Temporal and Eternal Christianity

In trying to understand how faith and works are connected, I've found it useful to divide Christianity into two parts: Eternal Christianity (EC) and Temporal Christianity (TC).

EC starts with an act of salvation, given freely by grace.   It is the kingdom of God begun in us.  It is the beginning of heaven.  It is the beginning of growth and eternal life.

EC triumphs over this fallen world.  All the things about victorious living in the Bible are talking about Eternal Christianity.  It is a relationship with God, not a religion.  It is unique and the only way to have eternal life.

At best, TC is the projection of EC into a fallen world.  It is what we see "through a glass darkly".  It is practical, helpful, comforting, and makes everything around it better.  Unlike EC it is not perfect and it's easy to see failures and cracks.  Not because of the EC that is its source, but because of the fallen world it is projected into.  Yes, there has been excesses, hypocrisy, legalism, everything that those opposed to EC like to harp  on.  But it's hard to look at the globe and say that mankind has not benefited from the presence of TC when it is derived from EC.

But TC can become a "religion".  EC is not a religion, i.e. a search for God.  It is THE way to God.  TC on its own is more akin to Islam or Buddhism or any other religion.  It is man's attempt to find God.  TC can be copied, corrupted, misappropriated, and used to justify evil.  Worst of all, it can become an end in itself.  Another word for temporal is "cultural".  Cultural Christianity is just TC cut off from EC.  It is based on the culture.  It can be good for the culture, but it has no value for eternity.  (Except that God can graciously use CC to point someone to EC.)

For some reason that I don't fully understand, God did not send Jesus as soon as Adam sinned.  He allowed mankind to descend into sin culminating in the flood and then the tower of Babel.  He chose Abraham and Israel as an example to lead the world back to him.  He sent Jesus and gave each believer his Spirit to continually project EC into TC.  He left us with free will, deliberately leaving in place the "glass darkly" that will someday be removed.

This is the reason for TC.  EC is not directly observable by man.  It is something inside a believer that produces TC as evidence.  TC and be counterfeited, confusing the issue.  There is a perfect relationship with God that is imperfectly revealed through TC.  I cannot work at EC;  I can "work" at TC.  The works do not contribute to EC but they are beneficial and required for TC.  Theoretically, If I don't honor God in my TC, I will obtain heaven but will lose my reward.  In practice, coming from an Arminian point of view, I believe that dishonoring God in my TC is a sign of a deeper apostasy in my EC.

For me, separating TC from EC makes it clearer where works are involved and how those works can fall short of the law (in which I include the Sermon on the Mount).  I am not saved by works and imperfect works will not condemn me.  My TC and its works are hobbled by the context of a fallen world.  My EC is unfettered and depends solely on God's grace.  I can be perfect eternally while I am imperfect in this fallen world.

The issue with works moves away from "what must I do to inherit eternal life" to "what can I do to serve you, my Savior?"  Lack of concern for sin is not a block to eternal life, it is an indication that there is no eternal life.