What if tomorrow never comes?
There is so much judgement in the world. We are always too much of something bad and not enough of something good in other people's eyes. As I grow older and begin to get a true sense of my mortality, I realize that other people don't matter so much.
We spend a lot of time worrying about how to carve out a better life for ourselves here on Earth, in this temporary existence but, as someone who believes in eternal life, I am become more aware of the fact the I am indeed a spirit being residing in a mortal body, and with this increased awareness comes a sense of anxiety over how I (my spirit) will spend eternity.
The end will come for all of us. We worry about bread to feed the body tomorrow when tomorrow is not a right but a privilege, it is a gift that may or may not come. It is very good to prepare, because as they say, the longest thing any of us will do is live, right? So, generally, tomorrow comes - more often than not. But most of us do not have a plan in case it doesn't come.
The world will advise you to have your affairs in order, good life insurance and funeral cover, a last will and testament, etc. All very valuable tools to take care of our physical remains, material possessions and the loved ones we leave behind. But what about our spirit?
God made us as spiritual beings, with a soul that feels and imagines, living inside a physical body that can interact with this physical/material world through touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste. Our core, true self, is spirit. The spirit does not die (see Man A Trinity - Spirit, Soul, Body).
How will you spend eternity? The bible shows us that we end up in one of two places.
Will you go away to eternal punishment, shut out from God, or to eternal life (Matthew 13:42; 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9)? Will you be weeping and gnashing your teeth (Matthew 13:42) or rejoicing with the angels at the unimaginable wonders of heaven?
We have free will to CHOOSE
In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God gives us a choice between life + blessing vs. death + adversity, and proposes that we choose life. He sent his only begotten son so that our sin nature would not be an automatic death sentence (John 3:16) further reinforcing His desire that we should choose life.
I emphasize the concept of choice because we have free will. We decide what happens to our spirits when we die. We can choose one of two paths - there is no sitting on the fence or "sweet spot" where you can fly under the radar and just make it. Even procrastinating to commit to a God pleasing lifestyle, is a choice. You know, "I'm still young", "when I finish studying I'll have more time to serve at church", "maybe once I get married and my life is more stable", "when the kids are a little older"... We never run out of excuses. The truth is we are not prepared.
To the "good people" Jesus says:
Choosing Life
In today's society, "modernity" is practically synonymous with immorality as defined in the bible. We have but to skim news headlines to realize it's a mess out there and that everyday the world is becoming more and more disconnected from God and the Gospel...
Analysis of this scripture shows us that we have to :
We are similarly admonished in 1 Peter 1:14 and 1 John 2:15 to forsake the evil desires we had when we lived in ignorance and not love the world. To die to sin more and more and live aiming for righteousness. To separate ourselves from the world - in the biblical sense - and set ourselves aside for God. The bible calls this sanctification.
Sanctification is not advocating judging others or being anti-social, it does not mean we magically stop sinning.
Sanctification is God's will for man - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
It is the basis of our salvation - 1 Corinthians 1:30
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
It involves reading the bible a lot, really getting into the word so that you can live it day by day. It involves communion with God through prayer, praise and worship. It is a journey towards glory at the coming of Christ.
Further reading resources:
The trinity of man:
https://bible.org/seriespage/2-man-trinity-spirit-soul-body
http://www.openbible.info/topics/sanctification
http://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html
There is so much judgement in the world. We are always too much of something bad and not enough of something good in other people's eyes. As I grow older and begin to get a true sense of my mortality, I realize that other people don't matter so much.
We spend a lot of time worrying about how to carve out a better life for ourselves here on Earth, in this temporary existence but, as someone who believes in eternal life, I am become more aware of the fact the I am indeed a spirit being residing in a mortal body, and with this increased awareness comes a sense of anxiety over how I (my spirit) will spend eternity.
The end will come for all of us. We worry about bread to feed the body tomorrow when tomorrow is not a right but a privilege, it is a gift that may or may not come. It is very good to prepare, because as they say, the longest thing any of us will do is live, right? So, generally, tomorrow comes - more often than not. But most of us do not have a plan in case it doesn't come.
The world will advise you to have your affairs in order, good life insurance and funeral cover, a last will and testament, etc. All very valuable tools to take care of our physical remains, material possessions and the loved ones we leave behind. But what about our spirit?
God made us as spiritual beings, with a soul that feels and imagines, living inside a physical body that can interact with this physical/material world through touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste. Our core, true self, is spirit. The spirit does not die (see Man A Trinity - Spirit, Soul, Body).
How will you spend eternity? The bible shows us that we end up in one of two places.
Will you go away to eternal punishment, shut out from God, or to eternal life (Matthew 13:42; 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9)? Will you be weeping and gnashing your teeth (Matthew 13:42) or rejoicing with the angels at the unimaginable wonders of heaven?
"...as it is written,"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”" 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
We have free will to CHOOSE
In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God gives us a choice between life + blessing vs. death + adversity, and proposes that we choose life. He sent his only begotten son so that our sin nature would not be an automatic death sentence (John 3:16) further reinforcing His desire that we should choose life.
I emphasize the concept of choice because we have free will. We decide what happens to our spirits when we die. We can choose one of two paths - there is no sitting on the fence or "sweet spot" where you can fly under the radar and just make it. Even procrastinating to commit to a God pleasing lifestyle, is a choice. You know, "I'm still young", "when I finish studying I'll have more time to serve at church", "maybe once I get married and my life is more stable", "when the kids are a little older"... We never run out of excuses. The truth is we are not prepared.
"The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!" Luke 12:37Narrow is the path of righteousness and few walk along it (Matthew 7:13-14) because once we have been conditioned to sin, to give into the flesh and our own desires, it becomes very difficult to deny the flesh or worse, we see it as difficult, "boring" or complicated to walk in righteousness, but deny we must (Mark 9:43; Romans 12:2). It is equally difficult for those who consider themselves to be "good people", who may feel entitled to salvation because they "treat everybody well" or some such story...
To the "good people" Jesus says:
"You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight." Luke 16:15 (see also: Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 16:2; Proverbs 21:2)
Choosing Life
In today's society, "modernity" is practically synonymous with immorality as defined in the bible. We have but to skim news headlines to realize it's a mess out there and that everyday the world is becoming more and more disconnected from God and the Gospel...
The bible has an answer for this problem as it does for all things, and we are advised in Romans 12:2 as follows:
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Analysis of this scripture shows us that we have to :
- Separate ourselves from the "world" when it comes to certain behaviours which are not pleasing to God;
- Find out what pleases God and understand what His will is (Ephesians 5:10, 17; Colosians 1:9)
- Let God be in control, humbly submit ourselves to His will and let him work in and through us;
- Be made new in the attitude of our minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23-24; Titus 3:5).
We are similarly admonished in 1 Peter 1:14 and 1 John 2:15 to forsake the evil desires we had when we lived in ignorance and not love the world. To die to sin more and more and live aiming for righteousness. To separate ourselves from the world - in the biblical sense - and set ourselves aside for God. The bible calls this sanctification.
To "sanctify" something is to set it apart for special use;
To sanctify a person is to make him holy. (gotquestions.org - sanctification)
Sanctification is not advocating judging others or being anti-social, it does not mean we magically stop sinning.
Sanctification is God's will for man - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
It is the basis of our salvation - 1 Corinthians 1:30
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."It means:
- being honourable and ready for God's work (servanthood) - 2 Timothy 2:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- walking in peace and love - Hebrews 12:14
- walking in the Holy Spirit - Galatians 5:16
- applying the word of God - the Truth - John 17:17
- seeking Christ - the Way and the Light - Colossians 3:1
- confessing our sins - 1 John 1:9
- Obeying God - Leviticus 20:8
It involves reading the bible a lot, really getting into the word so that you can live it day by day. It involves communion with God through prayer, praise and worship. It is a journey towards glory at the coming of Christ.
It means choosing life.
Further reading resources:
The trinity of man:
https://bible.org/seriespage/2-man-trinity-spirit-soul-body
Sanctification:
http://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html
