Surely there is a hereafter...

It is possible to get so caught up in day to day living that we forget that there really is a hereafter - there is something beyond this present age in which we now exist - and it is called eternity.  Eternity was here long before any of this present world came into existence, and it will surely continue long after this present age (or anything else) has long passed away.

This present life is but a mere moment compared to the eons we have ahead of us.  With such an important truth at hand, shouldn't we be focusing more attentively on eternity in the way we live today?!

In truth, it is the way that we spend today that will determine how we spend the rest of eternity.  This reality certainly includes the decision of accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour - a decision which determines our eternal destination in either heaven or hell.  But it goes beyond just that initial decision.  After we have received Jesus as Saviour, there are other decisions we will encounter in this life - and the choices we make now on earth will determine our position in eternity.

In I Corinthians 3.11-15 NLT, the Scriptures tell us - "No one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have - Jesus Christ.  Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.  But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done.  Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value.  If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward.  But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames."

Jesus is the Foundation, but we are the ones who decide how we build on that Foundation in our own life. 

A common misconception is that once we are born-again it doesn't really matter what we do, because our eternal destiny in heaven is already "secured".  Yet, the truth is it matters very much what we do here on earth.  Just because we are born-again doesn't give us a license to do anything we get a notion to do.  OUR LIFE IS NOT OUR OWN.  We have been bought with a great price.  Jesus gave His very life so that we could escape the doom that was destined for us. 

We belong to Him now, and therefore we should be adamant on doing what is pleasing to Him instead of what is merely pleasing to us.

We can go on building on the Foundation with wood, hay, or straw - but we should realize that a Day is coming when our work will be tested.  When the wood, hay, and straw are put through the fire, it's going to burn up.  If we have spent our whole existence on that which was not most profitable for the Kingdom of God, all that we have done will be burned up on judgment day - we will have nothing of value left to show for our life.  What a loss.

Thank God, we our selves will be saved, yet it will be as ones escaping through a wall of fire.

However, it doesn't have to be that way.  Now is the time that we can choose how we build on the Foundation which is Jesus Christ - and how we will enter into the rest of eternity.  We can choose today to build on that Foundation something that will last.  A major key to that reality is keeping our focus on eternity.  If we are Living for Eternity today, we will partake of the Blessing and rewards of Eternity tomorrow.

It has been said that you can't take anything with you when you leave this earth - but you can if what you built is of eternal worth.  If your focus in this life was on that which is valuable in the Kingdom of God, if the thrust of your existence on earth was doing what was important to God - then your work will survive the test of fire, and you will enter into eternity with great reward.

It may not look like what you have done in obedience to the Lord is anything great.  Your works for Him may never be seen or praised by men - but if you make sure that you did in this life what He asked you to do, you will by no means fail.

When it has all been said and done, there is only one thing that will matter - Did we do what God called us to do? ...Did we pursue being conformed to the image of Jesus?  Did we obey His commandment of Love?  Did we seek the face of God with all our heart and live by faith in Him?  Were we obedient to the things He asked us to do along the way?...  DID WE LIVE FOR HIM?

Living for Him is most certainly about focusing on God and what He wants, every day of our life - yet, it also always has an eye on eternity.  Living for Him each day largely depends upon our attentiveness to His plans for Eternity.  Having an eye on eternity will elevate the level of life you live today.

Similar examples of this concept can be drawn from events in our present life.  If there is an important occasion coming up for you in a few days, most likely your life has stepped up a level or two as you prepare for that event.  Less important things are laid aside as you line out special clothing, transportation, travel accommodations, and schedules - all because of this special occasion that has gained importance in your life.  How much more should we look forward to eternity - and order our life in preparation for this even greater occasion!  Anticipation toward our life in eternity should completely fill our hearts and minds continually.

Life becomes a meaningless routine whenever we don't have something to look forward to.  Eternity is something that is always there, and the more we focus on it and prepare for it, the more meaning we will acquire for this present life.

Ecclesiastes 3.11 NLT says - "God has made everything beautiful for its own time.  He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."

God has set eternity in men and women's hearts.  We are not limited to the present.  Although we live in "time", God has given us the capacity to live above time.

Though we may not comprehend the whole scope of God's plan, He has placed within our spirit the ability to look toward eternity and to focus the direction of our life upon that which will endure and last forever.  With the help of His Holy Spirit, we can build upon the Foundation something that will stand forever.

 "What a God we have!  And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus!  Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven - and the future starts now!  God is keeping careful watch over us and the future.  He has reserved a priceless inheritance for His children.  It is kept in heaven for us, pure and undefiled - beyond the reach of change and decay.  The Day is coming when we will have it all - life - whole and complete.  I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have put up with every kind of aggravation and trial in the meantime.  These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold.  Pure gold put in the fire comes out proved pure; genuine faith put through this testing comes out proved genuine. 

Your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.  If your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.  You love Him even though you have never seen Him.  Though you do not see Him, you trust Him; and even now you rejoice with glorious, inexpressible joy.  Because you keep on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation."    [I Peter 1.3-9 MSG/NLT/NKJV]

I Corinthians 13.13 tells us that for right now, we have three things to do to lead us to the consummation of God's plan for eternity - three things that will endure:  Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly - and the greatest of the three is Love.

If we want to build upon the Foundation something that will last - faith, hope, and love are the works that will endure.  Genuine trust in God, unswerving expectancy in His promises, and fervent, sincere love for God and for one another are the things we can carry with us into eternity, and they are also what determine our place in the hereafter. 

Just as the servants in the Parable of the Talents were each given responsibilities according to their ability (Matthew 25.14-30) - God has given to each one of us a call and assignment to fulfil.  As with the servants, it is what we do with the assignment we have been given now, that will determine our assignment and position in eternity - after our Master returns.  If we are faithful to live for Him now, keeping our focus on eternity and doing what is most profitable for His Kingdom - we will be entrusted with greater assignments in eternity, and "enter into the joy of our Lord."

"So be zealous for the Fear of the Lord all the day;  For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off"...