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Don Stewart :: How Should We Live in Light of Eternity?

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Don Stewart
Once a person understands what the Bible has to say about the subject of death and the afterlife, they must go about living in light of these truths. The Bible makes certain facts clear with respect to our life.

Life Is Short
Life here upon earth is only for a relatively short time. We find statements in the Old Testament that speak of the shortness of life.

Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble (Job 14:1)

Compared To A Breath
Our life here on earth is compared to a breath.

You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah (Psalm 39:5).

The psalmist compared it to smoke.

For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace (Psalm 102:3).

New Testament
The New Testament also emphasizes that life is short. James compares it to mist or fog.

Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14).

Peter gives the analogy of human life and the grass that withers.

For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls (1 Peter 1:24).

The conditions of this life come and go quickly.

Death Comes Unexpected
Not only is life short, death comes to human beings unexpectedly. It can come at any time. None of us is guaranteed we will live out this day.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring (Proverbs 27:1).

The day of our death is unknown to us. Isaac said.

He said, see, I am old; I do not know the day of my death (Genesis 27:2).

Death often comes without warning.

For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them (Ecclesiastes 9:12).

Make The Most Of The Time
Since life is short, and we do not know when we will die, we need to make the most of the time that we do have. Consequently all of us should live each day in light of eternity. Paul told believers.

Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).

Since each day may be our last, this should cause us to make the most of the time that we have.

Should Affect The Way We Live
What people believe about death should affect the way they live. We are to shine like the stars in the sky.

So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:15).

Believers bring the fragrance of life to those who are perishing.

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:15).

No Ultimate Fear
Though there is the natural human fear that all of us have of death, there is confidence we can have that we will be with Him. Ultimately, there is nothing to fear in death because it is a transition into something much better.

Decisions Have Eternal Consequences
The decisions we make in this life determine where we will spend the next. We should, therefore, make certain that the right decisions are made. The final states are fixed, there is no second chance.

Heaven On Our Mind
Finally, we should have heaven constantly on our mind so as to have an impact in this world. C.S. Lewis said it well.

It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither.

Summary
Realizing that life is short should cause us to make the most of each day. Eternity is not far off for any of us. The key question that each of us have to answer is this, "Am I ready to meet my Maker?"
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