubtless, necessary for any soul that enters into glory. But so is personal holiness, too, for every child of man. But it is highly needful to be observed that they are necessary in different respects. The former is necessary to entitle us to heaven; the latter, to qualify us for it. Without the righteousness of Christ we could have no claim to glory; without holiness we could have no fitness for it.
The sum of all is this: The God of love is willing to save all the souls that he has made. This he has proclaimed to them in his word, together with the terms of salvation, revealed by the Son of his love, who gave his own life that they that believe in him might have everlasting life. And for these he has prepared a kingdom, from the foundation of the world. But he will not force them to accept of it; he leaves them in the hands of their own counsel; he saith, "Behold, I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: Choose life, that ye may live." Choose holiness, by my grace; which is the way, the only way, to everlasting life. He cries aloud, "Be holy, and be happy; happy in this world, and happy in the world to come." "Holiness becometh his house for ever!" This is the wedding garment of all that are called to "the marriage of the Lamb." Clothed in this, they will not be found naked: "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." But as to all those who appear in the last day without the wedding garment, the Judge will say, "Cast them into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
To close this train of thought, it isn’t sufficient to call people to make a decision to “get saved” without helping them to understand that such a decision includes their agreement to participate in the completion of what was started. Which involves a great deal of commitment and hard work on our own part:
2 Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
“By salvation, I mean, not barely (according to the vulgar notion) deliverance from hell, or going to heaven, but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy, and truth.” (John Wesley, “A Farther Appeal” Part 1 11:106)
In the very first Methodist Conference of 1744 it officially recorded the purpose of the people and preachers called Methodists:
“Not to form any new sect; but to reform the nation, particularly the Church; and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.”
Collins, Kenneth J.. The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace (pp. 319-320). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.