One of the benefits of writing published material is that it forces the author to think much more systematically and deeply about his subject that he might otherwise. Over my years of ministry here it has been a great blessing to have some time for writing and many of you know that I am working on my third book on the topic of covenant and children. My thesis is that the covenants in Scripture demonstrate what has sometimes been termed “covenant succession” and that this provides hope that even though our children are not within the covenant until they themselves believe, they are blessed and promised to us under the covenant.
One of the issues I had to wrestle with concerning this thesis is that many believers see far too strong of a dichotomy between the Old Testament and the New Testament, using statements like “the Old Testament blessings are physical, the New Testament blessings are spiritual.” And so, material or earthly blessings such as health, wealth, and even children, are not expected in the New Testament and are completely spiritualized. In thinking through this, I constructed a triad that I think helps to answer and explain the relationship between the earthly and the heavenly, the material and the spiritual. This has been very helpful for my own thinking and I hope it is helpful for yours.
[This section is currently a draft and may still be improved]The Dilemma of Dualism
It is true that numerous passages in the New Testament demonstrate a sort of dualism: heaven vs earth, spirit vs flesh, church vs kin. Ephesians 1:3 says that in Christ we have “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Does this exclude the promised earthly blessings which are so often affirmed in the Old Testament? Jesus teaches in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn 3:6). Does this mean that fleshly descent is of no value? And in Matthew 12, when confronted with a question about family, Jesus stated, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Mt 12:49–50). Does this mean that God’s promises to (physical) families in the Old Testament are null and void.
There is no question that there is a sort of dualism in the New Testament. Sin has created a rift in the unity between heaven and earth, between spirit and flesh, between the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of God. What is crucial to understand is that the New Covenant is the means of their reconciliation. Christ brought heaven to earth in His incarnation. Christ gave human flesh spiritual life in His resurrection (1 Cor 15:45). And the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of Christ at His second coming (Rev 11:15). Christ’s work brings about the unification and reconciliation of all things in Him: “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:9–10). The sin-induced bifurcation of the spiritual and the material is being mended, and we must apply the ultimate, eschatological truth of this universal unity to the present, including to family life.
It must be admitted, however, that the language of dualism is contained not only within the Bible’s descriptions of our sin-stained world, but that it is also present within its prescriptive teaching. We are required, therefore, to say more than that the Scripture’s dualism is a temporary artifact or fruit of sin, destined to be eradicated. For instance, we are told, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:2), and “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Mt 6:19–20).
A tri-perspectival view may help to understand this dualism. I suggest that the relationship between the spiritual and the earthly can be understood in terms of priority, provenance, and purpose. Firstly, the spiritual has always had a priority over the earthly. This is illustrated in the fact that in the ordering of creation the heavens were created first, and it is the sphere the first filled. Just as the heavens are above us, so too spiritual things are above earthly things. Our eternal inheritance is more important than earthly wealth, so we are to store up our treasures above (Mt 6:19–21). Spiritual family and offspring are more important than physical family and offspring (who are not in the family of God), so Jesus says, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” (Mt 12:49). An everlasting resurrection body in which there will be no more pain (Rev 21:4) is more important than temporary physical healing. There is a priority to heaven, for it is the dwelling place of God, who is the first (Isa 41:4).
Secondly, the provenance or origin of the earthly is the spiritual. Not only are the things of heaven first, it from heaven that all blessings on earth flow. When this is recognized, it leads to thanksgiving and worship. God is the source of our wealth, so we are warned, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth’” (Dt 8:17). God opens and closes the womb (Gen 20:17–18) and on this basis the Scriptures teach that the fruit of the womb is a blessing and reward from the Lord, and not only a physical and natural occurrence (Ps 127:3). And though God created our bodies with inherent self-sustaining and self-healing properties, yet physical health and healing is attributed to God—“I am the Lord, your healer” (Exo 15:26). All good things upon the earth have their source in heaven.
Finally, earthly blessings have a spiritual purpose. The ultimate ends of the earthly is heavenly. The material serves the spiritual. Christ tells us to “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Lk 16:9). Our families and physical offspring are to be a blessing to others (Ps 37:26). Health and strength in our physical bodies are to be used to serve Christ and His people (Mark 1:31). And so, whatever we do on earth, even eating and drinking, is to be done for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).
It is noteworthy that although unbelievers enjoy many physical and material blessings, they recognize none of these three perspectives. They do not prioritize the spiritual, they do not receive these things with thanksgiving as from God, and they do not use them for God’s glory. There is, therefore, a sort of dualism in Scripture, but it is a reconciled and unified dualism.