Salvation: Not an Escape from the Material

I recently preached a sermon dealing with two competing doctrinal orientations from the first-century: sensualism and the biblical Pauline model. We are often implored, from the broader community, to consider the brevity of life, and that we should, as a result, live our lives to the fullest. Of course, this is true, but not in the sense that we ought to embrace a gluttonous lifestyle, morally speaking. Rather, we must make the most of the short time we have by focusing on our hope in Christ—on our hope for a glorified physical (i.e., material) eternal existence in the presence of God. Salvation is not an escape from the material, as many (e.g., Plato) have supposed; instead, it is an escape from sin and death. We should, then, make the most of our material existence (laboring for the gospel) in the here and now, as we look forward to the material existence that awaits us in eternity. Video for the sermon may be viewed HERE.