Our focus should be on preparing for eternal life, not on this life. This daily devotional reviews what eternity is and isn’t as well as how we should respond.
Devotions in the Self-Discipline Review series
All year, we’ve been looking at self-discipline. We looked at self-discipline as the operational plan for self-control because it talked about improvement.
We are reviewing everything and hopefully putting all of the building blocks together. What I am doing is going through all of the devotions for the year and pulling out the nuggets.
I am formatting this as a glossary page. If I already have one, I will combine them later.
God is holy. That is how God made us (minus the adoration and reverence). We were created to live for eternity. God created us spiritually alive.
Sin wrecked that. When Adam and Eve sinned, we were changed to spiritually dead. Mankind was no longer sons and daughters of God.
But God didn’t want that to last through eternity. He devised the Plan of Salvation to restore our relationships with Him (Can God See Us If We Are Sinners?).
Worldview people may think that they will live forever — and they will. It just won’t be in this body on this planet as they may want to believe. Since worldview people are spiritually dead, their spirits will be residents of hell, not heaven (How Else Are We Made in His Image?).
God loves us so much that He didn’t want to be separated from us for eternity. He didn’t want us to face the consequences of sin throughout eternity (The Scriptures Last Forever).
Children of God will spend eternity with God in heaven. Children of Satan will spend eternity with Satan in hell (When Is It Time for Salvation after Conversion?).
What Is Eternity?
Eternity is for a long, long time. We aren’t going to be persecuted there. We can’t even begin to fathom our reward in heaven (How Do Disciples Escape Persecution?).
God’s faithful and effective care and guidance will be present with those who care for the physical and spiritual needs of others. Most importantly, God will show us this care and guidance to us for eternity (How Are Disciples Merciful?).
The gospel prepares us for heaven and eternity (What Is Truth?).
What Eternity Isn’t
People were suppressing the truth by keeping the truth to themselves and refusing to live their lives according to that truth. Isn’t that sad? They know the truth, but purposefully do not submit to our Sovereign God. Because of that, they will endure the torment of hell for eternity (Can We Really Identify God’s Wrath?).
Look how many people believed — just because of the disciples’ spoken testimonies. God wants to expand His kingdom. No, it isn’t about enlarging the numbers. It is about increasing the number of people He has individual relationships with so, that when the end comes, they will spend eternity with Him (The Gift of the Holy Spirit).
It appears that all that is being accomplished today is setting this world up for the Antichrist. The focus is not on preparing for eternity. It is on making this world a better place to live (Liberty, Equity, and Fraternity).
Those who have mocked sin will suffer the consequences of that decision. They will spend eternity in hell (Spiritual Wisdom Leads Us to be Sensible People).
Satan has them thinking about it backwards. The pain of death is only going to last a little bit. The sentences of judgment are going to last for eternity (Spiritual Bondage).
Spiritual needs aren’t focused on this world. They are focused on our spiritual condition for eternity (How Are Satisfaction and Peace Related to Spiritual Needs?).
It isn’t about us and what job we are going to have, when and how we fill find our soulmates, or even when or if we are going to be healed. It is about God and expanding His kingdom. His focus is our spiritual condition for eternity (Isaiah’s Message on Renewal).
See Also
Our Response to Eternity
If we have ABCDed, then we get to spend eternity with God. The consequences have been paid for by Jesus. We are assured eternity in Heaven (Is God Really in Control Right Now?; Truth in Freedom).
When we ABCD, God gives us spiritual life, which will last for eternity. We don’t have to worry about paying the penalty for our sins. Jesus already has (The Promise of Forgiveness).
When we ABCD, we become children and heirs of God. Our inheritance is heaven. That means that we do not need to fear death because we will spend eternity with God (The Depth and. Height of Christ’s Love).
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Our goal should be to prepare ourselves for eternity, not this life. That should be the outcome of our to do list (A To Do List for Life).
Physical death is low priority because this life is short. Eternity is long. Whether we are separated from God or restored to a relationship with Him is paramount. That decides where we spend eternity (Why Jesus Became a Man).
Yes, it may be okay just being a worldview person. But being a disciple is so much more. But let’s tell it like it really is. It may be okay for now to just be a worldview person. It won’t be once this earth has passed away and eternity is commencing (How Else Are We Made in His Image?).
The Bible is a vital book, but worldview people may see it as that — just a book. We have to think about how we are going to show them that this book is a guidebook for eternity (The Scriptures Last Forever).
In other words, our status for eternity depends on us being true children of God — which depends on our submission to God (Paul’s Response to Children of God).
We have to learn to know God — that includes learning about His character. That means we have to learn about heaven and eternity, too (Knowledge as a Virtue).
Luke 23: 46 reinforces the fact that the soul does not end at death. Our souls will live on through eternity. That means we have to be ready at death whenever and however it comes. We prepare for death and eternity by ABCDing (Life from the Cross).
We should love one another. We will never pay off the debt of love. Why? Love is the greatest commandment. We are called to love God and love our neighbors. That will be how we will live through eternity (The Debt of Christian Love; Wisdom Produces Compassion).
We are going to have trials up until that time. When this age is over, our trials will also be over. We will be rewarded throughout eternity (Are We Proactive or Reactive?).
The end is coming. Judgment is coming. We have to make sure we are ready for it. Where we spend eternity depends on that one conversation — or lack thereof (Who Should be the Poster Child for Today’s Troubles?).
This world and its life is temporary. We must make decisions based on what is lasting (The Way of Wisdom).
Contentment is about being able to come into the presence of Sovereign God here in this life. It is about being able to spend eternity with Him (Being Content with What We Have).
We have to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that what God is telling us is true. If He says we are spiritually dead if we haven’t ABCDed and that means we are going to be spending eternity in hell, that is what we have to believe. If He tells us that He wants us to put the devotions we’ve been writing online so others can read them, we have to have the confidence to do that — even if we are shaking in out boots the whole way (How Are We to be Children of God?).
See Also
Divine Intervention and Eternity
God’s original intent was to have us live for eternity in His fellowship and image, but the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin messed that up. That is where the poverty, disease, death, yada, yada, yada came into the world – i.e., Satan, not God (Is God Really in Control Right Now?).
God will never change – and His laws and commandments won’t either. We either have to accept His laws and commandments as He has given them to us – or prepare to accept the consequences for eternity (Can We Change the Scriptures?).
Where the law couldn’t save us, Jesus could, changing us from spiritually dead to spiritually alive. That provides us the assurance that, when this life is over, we will spent eternity with Him (Who Is Jesus?).
It seems that many world relationships do not last very long, but Jesus wants to spend eternity with us (How Else Are We Made in His Image?).
God is going to bless us. He is going to give us what we need. He will heal us if it is in His Will to do so. It doesn’t mean we are all going to be millionaires — or even thousandaires. It does mean God is going to take care of us on this earth. The best blessings aren’t going to occur until eternity begins (Rewards for Focusing on God).
When we acknowledge God as Sovereign Lord and work to expand His kingdom, He will bless us — either here or throughout eternity (Rewards for Focusing on God).
But Jesus not only died, but He rose again to show us that He conquered death. There were eye-witness accounts proving this. Now, Jesus has returned to Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God. There He will be for eternity (Jesus the Liberator).
See Also
Eternity and Churchy Words
- Joy comes because the peace we find in God gives us hope. God also gives us strength to overcome the trials we face. Regardless of our circumstances, God gives us peace and joy. Most of all, we have joy because we have salvation. This has given us peace, joy, and hope for today, tomorrow, and eternity (What Are the Fruits of Righteousness?).
This heaven and earth will pass away (Rev. 21: 1). Life as we know it will end. Eternity will start. Where are you going to be? Are you a sheep on the right or a goat on the left? (Is God Really in Control Right Now?).
Why do we need to make sure we participate in services and worship? Remember we are in dress rehearsals for eternity (What Is the Sabbath?).
Heaven right now is filled with praises to God. Think of what it will be like when we all get there. And heaven will ring with His praises for all of eternity (Forever Worshiping Our Lord).
Father God. We want to spend eternity with You. That means we need to submit to Your Will in this life. Help us to seek You and live for You. Amen.
What do you think?
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