“TEMPORAL VS. ETERNAL”

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

1 John 2:17

“The only constant in life is change,” said Heraclitus, a well-known ancient Greek philosopher. Benjamin Franklin uttered a similar nugget: “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” The idea is that since the world is changing, we have no choice but to adapt to those changes, or else we will be left behind. Change can mean something has to cease to exist for the new one to come alive. Change is real and the Bible tells us that a big change is coming.

In today’s verse, John reveals that the present evil world system dominated by Satan is disintegrating and will eventually come to an end.

The Bible calls Satan the “god of this world” (or “god of this age”), that is, Satan is the major influence on the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes, and views of the majority of the people. His influence also includes the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations, and false religions of the world are under his control and are the results of his lies and deceptions. For these reasons, Christians should not call this world their home.

But the world, as we know it, will be very different when the Lord Jesus comes and sets up His Kingdom. In fact, The Bible says that God will make a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1;4). Because of the world’s temporary nature,  a Christian has every reason to avoid chasing worldly pursuits.

Don’t you long to live in an environment where there is no presence of evil, sin, and temptation? I do. Aren’t you eager to see the fulfillment of God’s promises and finally eliminate your sinful nature? I sure am.

But while waiting for that day to come, we have to be patient and steadfast in hoping. We must submit ourselves to God’s will, and start by knowing Him. God, in His graciousness, makes His will known to His children (Acts 22:14) and wants us to be filled with the knowledge of His sovereign plans.

But God’s will is not a secret formula to succeed in a career or life; it is what controls our lives. We find our sense of purpose and meaning in it. In order for us to see the unfolding of God’s divine will, we must surrender our will to the Lord and let Him work in us.

The world is fading away and everything in it is transient. But our choices in this life will determine our eternities. So, what’s in your heart today? Are you attracted to the shiny things of the world, or are you longing for heaven on earth?

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Hannah Wright on Unsplash