Eternity is quite the word. It means “never-ending time.” And that word, that concept is quite the shock when you actually think about it. To believe that time will never cease can hugely affect your perspective on life. It raises a very intimidating question that overshadows your existence. The question which eternity poses, is “Where do I fit it in the context of eternity?” So, in this post, we’ll be exercising the privilege to explore eternity and what that means for you.
The Corruption of Eternity
As made clear in the introduction, time will never cease. But, when did it start?
Genesis 1:1 World English Bible (WEB)
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
And a verse from the New Testament of the Bible says…
John 1:1 World English Bible (WEB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
So, as we can connect the two verses above, time began a very, very long time ago. In fact, God does not clarify how long He waited before making humans. God was uninterested in writing a science textbook, but, He was interested in reaching out to us through the Bible.
As a matter of fact, many of the confusions concerning the accuracy of the Bible arise from the flimsy presupposition that the Bible was meant to be a scientific journal or something like that. God was talking to ancient people who did not want to even change their lifestyle, let alone their knowledge of the world around them.
Nevertheless, getting back to the point of this blog, God created time. And so, after that point, if you read Genesis 1-3, you’ll find out that He made the Earth, He made animals, and He formed the first two humans: Adam and Eve. He told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
But, they disobeyed God’s warning by listening to a fallen angel known as the devil, and they ate from it.
Genesis 3:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
This event is when eternity shifted gears. God told them that they could eat from any tree in that garden, but they chose the one that God specifically told them not to eat from. And that knowledge of good and evil redefined the human mind, allowing for mental illness, sickness, and more. This is where hell on Earth started.
The Death of the Eternal One
Now, as humanity proceeded down the course of time with a knowledge of good and evil, every single person experienced that knowledge of evil. Knowing that there’s evil means that there’s evil. This accounts for diseases, for natural disasters, and for anything and everything that threatens human life.
So, did God leave us in this place? No, He came down to the Earth in the form of a human being.
John 1:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word, also known as Jesus Christ, is God in the flesh. And it was this very same Word, who the Bible says was with God and was God at the same time.
So, He took on the form of flesh to experience what it means to be human. Yet, He never sinned as other humans would because unlike normal human beings, He is mature enough to handle that knowledge of good and evil.
2 Corinthians 5:21 World English Bible (WEB)
21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Moreover, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were jealous of His goodness and led the people to sentence Him to a gruesome crucifixion, but, it was God’s plan.
Jesus had to die on the cross so that when Jesus, the Eternal One, the one who made time, itself, dies on our behalf for our sinful knowledge, we would receive the privilege to call God as our Father just as Jesus did when He was on Earth.
John 1:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
The Privilege to Live Eternally
Now, as children of God, you can live forever and not fear it. You don’t have to be unsure of what’s going to happen with you in the future. You just need to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, God forgives all your mistakes and sins because that belief in Jesus Christ credits all your evils to the punishment which Jesus Christ received.
Ephesians 2:4-6 World English Bible (WEB)
4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Now, you have the privilege to live together with Jesus Christ and the privilege to sit with Him in the heavenly places. That means even if you die on this Earth, you will remain alive with Christ Jesus because your spirit is safe and secure in His hands. But, this means you have all the more reason to live on this planet.
Whether you suffer from mental illness or physical infirmities, Jesus Christ promises to heal you.
1 Peter 2:24 World English Bible (WEB)
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.
Furthermore, you can face eternity without worry because you’re not alone. For all of eternity and in the ages to come, He will always be by your side.
Therefore, believe what Jesus Christ says and let the knowledge of His love and grace transform you. He has given you the privilege to never cease existing and to enter a relationship with Him because He is always with you, whether that be on Earth or in heavenly places.
By Andre Wijesekera
