The end for which a Christian should conduct his life is to live with God eternally. If we are not careful, we may focus so much on the means that we forget the end.

Paul tells us how to live in this present world: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). But, this lofty life-style is not the end of itself, but the means to the end of being prepared at “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13).

There was a time when preaching among churches of Christ was almost exclusively geared to “first principles” with the view of saving alien sinners from the wages of sin so they could go to heaven to be with the Lord forever. Eventually brethren realized that more preaching on “Christian living” was needed because churches were being filled with worldliness and indifference toward personal and congregational duties as Christians. They came to see that “bringing in the sheaves” was of little profit if you leave them to rot in the barn.

But eventually, as is often the case, the pendulum swung to the opposite extreme. The vast majority of sermons became directed to “present world” issues in the lives of Christians with little said about the hereafter - except maybe a brief reference to it at the end while extending the invitation. We seem to have forgotten that just as the obeying of the first principles is a means to the end of eternal salvation, so is “denying ungodliness and worldly lust” and “living soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.”

So much of the teaching on moral vices and virtues is geared to producing temporal results. Preaching against immorality is often geared to avoiding “Aids” or “unwanted pregnancies” and making our society better, rather than to pleasing God so we can avoid hell and go to heaven. A casual reading of sermon topics for Sunday worship and gospel meetings for the average congregation today reveals a heavy emphasis on the temporal “issues of life” and little attention to the pursuit of “a better country.” (Cf. Heb. 11:16).

Preaching on “family values” and dealing with “real life situations” has been the popular trend for sometime now, more often than not, with the view of a happier life on earth. When the New Testament writers touched on such matters, it was in view of obeying God in matters of this life, in order to prepare for eternal life and happiness in the world to come. Thus, when we speak on such matters we should show the relationship of these topics to our eternal hope in Christ. If we cannot find that connection, it would be better to leave such topics to psychologists and sociologists.

The quest for Bible knowledge is a noble and essential endeavor. The lack of it spelled destruction for ancient Israel (Hosea 4:6). Ignorance of it caused the Israel in Paul’s day to not submit to God’s righteousness and be saved (Romans 10:1-4). Peter admonished Christians to grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). Every Christian, especially those who preach and teach, must be a good student of the Bible. Young preacher wannabe , it takes more than a pleasing personality, a way with words, being a natural leader, and being at ease speaking before an audience to preach the gospel of Christ. If you are not willing to spend hours with the Bible and learning as much as you can from it, you should pursue some other calling to use those talents. You cannot preach the Book that you do not know.

But, the one seeking such knowledge should not consider it as an end of itself, but a means to the end of preparing himself and others for heaven. (Cf. 1 Timothy 4:16). Whether one is just satisfying his thirst for knowledge or aspiring to biblical “scholarship” status, if that is the focus of his study the benefits will only be temporal. In time his knowledge will perish with him. On the other hand, if he humbly uses that knowledge as the means of preparing himself and any who are willing to listen to face the judgment and go to be with the Lord forever, he has truly benefitted from his labor of study. Then his labor will not be “in vain in the Lord.”

The local church exists and functions to facilitate the preparation of men and women for heaven. Scriptural worship and work is geared to that end. It is easy to let functions of the local church to become ends within themselves.

The purpose of assembling together is to edify and encourage one another (Heb. 10:24-25; Col. 3:16), with the view of strengthening one another in “the faith” so we can receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. (1 Peter 1:9) But, you say, “Is not the object of the assembly to worship and praise God?” That is only partially correct. It is to worship and praise God together. We can and do worship and praise God at home alone. But God, in his wisdom, knew that, in addition to private worship, we needed to worship him regularly together with others of like faith. Worshiping together contributes to the strengthening of each other’s faith in God and strengthening each other’s desire to go to heaven.

It is easy to let various aspects of the assembly to become ends within themselves rather than a means to the end. The assembly, itself, can become an end within itself. An opportunity to socialize with other folks, much like other community gatherings. An opportunity to meet and get close to people - for economic, social, friendship or even romantic purposes. When this happens the church becomes just another social club to enrich our lives.

Congregational singing is designed to speak “one to another” (Ephesians 5:19 ASV), to teach “one another” (Col. 3:16). This contributes to the purpose of assembling to build each other up in the faith with view of being saved eternally. Here too, it is easy to make the song service an end within itself. It then becomes mere entertaining performance and mood lifter.

The sermon can also become an end of itself rather than a means to the end of saving sinners from sin and its penalty and edifying saints. When the “manner” of the delivery becomes our focus rather the “matter” of the message, the means becomes the end. This can happen either in the mind of the speaker or the hearer. Then the sermon becomes either good or bad based on the wrong criterion. We come to evaluate preaching by its soothing or stirring value rather than its saving value. The prime purpose of preaching is to save (1 Cor. 1:21). Will not soul-saving preaching sometimes be soothing and soul-stirring? Of course, it will. But that is not the end of itself. The end is salvation. When either soothing or stirring becomes the thing with us we lose sight of the end and the means becomes the end.

Let us never forget that “the end of your faith,” is “even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:9)