Probably the most
consistent theme seen in a study of the book of Ecclesiastes is the comparison
between the “temporal” and the “eternal.” With the culmination of this
study being the realization that the “eternal” condition and location of our
soul is far more important that its “temporal” condition and location. I
say this as sort of an intro into a couple of thoughts I have regarding
“eternity.”
In our news reports of
the last year or so we’ve seen events occurring in several parts of our country
that have been, and still are, being exploited by various rabble-rousers in
order to cause division among the citizenship. Let’s briefly
discuss some of them. Think about these various divisions we’ve seen
lately. And, sad to say, we’ve got people in each of the categories I’m
going mention whose apparent sole ambition is to create a division or further
widen one that already exists.
By my unofficial count,
we see in our societal midst divisions based upon people’s choices and
prejudices. Things like race division, gender division, political
division and religious division. And that’s just a few of the major ones
we can name. There are even more when you get to the sub-divisions found
in the ones I mentioned.
Now here’s my first
thought regarding these divisions and “eternity.” There are only
two divisions when we cross over from the “temporal” to the “eternal.”
You will either be saved in heaven or lost in hell. Plus, once our soul
exits our earthly life, the division wherein it’s located is fixed
forever. There is absolutely no way of moving it from one to the
other. That’s why it’s so important during our earthly life that we
consider the condition of our soul because it’s only on this side of “eternity”
that we can change anything about its condition.
I have a couple of
examples, let’s call them editorial exhibits, to provide you that, hopefully,
will help to better understand this lesson today. The first one is found
in Luke the 23rd chapter where we see Jesus being crucified between two “malefactors.” The “one on the right hand and the other on
the left.” (Vs. 33) When you read on there, you’ll find that
one of them believed in Him and the other rejected him. The “believer”
was saved and the “non-believer” was condemned.
Have you ever considered
that all of us fit into the divisions represented by those “malefactors?”
Actually, everyone who has lived, is living or will live on the earth fits into
one of those divisions. What should concern us about this division is,
which one am I in.
OK, here’s my second
illustration for our lesson. There is a traveling exhibit that goes about
the country providing people with information on that great steamship, the
Titanic. It recreates portions of the ship along with some of the
artifacts that have been recovered from it.
When you enter the
exhibit you’re given a ticket that bears the name of passenger or a crew member
on it. When you have passed through the exhibit and you are about to
exit, you come to a large wall. On this wall are two lists - a short one
and a long one. On these lists are the names of every person aboard the
ship the day it sailed.
Next to each name is a
designation indicating whether that person was either a passenger in 1st Class,
2nd Class, 3rd Class or a crew member. The name on your ticket will be
one of those people on either of the two lists. The title over the lists
reads: SAVED (short) and LOST (long).
You’ll also see figures
that tell us that roughly twice as many perished in the tragedy as were
saved. Do you think that this ration fits right well with what Jesus said
in Matt. 7:13-14 regarding the ratio of “saved to lost” in eternity?
The sinking of the
Titanic was in every way a tragic event with a great loss of life, but what’s
even more tragic is, that it didn’t have to be. You see, the lifeboats
were not close to being filled to their capacity. And that begs the
question, Why?
The simple answer is
that many people believed the lie that the ship was unsinkable. That this
event would never happen, therefore they refused to get into a lifeboat.
For that decision, based on a false belief, they perished. But, they
didn’t have to. Salvation was there - was available, yet they refused
it. By their wrong decision, they ended up on the “long” division of
those aboard the ship - the LOST.
Here’s my point today in
regards to “divisions.” All of us, as said earlier, everyone who has
spent life on this earth, will be in one of the two “divisions” I used as
illustrations. We’ll either be with the “saved malefactor” or with the one who rejected
Christ and was “condemned.”
Or we’ll be listed with the SAVED or the LOST.
And here’s the kicker, a
revelation, to our thoughts on these “divisions.” There is no in-between
area. No other choices or “divisions.” Like the “malefactors” and
Christ - you’re either with Him or your not. In our other illustrative
likeness, if Christ is the “lifeboat,” then you are either “in Him” or you’re
going down with the ship. There is no neutral “division” with
Christ. As He said Himself, “He
that is not with me is against me.” (Matt. 12:30)
I started today with a
quote about “eternity” so it’s only appropriate that we close with
one. It’s a quotation by one of America’s best-known authors and
philosophers, Henry David Thoreau, and I feel his thoughts on “eternity” fit
with our lesson. He said:
“As if we could kill time
without injuring eternity.”
--Ron Covey
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