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 What is the goal of being a Christian?

There are a number of ways to answer that question. At least one popular answer is "to go to heaven." Heaven will be wonderful! God describes heaven as the place where "He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more crying or pain. (Revelation 21:4)." Jesus' death on the cross forgives us of our sins so we can spend eternity in heaven. Sounds like the goal, right?

Well...heaven isn't the goal of Christianity.

Heaven is important but the real goal is more important.

The goal of Christianity is Jesus.

When Jesus invited the disciples he said, "Follow me." No destination. No further instructions. That's because Jesus is the destination. Look closely at John 14:1-4. Jesus talks about His Father's house as a place, but Jesus also says, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Back in Revelation 21, the passage opens with John seeing God come down to be with His people. God says what He will do by wiping away every tear. Heaven is wonderful because Jesus is there.

How does that change the way you follow Jesus?

If your goal is to get to heaven you have a checklist of what you need to get there. It might include:

  • Get baptized
  • Attend church (at least every once in a while)
  • Avoid sin  

Your list will tend to be short, uninspiring, and can even drift towards legalism (creating a strict standard Jesus never gave us). If your goal is Jesus that means you will find expand in exciting ways!  

You will go where Jesus goes

Jesus goes to places like:       

  • The Lost - Luke records Jesus saying, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
  • The Least - The gospel writers record stories of Jesus going to the poor, the demon-possessed, the orphans, the outcasts, and the lepers. Jesus went to people he could have contracted a dangerous disease from. Jesus went into neighbors with dangerous people who could hurt him. Have you ever thought the demon-possessed man who lived in a graveyard could have seriously harmed Jesus or the disciples? Jesus took the risk.
  • The Cross - Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins, and he calls us to carry our cross. Jesus’ sacrifice is a model for how all of us are supposed to follow him with extreme sacrifice.

I know those places don’t sound too exciting. There are some nicer-sounding places. ·         

  • Time alone - Jesus’ habit was to be by himself to pray with God.
  • Miracle moments - The disciples saw Jesus heal many, raise a girl and Lazarus from the dead, feed the crowds, and calm a storm.
  • Listening to Lessons - Jesus preached and taught numerous times. The disciples listened to his sermons and stories to try and understand more about the Kingdom of God.  

You will do what Jesus did

  • Forgive Others – Jesus ultimately forgave all our sins on the cross, but he also directly told people he forgave them (Luke 5:20). 
  • Show Hospitality – Jesus ate meals with surprising people. Inviting someone into your home speaks volumes to them (Luke 5:29-32, Titus 1:8, 1 Peter 4:9).    
  • Be Generous – Clearly, Jesus was generous in forgiving us and extending grace. He set an example for us to be generous towards others (Matthew 7:9-11, Luke 12:13-21, 2 Corinthians 8:9).
  • Live Sacrificially – We know Jesus’ generosity in part because of his sacrifice. He gave up heaven for a while to come to earth. He suffered and died on the cross, and calls us to carry our own cross (Luke 14:25-35, Philippians 2:5-8).
  • Depend on the Holy Spirit - Jesus throughout his ministry relied on the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who called Jesus to be tested in the wilderness after his baptism. Jesus was filled with the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit, performed miracles by the power of the Spirit, and was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit.
  • Abide in Jesus – Jesus stayed connected to his Father in heaven. In the same way, we are supposed to stay connected to Jesus (John 15). 

Changing the destination changes how we get to the destination.   Don’t shortchange yourself on just getting to heaven when God has an abundant life in front of you in following Jesus!