The Time is Short - This World is Passing Away

1Corinthians 7: 29-31 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

There has to be more to life than this. How often have we found ourselves mulling over this common lament? We learn to trust and are betrayed. We learn to love and are heartbroken. We navigate life and negotiate ourselves through treacherous waters every day. We see rampant greed destroying this country every day, while petty partisanship divides the country into red and blue swatches of animosity. We are constantly given the other side to hate. The other side to blame for the moral and intellectual failings of the world as a whole. Blame makes us feel a little bit better about the role we play.

We can struggle day by day just to survive. Paycheck to paycheck. Forty years ago you could survive as a family on one income, but rarely is that the case anymore. The richest country in the history of the world still has 3.5 million homeless people. Of those, 39% are children. The numbers get far worse once we leave the media protected shores of the United States. In this world, 80% of all people live on less than $10 per day. According to UNICEF, 24,000 children die every day due to poverty. The statistics just get worse. Millions without clean water and electricity. No access to education. Is it any wonder sometimes we just feel like saying, "Lord Jesus come soon."

The point of this devotional is not to depress but to reinforce some truths from the key verses above. First of all; the time is short. The Apostle Paul wrote this thousands of years ago, which only makes the time shorter today. As we see Europe slowly coming out of the volcanic cloud today, let us remember the signs of the times as preached by Jesus:

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24: 4-8

In 2010 alone, there already have been over 4700 earthquakes; 67 of which are at 6.0 or higher on the Richter Scale. Famine has increased by 105 million people between 2007 and 2008 alone. The time is indeed short. The illusion the world sells us is that we will always have more time. But the Bible describes our life as a vapor:

whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4: 14 (NKJV)

There has to be more to life than this. The good news is there is more than this life. There is an eternal life awaiting:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21: 1-4

We were created for fellowship with our creator. It is what is missing in us when we are born. It is what we strive for our whole lives. It is that piece that seems to not fit right; or is missing from who we are. We try to fill it with the solutions of the world. We fill it with pride and lust, anger and resentment. We fill it with alcohol, drugs or medication. We fill it with higher education, rapidly advancing careers, or the riches this world has to offer. But inside we are still empty, longing for the relationship we were created for with our creator. He wants to wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more mourning, crying or pain. The dwelling of God will be with man.

But the time is short beloved. The world has done a good job of making hell a caricature. A cartoon; with a guy with a tail and pitchfork running the place. The world mocks the notion of hell. Without the notion of hell and the devil, there is no consequence for sin. Without a consequence for sin, there is no need for a Savior. Man essentially becomes God, deciding what is right and wrong according to his own personal views. A God made in the image of man will always fail. Because in the end, there always has to be more than this life.

Realize too that God does not "send anyone to hell." People willingly choose to go. Hell is eternal separation from God. It is described often in God's Word in terms that should keep us concerned for those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In this world of political correctness, it has become vogue to water down the truth. To say that there are many paths to heaven. That we all worship the same God. If only it were that easy. Man needs to believe that so that he can continue to live in rebellion while thinking he will live forever. The Gospel however, is not politically correct:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14: 6

There is no equivocation in the words of Jesus here. He IS the way. He IS the truth. He IS the life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him. This is what Jesus meant when he said He had come to bring a sword:

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' Matthew 10: 34-36

There has to be more to life than this. Praise Almighty God there is! The key verse reminds us that the time is short. Heaven and hell lie in the balance for everyone. Eternity with the creator hangs in the balance. Another truth in the key verses is that this world is passing away. We sometimes are shielded from the horrors of the world because we live in the United States. The wars, the bloodshed, the genocide, the famine, the pestilence and the godlessness. Time is short and this world is passing on. In light of these facts, how should we proceed as Christians? The key verses spell it out.

First, those who have wives should live as if they had none. Now relax, that does not mean ignore your spouse. Paul later explains:

I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. 1Corinthians 7: 32-35

The time is short and this world is passing away. In light of this, Paul is exhorting us as believers to step up our involvement in the Lord's affairs. Too often we can become enamored with the affairs of this world instead of the affairs of the Lord. When Paul says to live as though you did not have a wife, he is speaking about our dedication to pleasing the Lord. It is a matter of where our mind is focused.

Secondly, those who mourn should do so as if they do not while those who are happy as if they were not. Do not listen to your hearts beloved. There is not sufficient time left to do so. What does the Bible actually say about the heart:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17: 9 (ESV)

The message here from Paul is to not be distracted in these, the end times. Do not allow your mourning or gladness sway you from the very real fact that the time is short and this world is passing away. The enemy will use your emotions against you to cripple you in the things of this world. The less effective you are, the more people who spend eternity apart from God. It is a matter of where our heart is focused.

Lastly, those who buy something should do so as if it is not theirs to keep and to use the things of the world instead of becoming engrossed by them. For while we are in the world, we are not of the world. This speaks to our actions. If we act on behalf of the things of the world, then that is where we will focus. If we act on behalf of the things of God, then we will focus on the things of God. We will do the work for God we have been called to. We will be more effective for Him in His kingdom. Note the difference between using the things of this world and becoming engrossed in them. This is dealing with our actions in this world during these, the end days. God is not saying that we should be acting in a Christian bubble. In order to bring people to the foot of the cross, we must be in the world. Paul is warning us to not become engrossed with the world. The world teaches hatred and division. It reinforces the basest of human behavior. Our actions must represent Christ:

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 35

If we love one another as Jesus loved us, our actions will always line up with the teachings of Christ. People will see that and want that. Our first witness is always our life. People are just looking for a reason to believe. Remember, they are saying to themselves as much as we used to, "There has to be more to life than this." You may be their only opportunity to see that there is indeed more to life than what the world offers.

This world is passing away and the time is short. I hear sometimes congregations applaud the notion that Jesus is coming soon, and we should be happy but what about all of the people still on the outside looking in? I think about my family and friends. I think about the key verses and realize that the Apostle Paul is warning us that we need to be even more vigilant in these end days. We must make sure our mind is focused on the things of God. We need to make sure our heart is focused on His business and we need to make sure our actions reflect our focus.

A character from a famous movie once said, "The greatest trick the devil even pulled was convincing the world that he doesn't exist." That is so true in modern day America. We have become distracted with the thinking, feeling and value systems of this world. Christianity has become a show to some. Motivational speakers and self help. Prosperity in the riches of this temporal world instead of in Christ Jesus. Dazzling displays of gold dust and gemstones. People more concerned with being called prophet than truly prophesying. People who want the office of Apostle without the sacrifice. The devil has pulled off this great trick. He has the world convinced that there is nothing beyond this life and that it is ok to make up your own deity to suit your needs and sins. And on the other side, God has you and me. We are not charged with fighting political battles for the Lord. We are not charged with redefining morality for a fallen world. We are simply charged with bringing the Gospel to the lost. We are charged with being salt and light to a world walking in the same darkness God once plucked us out of.

In the balance hangs the eternal destination of everyone we know and those we do not know. But for the grace of God and the attempts of someone to reach us for Jesus, we would still be on the outside looking in. Let us never forget this as we focus our minds, our hearts and our actions on God Almighty in these the last days. This world is passing away and the time is short.

Reverend Anthony Wade April 21, 2010