The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

No more tears

Revelation 7:7 For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Here is a great verse that is full of comfort for believers. One's eye immediately leaps to the statement that God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Although as we grow older we generally cry less often, we conversely tend to see more reasons for tears. The idea of God's acting like a loving parent and using his hand to gently dry our eyes is a powerful and striking one. The shepherd figure that precedes the parental one is also striking, even more so when we consider that the shepherd is the Lamb, the Lord Jesus who was slain. Though at the centre of the throne of the universe, he also leads his grateful sheep to refreshing springs. The prospect for the believer then is not only the negative one of relief but just as much the more positive one of refreshment too. God is our Father and Christ our Shepherd here on earth – and even more so in the world to come. And so we press on.

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