2co 04v18 Eternity
"We
look not at things which are seen, but at things which are not seen: for the
things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are
eternal." II Corinthians 4:18
Eternity is a subject about
which the wisest man can know only a little. It is a subject which we must
approach with our Bibles in our hands. Let us seek to know what is written
about eternity. What does the scripture say? Only those who recognize the
sobering reality of eternity can live in a proper relation to the things of
time. Let me give you four statements which I picked up from an old writer, that will help you to live in the awareness of
eternity.
1. WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE ALL THINGS ARE
TEMPORAL AND PASSING AWAY. That man must be blind who cannot see this.
Everything around us is decaying, dying, and coming to an end.
2. WE ARE ALL GOING TO A
WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING IS ETERNAL. The great unseen world that lies beyond
the grave is eternal. Whether it is happy or miserable, joyful or sorrowful, it
will never end. The bliss of heaven is eternal, and the torments of hell are
eternal.
3. OUR STATE IN THE UNSEEN
WORLD OF ETERNITY DEPENDS ON
WHAT WE ARE IN TIME. If
we are the sons of God here, relying upon the merits of Christ as our only hope
of salvation, we shall be the sons of God eternally, living in the glory of
Christ. If we are the children of wrath here, rejecting Christ, we shall be the
children of wrath in hell forever, rejected by Christ.
4. JESUS CHRIST IS THE GREAT
FRIEND TO WHOM WE MUST TURN FOR LIFE AND HELP, BOTH FOR TIME AND ETERNITY.
Jesus Christ alone can save your soul. Only his blood can wash away your sin.
Only his righteousness can make you holy. Only his grace can present you
faultless before the throne of glory. You must trust him now and live forever,
or you will forever die. Take your mind off the things of time, and think for a
while about the reality of eternity. How will it be with your soul in eternity?