Eternal Life – Our Priority
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” “Now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” (Matt 6:33, Php 1:20-22)
You are warmly welcome! This is Ascension week – on Thu May 09 will be exactly forty days since we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ… after which, “he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:3,9).
Eternity does not start tomorrow, but is already here. If, as today’s topic suggests, eternal life is your priority, then pay close attention to your life today; but even for those who may claim they are not interested in the eternity discourse, they cannot escape it! We live in a framework of eternity that is partially told by the law of conservation of mass or the law of indestructibility of matter: simply put, matter can neither be created nor destroyed. This law is well expressed by the Preacher in his hope-filled admonition where the spirit too is conserved:
[Remember your Creator earnestly now] before the silver cord [of life] is snapped apart… or the wheel broken at the cistern [and the whole circulatory system of the blood ceases to function]; Then shall the dust [out of which God made man's body] return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God Who gave it. (Eccl 12:6-7 AMP)
It is therefore not a question of whether or not there is eternal life, but rather what kind and quality of eternal life you will live. Those who don’t cultivate a good relationship with their Creator today will face the rest of their eternal life in alienation from Him – and that is Hell! In his letter to the Philippians, Paul explains how he is living in eternity here on earth and how this will continue after he departs from the body; in both circumstances ‘Christ will be exalted’. This is what it means to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness as our highest priority here on earth enjoying His fellowship, and later this continues in the ‘next season’ after we have put off the body.
What is your highest priority? Today’s invitation is to make joyful painless eternal life our priority in the presence of God. This worldview is well compatible with our vocations, research and education, and with all sorts of experiences in this wide world as we appreciate God’s work and seek to exalt Him through our stewardship and advancing efforts. This worldview helps us actively and viciously resist the enemy who is present today but will be banished and absent in the ‘next season’. The enemy seeks who to take with him into the eternal damnation, and that shouldn’t be you! Jesus Christ ascended to a paradise you should share. Remember your Creator always; seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and a great eternal life will be truly yours.
God bless you all.