Eternity is one of those themes in the Bible that has a great affect on how we live. We can interpret our lot in life accurately and receive the trials that are part of it with gladness when we know the glory that waits for us on the other shore. If you are struggling in your faith, regardless of the circumstances, let me assure you of this, what you believe to be true about the future will be the difference between “groaning” in your faith or “growing”, as John DeBrine likes to say.
Eternity with God, reward, glory, these are phrases and terms that express a reality that figured prominently in Jesus’ evangelism. He thought it necessary to tell people of the great reward that they would receive (eternal life with the Father), if they repent and follow him. He told the Rich Young Ruler that he would have treasure in heaven, if he could, by faith, sell all, give to the poor, and follow Him (Matthew 19:2). On another occasion he told the crowds that the one who really cares about his life will be prepared to forfeit it for His sake, believing in the end that he will save his life. That, Jesus said, would be great gain for him (Matthew 16:25-26). He also warned of God’s future judgment, another part of eternity that the lost need to consider (Matthew 16:27).
The theme of eternity is by no means confined to evangelistic contexts. It has become a favorite incentive that the New Testament writers use to encourage their congregations to faithful and obedient living. Let me close this short question-and-answer piece with just a short list of examples of how an eternal perspective on life can help the Christian through any trial.
There is a divine commendation for those who invest time and energy for the kingdom.
If we believe that we have to answer to God at the end of time for all that He has entrusted to our care, we are motivated to use it for what matters most, the proclamation of the gospel, the advancement of the kingdom, and to spread God’s great reputation around. The way Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 is with the metaphor of a temple, which stands for the body of Christ as it will be in heaven some day. He calls us to be the kind of builders that will use precious materials, gold and silver. These stand for activities that matter for God, that support His agenda. Many Christians, however, have the wrong goal in mind and involve themselves in activity that advances their own agenda. They actually slow up the ministry and are a hindrance, or simply sit around idle, busying themselves in worldly pursuits. Paul says, in this case, that they are building with bad materials, wood, hay, and stubble, which will be burned up in God’s grand assessment of our works at the end of time. How do you build? Are you a good builder, or do you slow up construction? A bad builder will have problems and struggles in life. Knowing that Christ waits with a word of commendation (Matthew 25:23), or not as the case may be, should snap us out of any spiritual malaise and focus our attention on what is important.
Our covenant God will fulfill His promise to redeem us; therefore, you can persevere in the work.
One of the most encouraging chapters in the New Testament is Hebrews 11, known affectionately to the church as “The Saints Hall of Fame”. We find here a select number of Old Testament believers who demonstrated how to live victoriously and joyously through the worst trials imaginable. They lived believing confidently that God would fulfill His promise of redemption that He made to them. When their eye was fixed on this end result, they would be able to plow through life valiantly, because they knew what was waiting for them. In this way, they become testimonies to us of how we live by faith in the promise of God. Interestingly enough, these believers of old never did see the promise fulfilled in their lifetime (v. 13), which makes their persevering all the more attractive. They lived faithfully for God right up until the end, and God fulfilled His promise to them in glory. Live by faith in God’s promise of redemption that will be completed in heaven and be strengthened and unmoved in your walk (v. 13).
Believe that you will be like Christ when you see Him face to face and live like Christ now.
The apostle John assures us in his first epistle (1 John 3: 2-3) that when we live in the reality that Jesus is coming back again, we cannot help but be impacted. In this case, if we know that we will be like Jesus someday when we see Him face to face, then we will strive to be like him all the more now, in anticipation of that great day.
When you focus your attention on the glory that God has reserved for you in heaven, your hardships on earth will seem light and momentary.
There is no passage like 2 Corinthians 4 when it comes to enduring hardship for the ministry. In spite of the litany of terrible ordeals that Paul experienced in his physical body (vv. 7-12), he does not throw in the towel. What prevents him is his strong conviction that he will see God’s glory someday and enjoy the splendor of being in the presence of a Holy God, engulfed in His love and righteousness. With that conviction firmly planted in his heart, the worse that he could endure on earth was light and momentary compared to the weight of glory to come. Overshadow your hardships by focusing on the glory that God has reserved for you. The hymn writer had it right: “Fix your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
Trials are part of all that God has decreed to use to make you more like His Son.
It might be fitting to end this short list right at Romans 8:28 and 29. I wonder if you ever considered your struggles and hardships in life to be part of the ingredients that God uses to make you more like Christ. The “all” in verse 28 is comprehensive. It comprises both the tragedies and the triumphs of life. God uses all of it for our good (v. 28), to make us more like His Son (v. 29). The next time you find yourself in a trial, think of this: you will look more like Christ when it is over than you did before it began, if you handle it biblically. God uses such contexts to shape us, build our character, and develop the fruit of the Spirit in us.
Good news. There is something better waiting for you in glory. Work had now, endure trials, and make a difference for the kingdom. When it is over, you will enjoy your reward; and the hard you work now for Christ, the sweeter and more enjoyable your reward will be.