Christian Living

An Eternal Perspective

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
08/27/21
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“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11)

We all live in a fractured world, and as it is the only world that we can know through our senses. At one time, this world was a creation of paradise and a reflection of God’s Kingdom far above the heavens. Then that fallen angel, Lucifer, came and tempted mankind and fell into disobedience to God’s Word. Now mankind lives as orphans in God’s creation as our relationship with the Creator has been severed by sin, and we are separated. Today most live by the desires of the heart and seek the world’s pleasures by their sight. All that we gain in this world has no value to us when we leave this realm.

All the world is cursed because of sin entered through mankind’s disobedience. Lucifer, who came to mankind as a beautiful and tempting serpent, now slithers on his belly, eating in the dust. “On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life.” God also cursed Lucifer further, knowing his plan to destroy mankind’s  fellowship with God, “I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” The Lord God also cursed the woman. She had the privilege of being a fountain of new life to fill the earth with humanity. Now she will bear great pain in fulling that responsibility. “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” And to the man Adam, God also cursed. Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:14-19)

Most who grasp hope in the world will find that all their hope will lead to their destruction. Their desires for the pleasures of this world will lead them to sorrows. That all of mankind will fail them, for all will forsake them for themselves. All hope in this world is bound to fail, as there is no hope in a darkened dying world, as death is the salve master of this fractured state. “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) From the beginning, God planned to restore mankind to their original state, to the image they were created in, the image of God Himself.

Mankind is faced with a choice to choose the right path through this world. He may choose the way of the world, which is broad and filled with aimless people. Or, he can choose the narrow path planned for the redemption of man’s soul and is guided by the Son of God. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) The wise will choose the narrow gate and walk the narrow path righteously, as it leads to righteousness, and none can enter the Kingdom of God without perfect righteousness. “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

The world has nothing to offer that has eternal value beyond this world. Whatever is possessed from the world will stay in the world, as the saying is, “you can’t take it with you.” (Job 1:21) All mankind born to this world, and even those who have not left the womb will face physical death in this world. Physical death is a passage of the spirit into the spiritual realm where the eternal spirit of mankind will live. There is only one Kingdom in the spiritual world, but there are two places the spirit could go. One is the Kingdom of God, and the other is eternal torment from the wrath of God, the Creator. There are two entry points where the spirit can exist: the Great White Throne Judgment and the Judgment Seat of Christ. There is only one verdict at the Great White Throne, and that is guilty, as those who have rejected God’s free gift of salvation through faith choose to be there. The penalty is spiritual death. (Revelation 20:14-15)

The Judgment Seat of Christ is where the saints of Christ will be judged for the good deeds they have accomplished for the glory of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) The saints have chosen the Christian life; they follow Jesus in trust and faith in His Word. They have denied their fleshly desires forsaking worldly pleasures, and focused on loving God with all their mind, spirit, body, and might. The foundation of their life is laid in their faith in God’s Son and His Word of truth. They have been led by His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and have lived their earthly life for the glory of God, their heavenly father.

The saints will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is not a judgment of salvation but a judgment of the good works versus the meaningless works of their life. All that has been done for the glory of self will be burned up in the fire of judgment. What is down in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God, will stand the judgment. What stands will be rewarded, and what is burnt will be a loss of reward. “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

While mankind draws breath, there is hope found in the gift of salvation that God offers through the grace of His Son Jesus Christ. There is no other way to get to God the Father than through His Son Jesus. Jesus sacrificed Himself that the sin debt of the world is paid according to God’s Word. (Romans 6:23) Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life in the likeness of man and will give that righteousness to those who trust Him. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus rose from the grave to show God’s power over death that we can be resurrected with Him.

God freely gives salvation to mankind; it cannot be worked for, and it cannot be bought. It is given freely through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Anyone who rejects Jesus has also rejected God, as there is no way to God except through the Son. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

To accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is to abandon the broad path of the worldly way and focus on the narrow path to the Kingdom of God. This path calls for repentance, turning away from the worldly way and its vain pleasures. Turning to the righteous way with all of its spiritual pleasures. “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Said, if you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, this is the day for salvation. “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Look around, and you will hear even the secular people are amazed and fear the world is racing to its end. The people are worried about global warming, pandemics, worsening weather, etc. They have good reason to be anxious, as the world is moving to the Day of the Lord. It is essential to get on board and do the good works of Jesus’ ordained ministry because the day is coming when the Christians can no longer do the good work. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4)

I leave you with this prayer that you will long for the day the Lord returns and brings the reward with Him, the greatest blessings for your soul, the riches of His Glory. “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Thomas Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, April 16, 2020

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