The Bible’s teaching about eternal punishment is an emotional and unpopular topic to discuss. And to be sure, eternal punishment is not the main message in the Bible. Scripture teaches us of a God who loves us and has taken initiative to love us and be in relationship with us, especially through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, despite not being the main point, eternal punishment is an important and Biblical part of God’s plan to save the world. So what does the Bible teach on this topic, and why might it be important for followers of Jesus to understand it a bit more deeply?

Scripture teaches that God will raise all people back to life and that Jesus will judge each person for what they’ve done. Some will be convicted and punished, and others will be acquitted and rewarded. While judgment can be scary to think about and is not a popular topic, living with an expectation of the final judgment can produce good things in our lives, including the motivation to cry out to God for his mercy, resulting in salvation.

According to the Bible, what happens to us after we die? Will we immediately find ourselves in our final eternal destination? Will our souls “go to sleep” until a later time? Is the Catholic idea of Purgatory a possibility? Or something else?

Why do we all long for the world to be a better place, and will it ever become the place we hope for? Poetically bridging deep theological truths with the challenges of our daily life, the Apostle Paul explains the future of the tensions in our world and calls us to fix our eyes on the coming glory that lies in store for his children and for all creation.

Daniel had a rhythm and routine - A RULE OF LIFE - that was life-giving to him and that sustained his devotion to God in the midst of changing circumstances, persecution, and even the threat of death. As followers of Jesus, we too, like Daniel, would do well to identify and nurture the practices and priorities that deepen our relationship with Jesus.

The Old Testament story of Daniel provides us a powerful example of how to prioritize a God-centred approach to life that stands in contrast to "the patterns of this world." As we venture into a new year filled with new possibilities, this message invites us to consider how we will be intentional about knitting spiritual practices into the fabric of our lives in 2023.

There are some vital disciplines that we as followers of Christ need to have built into our lives. Things like reading and studying the scriptures, prayer, and living in community are just a few. Each one of our lives are structured differently and we all go through different seasons of life, but it is these priorities that will help us to continue to grow more in our relationship with Jesus no matter what comes our way.

As followers of Jesus, how can we prepare for his return? The New Testament is filled with encouragements on how to prepare well. We are called to stay close with Jesus, to be intentional with our thought life, to pursue holiness, to be faithful in Kingdom-building work, to persevere through suffering, and to respond to persecution with witness. Are you ready?

The Christian hope for the future of the planet and humanity is tethered to the Biblical teaching of Jesus’ return. Human effort and ingenuity are not enough to save us. Despite all the best advances in science, medicine, technology and political structures, we won’t be able to achieve paradise on earth. But we hope and believe that Jesus will return and by the strength of God he will set things right in our world. And this hope drives us to begin doing his work today, to begin with his help welcoming his Kingdom of justice, righteousness and peace.

Lord, grant me a taste for silence and solitude so that I might find in my heart the holy place where your Spirit dwells. That I could tell you truthfully how I am feeling and could hear specifically what you have to say to me. Amen.