Recently I’ve been thinking about the fragile relationship between us and God. It is fragile not only because of the natural difference between an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, immaterial, sovereign and non-temporal God and the fragments of time called human beings, but also because of the psyche-emotional complexity, that our relational attempts reveal themselves to be.
Basically we establish our relationships based on our interests. Those interests are grouped in two categories: self preservation – what we do to maintain ourselves alive and stable, and happiness – those things we incorporate to our existence in order to feel a little more satisfied – as if it was possible!
This almost genetic selfishness, that essentially defines the patterns of our relationships, makes us vulnerable in our interactions with our neighbours and also with God.
Firstly, we seek God for a matter of self-preservation. Our first reaction of throwing ourselves into the arms of the divine is almost a reflex when facing our two greatest enemies – death and hell. When we face these terrifying monsters we are motivated to seek God, especially when we consider the scenery of a place surrounded by suffering and sorrow, with extreme temperatures and flaming landscape. That’s not pleasant at all.
Then we evolve into a deeper comprehension. We find out that God not only proposes freedom from hell, but also the possibility of heaven – a pain-free paradise, where there is no evil and is better define by the word “reward”.
So, at the end of the day, we basically serve God because of the fear of going to hell or in exchange for heaven. A few people understand that what is most infernal in hell is the absence of God and what is most heavenly about heaven is the fullness of his presence. Some might argue that God is everywhere so he is in hell too, but at least it seems that he is not noticed there, and that’s the reason for such desperation. Those who are able to conceive this truth build their relationship with God based on love. They are still trying to preserve themselves and be happy, but they realise that preservation and happiness are essentially related to the presence of God and knowing him personally.
However, we’ve got to be fair. There is a path to run. Our kids’ first answers to our orders are motivated by fear of discipline; afterwards they are motivated by the possibilities of getting gifts, and hopefully then, if a deep enough relationship was built, they obey because they are pleased to see their father satisfied. That’s how it works with us as well. Grace, freedom and love, seems to make more sense after the causality and restrictions brought by the law. The old covenant’s moral legislator God comes before the new covenant’s graceful Father. Not that the last one annuls the first one, on the contrary, the Father never ceases being God. But knowing him as God without knowing him as Father, may makes us obedient and morally responsible, but prevents us from the true transformation of his love.
That’s why I dare to ask: What if there is no heaven? What if there is no hell? What if there were neither threats nor reward proposals, would we still serve him? These answers will help us understand better at what point of the road we are.
Basically we establish our relationships based on our interests. Those interests are grouped in two categories: self preservation – what we do to maintain ourselves alive and stable, and happiness – those things we incorporate to our existence in order to feel a little more satisfied – as if it was possible!
This almost genetic selfishness, that essentially defines the patterns of our relationships, makes us vulnerable in our interactions with our neighbours and also with God.
Firstly, we seek God for a matter of self-preservation. Our first reaction of throwing ourselves into the arms of the divine is almost a reflex when facing our two greatest enemies – death and hell. When we face these terrifying monsters we are motivated to seek God, especially when we consider the scenery of a place surrounded by suffering and sorrow, with extreme temperatures and flaming landscape. That’s not pleasant at all.
Then we evolve into a deeper comprehension. We find out that God not only proposes freedom from hell, but also the possibility of heaven – a pain-free paradise, where there is no evil and is better define by the word “reward”.
So, at the end of the day, we basically serve God because of the fear of going to hell or in exchange for heaven. A few people understand that what is most infernal in hell is the absence of God and what is most heavenly about heaven is the fullness of his presence. Some might argue that God is everywhere so he is in hell too, but at least it seems that he is not noticed there, and that’s the reason for such desperation. Those who are able to conceive this truth build their relationship with God based on love. They are still trying to preserve themselves and be happy, but they realise that preservation and happiness are essentially related to the presence of God and knowing him personally.
However, we’ve got to be fair. There is a path to run. Our kids’ first answers to our orders are motivated by fear of discipline; afterwards they are motivated by the possibilities of getting gifts, and hopefully then, if a deep enough relationship was built, they obey because they are pleased to see their father satisfied. That’s how it works with us as well. Grace, freedom and love, seems to make more sense after the causality and restrictions brought by the law. The old covenant’s moral legislator God comes before the new covenant’s graceful Father. Not that the last one annuls the first one, on the contrary, the Father never ceases being God. But knowing him as God without knowing him as Father, may makes us obedient and morally responsible, but prevents us from the true transformation of his love.
That’s why I dare to ask: What if there is no heaven? What if there is no hell? What if there were neither threats nor reward proposals, would we still serve him? These answers will help us understand better at what point of the road we are.