why is it that the only benefit of devoting your life to god comes in the afterlife?

Question

if youre dead what does it matter for all the arguements and so on im reminded of moths drawn to a flame it seems to make little difference to the living

Answer 1

Just a way to pass the time,

Answer 2

Here's the thing...

You can either work yourself up every day, serve the Lord and make as many converts as you can - with a reward to Heaven if you're good at it.

Or you can simply enjoy your life and do anything else you want to do, learn any skill you want to learn, and master any language you want to master, or anything else that tickles your fancy.

One is a religious view of things. If you're religious, the first option makes the most sense.

The second option is the secular option, the worldly option. If you're no so religious the second option makes sense.

Ultimately, you must consider both science and religion to be at odds with each other. So you have to make a choice. And both are right, honestly. There is goodness in being religious, and there is goodness in being secular.

Death is the crucial point. And this is what happens: if you're right and there is a God, and you were religious all your life, you generally go to Heaven.

If you were wrong and were never religious, led a secular life, and die, you will most likely go to Hell.

Now, if there is no God, living religiously was a big waste of time.

If there is no God, maybe you helped your world a little by being great and smart and influential.

So take your pic, quit the religious questions...and decide.

There are two choices. By the voice of reason being secular is the best way to be.

But by the voice of "the bible," or "the Book," being religious is what our lives should be.

Use your head.

Answer 3

Well Mr. lucifer, if you like to be playing with a full deck during this aspect of your existance, then you need truth now. God and Truth are Synomonous. The flesh has nothing to do with death or life. If you are seperate from God then you are walking in death. It is in that state of mind that all darkness originates. To be seperate from God is death and to be in fellowship with God is life. That does not mean after the death of the flesh, that means this moment while we are communicating here. When God made man He made man to be a Spirit, that has a soul, and lives in a body. The body without a Spirt is dead. The soul is the mind the intellect and the will, which makes the character that you portray. You can do that with ourside influences. You do this by letting the environment and knowledge build the character you are. "Outside Influences" This is who you become to think that you are. Some of that self created character can be from truth and some can be from less then truth. Either way it is not who you really are. You have a soul, it is not you. It is suppose to be a reflection of your spirit man that is suppose to be a reflection of Truth/God.
If that inner truth is never enlightened then you go on walking in the false reality. God knew man would fall, but he also knew it would be an opportunity for man to learn. The truth is that man was never designed to operate with out the Spirit of Truth or God, if you will, alive and well and operating inside of himself to light up the reflection on your spiritman. Not only did God know man would develope without Himself, he also devised a plan of salvation and uses the off target mindset to drive man back to the place of enlightment. "Jesus"
The Rev.

Answer 4

The afterlife is not the only benefit in devoting your life to God. Sadly, in alot of churches that is the majority of what is preached. They preach you have hope in Salvation, and Heaven but give little to no hope about the here and now. I am a saved born again Christian, but I still have to live here until the time comes that I can go to heaven. I need to be able to live until then. The benefits is not always Prosperity that others preach. Otherwise in Hebrews chapter 11 in the latter part of it, the bible praises those that were tortured, destitute, naked, killed. I think we need to realize that the benefits are forever before us. Everyday we live we partake of the benefits of being a son or daighter of God. How you say? Jesus told the people about the birds, how they don't store into barns, they don't labor, yet the Father in heaven feeds them everyday. He told the people if Their Heavenly Father takes care of the birds in that way, how much more will He provide for those that love Him.We don't realize that if we are not saved, we are dead, right now here in this life, then comes the judgement.remember the young man that Jesus told to follow him, and the young man said let me first go back and bury my father,,? Jesus told Him let the dead bury the dead.

Answer 5

If you devote your life to God in this world, it should be expressed in serving humanity as well as prayer and worship. This makes the world a better place to live, which benefits all of us. And since the next life is eternal, I would think benefits there would be more important than benefits here, since by comparison, this life is only a blink of the eye.

Answer 6

>Why is it that the only benefit of devoting your life to god comes in the afterlife?

It doesn't. Personally, I don't believe one way or the other about an afterlife, and I don't spend much time thinking about it.

~ Lib

Answer 7

Because our days are numbered on earth.

No one will live forever on earth. We can only appreciate earth in the flesh and flesh will eventually return to the ground in which we came from.

Our spirit however remains until God chooses its destiny. Thats why we should devote ourselves to God so that our spirit will live forever otherwise the spirit can be destroyed if God chooses.

Answer 8

There is a promise in the bible that extends beyond even islams promise of 72 virgins and a hundred fold houses. "in this LIFE".
it says that those that are faithful will received a hundredfold wives and houses in this life. I dont know how Fundamental christians talk their way around that verse but it seems pretty clear to me.

Answer 9

God gives us a peace that we don't even have the words to describe it. When life gets almost unbearable we have the inner peace of God to get us through. This is what my God does for me. I would devote myself to him a million more times if I could.

Answer 10

I don't know I think people who devote themselves to good lives are rewarded every day...only those don't wouldn't know about it.