How Should We View Our Christian Lives On Earth?

 How Should We View Our Christian Lives On Earth?


The longer I live, the more I think the question (posed in our title), needs to be answered, (as best as we can answer it).  Life on Earth, for all of us mortal creatures is extremely tenuous.  We do not ever know if we will draw our next breath, or not.  So, one thing we should face right away, is the fact that there are absolutely no guarantees that our lives will be prolonged; and we *are* assured that they will eventually come to an end in death (unless we are alive when Jesus returns in His last advent).

 

Now, the way for sincere regenerated Christians to view their lives down here on this fallen planet--in the church militant/the kingdom of God on Earth--is *entirely* through the "lens" of the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.  If and as we do this, we make our existence here not only meaningful; but also, in a very real sense, comfortable and (even) joyful.  Just as soon as we take our eyes off of Jesus, immediately we are thrown into an insecure state of uncertainty, fear, worry, and confusion.

 

We must hasten to say, that our good and loving Heavenly Father allows us, His beloved children in Jesus, to sometimes undergo extremely hard times of trial, tribulation, persecution, and distress.  But none of these things need overwhelm us, (though sometimes they temporarily do [or seem to]).  The antidote to all of our fears and anxieties in this life is always our living faith in Jesus and His gospel of grace.

 

The Spirit-filled Christian church member seeks always to joyfully and willingly submit to God, his or her loving Father; to go as "low" in humility and contrition and repentance (as he or she possibly can); and trust God even when He is not "sensed."  None of this is easy; but it is the life of faith.

 

One of the reasons I am writing this paper today, is because over the years I have had the privilege of reading a lot of the great and eminent Christian writers, (and I truly appreciate them all very much).  Sometimes, however, I find their perspective on the Christian's life on Earth personally unsatisfying.  Even someone as truly loved and esteemed as the great Augustine of Hippo can leave me saying: "There has to be more than that. If I was to present this (perspective) to a person in the world, as I was seeking to evangelize him--I would not be surprised if he would have no interest in the life of the gospel and the Christian faith."  Why do I say such things?  Because sometimes teachers present the life of faith on Earth as being entirely focused on the future glory of heaven.  And please do not get me wrong--I am very excited about the future glory of heaven, especially the older I get. . . . But this perspective does not do me enough good, here and now.  (It does do me some good--and I readily acknowledge this.  But something is definitely missing.)

 

In my (humble) judgment, that "missing" part, is a single-minded focus on Christ, here and now (and always).  After all: what is glory, but Jesus?  What is heaven, but Christ?  What is joy, but our Savior? . . . If I look to anything else in this world--even good and gracious things--of course, I am going to be miserable.  But, if I can keep my gaze on Jesus, how can I be anything but comfortable, even if I go through the most difficult times and trials?

 

Someone might say, "Well, Henninger, this is easy for you to say: you have had a very blessed life in so very many ways. For you to speak about the Christian life on Earth in a positive way is facile for you."  My response would be, "Yes; I grant that, quoting David in Ps. 16:6a, 'The lines have [indeed] fallen to me in pleasant places'; but this does not mean that I have not also experienced many difficult and trying times. Both are true/both have a place in our sanctification/and both come from the hand of a loving Heavenly Father."

 

What is the honest and noble "face" that we are to present to the world, as those who claim the Person and Name of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ?  We are to re-present Him (Jesus) in His glory, as God is in the process of transforming us (here and now) into the perfected image of His Son, (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18).

 

Therefore, let us settle on this conclusion: the Christian life on Earth is not "positive" or "negative"; instead, it is entirely Christ Himself; and we are His workmanship (Eph. 2:10a)/His co-laborers in the gracious gospel fields (2 Cor. 5:20-21).

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #84

20 March 2026

PS: All of this is one of the reasons I appreciate Thomas Watson so much.

https://theologicaltreatisesinretirement.blogspot.com

https://henningerdevotions.blogspot.com/

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