Living in Eternity

LIVING IN ETERNITY

 

II Cor.4: ¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Col.3: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

² Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
³ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
⁴ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

To truly walk with Christ we must have an eternal mindset and a daily vision of Christ and all things eternal. This does not come easily because we live in temporal bodies and a temporal reality. And in today’s church climate there is not just a focus upon the temporal, but it could really be described as an obsession. Add to that the cares of this world and we are faced with a great challenge. Most never accept that challenge, and in today’s evangelical community most are not even aware that challenge exists.

To acknowledge that eternity exists now and that we can walk in it is the very first step. And any journey begins with the first step. So what I would ask us to do is purposefully, deeply, and with faith, fill our hearts and minds with the reality of eternity. Let your mind soar above the clatter of this temporal existence. Think about heaven and Jesus and the Father and a company of angels. If you wish read some of the Book of Revelation where it speaks of the visions of heaven. Embrace the truth that this temporal is submitted to and within the atmosphere of eternity.

Our Savior wishes to meet us in the eternal realm and with each meeting He desires to reveal Himself to us and change us. In the sixties a band called the Beatles became all the rage. And young people especially would watch them and buy their records and put up posters and even collect cards with their pictures. And what eventually happened is millions of young people began to cut their hair like the Beatles and dress life them and talk like them and think like them. You see, what you worship will eventually change you into that image. That is why God forbid idol worship for His children.

But we are called to worship Christ. And one of the major reasons we are not like Him and why we cling to and embrace the temporal is because we do not worship Him through prayer and adoration. And this 20 minute music time on Sundays is hardly what we could call worship. True worship will have within it sacrifice. Abraham would sacrifice his son to worship God. What do people sacrifice on Sunday mornings? I realize Christ is the complete sacrifice for our sins, but does God accept a redundant exercise offered by people who spent almost no time worshiping and in prayer during the entire week? What has happened?

We have made taken what should be a free flowing worship among believers and made it a structured “service” complete with the order of events and much practice. Music is a strong emotional intoxicant that is can drive a group of people without a true spirit of worship. But our Wonderful Savior deserves our focused and sacrificial worship. Our hearts and minds must be set upon the eternal and we lust allow the Spirit to reveal Christ to us. Without a vision of the eternal we are attempting to worship God in the flesh.

My exhortation to us all is to walk in light of eternity and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.