Why Faith Isn’t Just About Heaven—or Just About Here
When we read the Bible, it’s easy to fall into “either/or” thinking—like imagining faith is only about our souls or only about fixing the world. But that’s missing the big picture.
Sometimes, people make the mistake of believing that the message of Jesus—the gospel—is just about making the world a better place, like a big social improvement plan. Others go the opposite way and treat Christianity as if it’s only about getting to heaven, ignoring everything that happens on earth. They see faith as a spiritual escape, something to help us forget about real-life problems like injustice, poverty, or unfairness.
But if we look closely at the Bible, that’s not what Jesus or his followers were about. The prophets in the Old Testament spoke out against injustice and called for fairness in society. Jesus himself cared about the poor, the sick, and the outcast. The apostles encouraged people to live lives that made a real difference in their communities.
If Christians had only cared about “spiritual” things and ignored real-world problems, we wouldn’t have seen heroes like William Wilberforce, who fought to end slavery in England, or Martin Luther King Jr., who led the fight for civil rights in America. Their faith inspired them to change the world, not just talk about heaven.
So, when you read the Bible, don’t let anyone tell you it’s only about your personal soul or only about fixing society. It’s bigger than that. True faith touches every part of life: how we treat each other, the kind of world we build, and our hope for what comes next. It’s about bringing love, justice, and hope into our world—here and now, as well as forever.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2025
afrancinegreen.com 