Eternal Perspective

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(II Corinthians 4:17-18)

Only in Christ do we come in contact with the eternal perspective revealed by God. Once upon a time we lived with no concept of a reality beyond our physical senses. Our focus and interests were limited to what we could have and do in this present life. We knew nothing of things to come, of eternal life for those who are righteous and eternal condemnation for the wicked. If we thought in terms of righteousness and wickedness or good and evil, we would put ourselves on the side of good in a general sense. But when Christ enters our life, our whole world starts to change. Our perspective on many things is challenged by Jesus and his teaching. We consider who this man is that has such authority and teaches as he does. We throw our lot in with him and become his disciple. In doing so, much of what we know about life, the world, and about ourselves undergoes change. We ourselves are being transformed by the Holy Spirit who now dwells in us. As we change and our perspective with us, we begin to see things from an eternal perspective. We grasp that what we do here on earth has consequences, either good or bad, beyond this short life time we have on earth. We see things as God intends for us to see. That doesn't mean we have perfect vision by any means, but it does mean we see things in a whole different life. Having an eternal perspective leads to our living differently here and now, not out of fear but with an abiding trust in God and what He says. We have a hope for the future beyond our earthly years. We see the value of human souls and proclaim Christ so that others may might come to know him and gain the eternal life that gives an eternal perspective.

Growth towards Christian maturity

Focused Only on the Here and Now

Until we hear about what God has revealed concerning eternity, we are only able to focus on the here and now. Even those who buy into reincarnation or some other false teaching that claims to speak about what happens after are focused mainly on the here and now. Whatever our thoughts are about death and existence after death, we don't live as if it is actually real. It doesn't have much of an impact on how we live here and now. Nor does it leads us to view what we do in the here and now as having any significant impact beyond the grave. Thus, we live to satisfy ourselves in the here and now. We are ignorant of eternity and the impact our life now has on the life God wants us to have in eternity. The world's claims about what is valuable are accepted without much serious questioning. We even deny that there is any type of ultimate truth. We compare what we see and hear to our own standards and desires. We live as if we are the God of our own life. If we happen to believe that there is a God, the God we claim to believe in is powerless and blind to how we live life here on earth. We disregard any suggestion that God sees the way we live or that we will give an account to Him. We certainly don't believe that God sees our heart and considers our motives. It makes perfect sense to us to pursue the things that please us most. Most of us may even live what appears to be a reasonably upright and moral life. We may recognize that not everything we have done or did might be seen as good in the eyes of the world or even in our own eyes, but we can speak of the things we haven't done as if those justifies our behavior. We are unable to see beyond the here and now because we are far from God.

Perspective Challenged

Often from our first encounters with Jesus Christ, our perspective on the here and now begins to be challenged. It takes time to for our perspective to be transformed, but the challenges to it come at us right from the start. It only makes sense that we begin to question our perspective because Jesus speaks and teaches about life here and now in ways that we have never heard or thought about before. His teachings on issues such as forgiveness and praying for those who persecute us are tough for us to fathom. What he says is so counter intuitive to us and goes against the way we have always responded to those who have harmed us. But as we become his followers, putting our faith in him, our heart undergoes a transformation. The things he teaches us, which challenging to us, begin making sense as we see them from a kingdom perspective. In addition, we find that when we do what he says, we are freed from the hurt and pain that had previously kept us bound. We come to understand that the truth does truly set us free. Our perspective on some things, having been challenged by Jesus Christ, is changing, though we have probably not yet grasps the reality of eternity such that it begins impacting how we view the here and now.

Learning of God's Plans

My Perspective Changes

As we grow our perspective on many things changes. Our heart for Christ and the world is changing. What we once accepted without hesitation we find cannot stand in the light and truth of Christ. Things that we saw no harm in are seen in the light of God's revelation such that we cannot continue on saying or doing some of the things we once did. Our values and priorities undergo transformation as we ourselves are transformed. What the world promotes as if it were a great tonic for life we understand to be deadly poison from the pit of hell. Why the changing of our perspective? Very simply, it is because we have come to recognize that God has revealed Himself to humanity, and in doing so, He has also revealed to us how we are to live. What's more, we beginning to get a glimpse of eternity through Christ's teaching and the leading of the Holy Spirit as we read the Scriptures. But our understanding of eternity will take time to grow.

Discovering Eternal Life

Experiencing Life in Christ

An Eternal Perspective

In Christian maturity, we come to view things through an eternal perspective. There is a sense in which we see things through God's eyes. No longer are we blind to the reality that what we do in this life has eternal ramification. We have come to realize that God wants what is best for His creation. We live in the light we once lacked that when people pursue their own desires and lusts it leads to being in bondage that will eventually result in death and eternal separation from God. Christ has set us free from sin and death and the deception that once dominated our lives. He has sent to us the Holy Spirit so that we can live this life for the glory of God. He has promised us that he will return one day for our salvation and to judge the world. He has also commanded us to go into the world to teach people about his kingdom and its impact on the here and now. We have been entrusted with insights through Scripture regarding eternity. We are sent into the world so that they too may come to faith in Christ and begin living from the eternal perspective. Because the way we live our life here does matter, we stay close to Jesus, listening to him and continuing to learn from him. We are not pursuing the desires of our flesh as we once did because our being in Christ has led us to crucify our flesh with its passions and lusts. We see things differently than we once did. To the world around us, we seem to be out of touch with reality and out of step with our culture. But the truth is that we couldn't be more in touch with reality as ultimate reality includes an eternal perspective. We know that Christ has spoken of things to come. Things that are meant to bring people to repentance. Things that a wise person would fear if they realized that they were not walking with God. But for the mature Christian, this eternal perspective brings hope for in it we see the love of God revealed and have a promise from God about an opportunity to live life as He intends it to be lived without sin and death.