Hello! I thought I would start out with a deep topic, and it will kind of give you an overview of what we will be writing about and why. (For clarity’s sake, when I say eternity, I don’t mean a mathematical concept of infinity usually represented by a sideways 8. I mean infinite life after death.) I pray that God uses this to edify you. God has used it to encourage and correct me!
Why do we care about eternity?
Picture this, you’re going to spend a whole week at a party held by a King or Queen to honour your accomplishment in representing them well, but you only found out a day before you had to leave. What would your thoughts be?
Option #1:
Hmm, I have one day to relax and do whatever I want before I leave. Maybe I’ll do this or that.
Option #2:
Sticky Peanut butter! I only have one day to make an impact for the King or Queen on the people around me before I have to go! I had better get ready!
I’m guessing, if you’re thinking rationally, you would pick option two. You’re going to visit the King! You need to be ready to give an account for what you’ve done!
Reality is we only have one life before we spend all eternity with God. Most of us have picked option #1 – to live life for ourselves. Not to say that life can never have rest and relaxation and pleasure – we need it! But if our focus is on doing our own agenda, living for our own dreams, and pursuing a happy, satisfying life, we are severely short sighted.
“But woe unto you, if the bride groom come and find you sleeping...”
How do we live with eternity in mind?
To live with eternity in view is to live knowing that life is short and eternity is for ever, and to live completely for God, because He is all that matters.
“…Fear God and keep His commands for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
God has given us a responsibility and a duty. He has given us something we are to live our lives for. This is our calling and purpose.
1) To know God
2) To become more like Him
Yes, those two things will take more that your entire life to complete. No one has ever completed those two tasks (other than Christ who was God and was the perfect image of God). Even Methuselah, the oldest man in the Bible, never came close. In fact, when you die in Christ and become perfectly conformed to His image, you will never know God completely. God is awesome!
What does it look like to live with eternity’s values in view?
It looks like insanity! It’s radical! It’s completely upside down to the world’s way of thinking.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Why do we care about eternity?
Picture this, you’re going to spend a whole week at a party held by a King or Queen to honour your accomplishment in representing them well, but you only found out a day before you had to leave. What would your thoughts be?
Option #1:
Hmm, I have one day to relax and do whatever I want before I leave. Maybe I’ll do this or that.
Option #2:
Sticky Peanut butter! I only have one day to make an impact for the King or Queen on the people around me before I have to go! I had better get ready!
I’m guessing, if you’re thinking rationally, you would pick option two. You’re going to visit the King! You need to be ready to give an account for what you’ve done!
Reality is we only have one life before we spend all eternity with God. Most of us have picked option #1 – to live life for ourselves. Not to say that life can never have rest and relaxation and pleasure – we need it! But if our focus is on doing our own agenda, living for our own dreams, and pursuing a happy, satisfying life, we are severely short sighted.
“But woe unto you, if the bride groom come and find you sleeping...”
How do we live with eternity in mind?
To live with eternity in view is to live knowing that life is short and eternity is for ever, and to live completely for God, because He is all that matters.
“…Fear God and keep His commands for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
God has given us a responsibility and a duty. He has given us something we are to live our lives for. This is our calling and purpose.
1) To know God
2) To become more like Him
Yes, those two things will take more that your entire life to complete. No one has ever completed those two tasks (other than Christ who was God and was the perfect image of God). Even Methuselah, the oldest man in the Bible, never came close. In fact, when you die in Christ and become perfectly conformed to His image, you will never know God completely. God is awesome!
What does it look like to live with eternity’s values in view?
It looks like insanity! It’s radical! It’s completely upside down to the world’s way of thinking.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Jesus is a great example! Not to mention a perfect example! His life was centered on his mission for God!
“…Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17: 1-5)
“…Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17: 1-5)
What is the cost?
There is a cost to live completely for God. It is a huge cost, but I can promise you it will be well worth the loss.
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
It will cost you everything. The more I learn about God and eternity, the more I realize that if I really believe this I have to give up myself: my pleasures, my comfort, my will, my reputation. It’s not easy. Even if we give it all up one day, our flesh will be right back the next day. We must deny ourselves daily!
What do we gain?
It is easy to look at hardships and follow God only to escape His wrath and judgment, but that is not how He wants us to view Him.
It’s true the more we know God the more we fear Him, but we also will love him more. The more we see His lavished love on us the more we will be overwhelmed and fall to our knees in praise and worship.
[Romans 5:3-8, Matt5:3-12, Matt 11:28-30, John17: 14-18]
Don’t forget this - God loves you!
Our Goal:
Our goal with this blog is to write about the lessons God has taught us about himself and conforming to his image in our personal life and in our friendship. So that can be anything under the topic of keeping God’s commands (or living a holy life conformed to his image), and fearing Him (or learning more about who he is, what he’s like, and what he has done for us). We hope and pray that God will grow you and encourage you through our writing as you/we live eternally minded.
Here is a great sermon on Eternity by Leonard Ravenhill that has shaped my thinking:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=6160721205
Sincerely,
Brooke
There is a cost to live completely for God. It is a huge cost, but I can promise you it will be well worth the loss.
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
It will cost you everything. The more I learn about God and eternity, the more I realize that if I really believe this I have to give up myself: my pleasures, my comfort, my will, my reputation. It’s not easy. Even if we give it all up one day, our flesh will be right back the next day. We must deny ourselves daily!
What do we gain?
It is easy to look at hardships and follow God only to escape His wrath and judgment, but that is not how He wants us to view Him.
It’s true the more we know God the more we fear Him, but we also will love him more. The more we see His lavished love on us the more we will be overwhelmed and fall to our knees in praise and worship.
[Romans 5:3-8, Matt5:3-12, Matt 11:28-30, John17: 14-18]
Don’t forget this - God loves you!
Our Goal:
Our goal with this blog is to write about the lessons God has taught us about himself and conforming to his image in our personal life and in our friendship. So that can be anything under the topic of keeping God’s commands (or living a holy life conformed to his image), and fearing Him (or learning more about who he is, what he’s like, and what he has done for us). We hope and pray that God will grow you and encourage you through our writing as you/we live eternally minded.
Here is a great sermon on Eternity by Leonard Ravenhill that has shaped my thinking:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=6160721205
Sincerely,
Brooke
Thanks, this has been very inspiring. May God bless you in Jesus Mighty name.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the encouragement! I pray that God continually moves you to live for eternity!
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