Temporary vs Eternal

Temporary vs Eternal

2 Corinthians 4:18

while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

I have to confess that I have spent too much of my time looking at the temporary and not near enough time on the eternal. Sadly it is a easy thing to trick ourselves into thinking that we are focused upon eternal things when actually we’re not.

I have been teaching on the gifts of the Spirit from 1 Cor. 12 since the start of June. They are each wonderful things and yet so often they are only temporary things. Let me explain. Take the gifts of healings for an example. If someone is healed through this gift and they are not saved and the person who the gift was used through doesn’t use the opportunity afforded them via the healing to share the gospel what was the eternal impact? If someone is healed and still goes to hell the healing was a temporary thing.

Acts 1:8 tells us that the empowering of the Holy Spirit is for the purpose of being Jesus witnesses everywhere. It doesn’t matter what we do, what anointing we have, gifts that we possess if we’re not being witnesses for Jesus with the intention of making disciples it is all temporary things that are futile.

Examine the following.

1 Cor 13:1-3

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love, Biblical love, is eternal. If we love the Lord with our all we are going to love our neighbor and we are going to obey what the Lord tells us to do which is to be His witnesses and go make disciples of all nations. If I love others I am not going to sit back and just let them live in sin and separation from God with out doing something to warn them.

We have a choice in everything we do, in every relationship we have and in every encounter to choose if it will be temporary or eternal.

This post may lead you to some conviction and repentance, it did for me.