zodiac15 Nov 2005

Colossians 3
"Rules for Holy Living
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

Matthew 6:33
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God..."

Also consider that many of the times Christ sets out or blesses a way of living, the promised reward is Heaven. As in:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

BOB: The Kingdom of God/heaven is meant to refer to the earthly kingdom-come, paradise and perfection on earth and so forth.
JIM: I say Christ (and Bible-writers) didn't make any distinction between that heaven and heaven-in-the-sky. And in the eye of the needle passage, at least, Jesus is universally understood as meaning heaven where you go when you die.

BOB: But the Bible's not written to extol the advantages of heaven.

JIM: I think Bible writers probably expected people to know them. But it does lay out a moral code with a promised reward for following it. That reward is heaven.

PS-We've already discussed your heavenless faith dozens of times. I'll respond as I always do: Good for you. Really.