I Am

Many people think of eternity with Jesus as a span of linear time. That when we’re in heaven, minutes, hours and days will tick by just like they do here on earth. And that when we’ve been in heaven 80 years or so it’ll be like we’ve spent a life-time there with several more life-times to come. I don’t know, they could be right. But I like to think of eternity with God as an existence outside of time itself. After all, God created time, just like he created gravity, just like he created air. But I like to think that he created time specifically for humanity in this plane of existence that in my mind will look very different than what we’ll experience in heaven. Jesus says in John, chapter 8 verse 58:

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

The bible tells us that to God 1000 years as like a day and a day is like 1000 years. That leads me to believe that to him, and maybe even to us when we’re in heaven, time will be irrelevant. I’ve heard it said that Jesus stepped out of eternity and into time for us. And I believe that the bible uses the term “eternity” to explain time in heaven because that is the closest word that will make any sense to us. Does any of this matter in the grand scheme of things? Probably not, but I do like to think about stuff like this from time to time.

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Jesus says that before Abraham was born, I am! Sure, that could literally mean that Jesus lived in a linear timeline well before Abraham was born and at a specific point in the timeline, he decided to come to earth as our Messiah. But I like to think of heaven as being devoid of time. I can’t imagine what that would look or feel like - just a perpetual state of being I guess. In any case, God says that he is the same, yesterday, today and forever. And whether that is linear or not, knowing that he is eternal and that he never changes is a comforting truth.

Godliness

I have to admit, I like to exercise. Well, I guess “like” isn't the right word. Let’s just say that I find it beneficial to exercise, and my body appreciates it when I do. It helps me moderate my weight, protects me from certain diseases and illnesses, helps my heart stay strong and it keeps me young and fit. But even though exercise can do all of those things and more, it pales in comparison to seeking godliness which is what Paul reminds Timothy in First Timothy chapter 4 verse 8 which says:

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

We as believers are called to have an eternal focus. Being fit is only beneficial in this life and only beneficial in certain circumstances. But pursuing and having the attributes of godliness has value for all things. Every aspect of your life from when you wake up to when you go to sleep can benefit from a godly nature. And Paul reminds us that godliness even carries over to the afterlife. In the verse prior to this one, Paul encourages Timothy to train himself to be godly. And I think that is a directive for all of us to pursue.

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Paul tells Timothy that the attribute of godliness has value for all things. And in the verse prior he tells Timothy to train himself to be godly. The dictionary describes the act of godliness as “conforming to the laws and wishes of God”. And in second Peter 1:5 we find the attribute of godliness in middle of the spiritual growth path from starting out in having faith to progressing to the ultimate goal of having love. Every believer who pursues Christ is by default pursuing godliness, because to pursue Christ is to be like Christ and to be like Christ is to “conform to the laws and wishes of God”.

The Good Fight

The bible tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us. But it also reminds us that he will eventually come back. Satan is patient and looks for opportune times to attack us, times when we are spiritually weak and vulnerable. The bible describes him as a roaring lion seeking out who he can devour. So, we need to be on our guard especially when we are weakened. Luke chapter 4 verse 13 says:

"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time."

This is referring to when the devil tempted Jesus in the desert after 40 days of fasting. In that moment, Jesus used scripture to fend off the devil. He used his faith as a shield to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one, and the words directly from scripture to parry every blow from Satan - kind of like how the bible describes our faith and the word of God in Ephesians 6. Satan is real. Jesus knows it and we should too. He attacks us when we are weak, like a lion looking to thin out the herd. And even when we fend him off, he will always look for an opportune time to come back. And since we know this we should always be on guard and recognize the signs of his attacks.

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When we struggle in our walk or circumstances attack our faith or our joy, we often times write it off as bad luck or we may even go as far as to blame God. But might I suggest that it could possibly be Satan? A discerning believer can see his attacks for what they are, and a strong believer, can combat them with the weapons that God gave us - the words and promises of the bible supported by our faith in the one who wrote them. Satan has no power over a believer except what we give him. Remember to always lean on Christ. When you struggle, cry out to him and remember what he promised in his word. He will never leave you or forsake you. And when you are tempted, he will always provide a way out.

Boldness

Have you ever shared with someone about Jesus Christ? Not necessarily out of obligation as a Christian, but out of love for that person or because God opened a door and you walked through it? For some believers, if the answer to this question is “yes”, you may have felt that God was taking you out of your comfort zone, stretching you to do something that was challenging and uncomfortable. For others, it may have felt completely natural and may have been easier than you originally thought it would be. In either case, stepping out to share Christ is a bold move. You are proving that you’re ready to obey God and to love others. You are taking on the likeness of Paul. Speaking of Paul, Acts chapter 28 verse 31 says:

"Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

I encourage you to be bold like Paul. If you haven’t shared your faith with someone else, I encourage you to be bold and take that step. And if you have, I encourage you to be bold and to do it again. The key is to do it in love, humility, and to do it with the aid of the Holy Spirit. If you do, it shouldn’t feel like you’re checking a box off of a list. Instead, the person who you share Christ with will see the love behind the action. Seeds will be planted and they will be on the road to salvation.

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Like Paul, we need to be bold when it comes to sharing our faith. You may think that you aren’t qualified; that you don’t know the bible well enough, that you don’t speak that well, or that you won’t know what to say. I believe that if you’ve earnestly prayed about it, you won’t have to do much at all. The Holy Spirit will help you, and in a very real way, speak through you. We only need to be willing vessels. No human has ever “saved” anyone. It is the Holy Spirit that draws men to him. Our part is to just be willing and obey, to speak with love and humility, and let the Spirit do the rest.

Our Walk

Have you stopped to consider how your walk with the Lord is going? Personally, I think our walk with Christ should be on our minds all of the time. It shouldn’t be something we hit the pause button on, or turn off when we leave church. It is an ongoing relationship with the creator that starts when we give our lives to him and are born again, all the way until the day we die. Abraham knew that because God specifically reminds him in Genesis chapter 17 verse 1 which says:

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.'”

God tells him this right before he makes that all important covenant with him, promising that he’d be the father of many nations, and changing his name from Abram to Abraham. But even at ninety-nine God tells him to walk before him and to be blameless. How is your walk? It doesn’t matter how old you are; that is always a question we should ask ourselves. I challenge you to reflect on what God tells Abraham. “Walk before me and be blameless”. Blameless doesn’t equate to sinless. But in as far as it is possible with us, we are to strive to have our consciences clear before him; to make every effort to obey his commands in such a way that we can’t find blame in our walk and are free of guilt.

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God said to Abraham, “walk before me and be blameless.” That should be our ultimate goal as well; to obey his commands in such a way that we are guilt free, or blameless. By obeying his commands, we show that we love him. Jesus said it himself, “if you love me, you will keep my commands”. But we are still human and we still fall. And if we do, he has an answer for that as well, to repent and to turn away from our sins. So, I encourage you to be ever mindful of your walk. Your relationship to and with Jesus is your identity. And just like our earthly family, we can never not be our parent’s child or a brother or sister to our brother or sister. That is who we are, and we never forget it. Likewise, we should always be mindful of our relationship and our walk with Christ.