Eternity.
What do we think about when we hear the word? Does the prospect of eternity as described in the Bible sound a little boring to you? It is an undeniably bulky idea to try and examine in the limited space of our brains. To many of us, the thought of eternity conjures up a simple image of standing around singing and playing the harp for a long, long time. The reality of eternity is hard for us to grasp as finite beings since we have never experienced anything eternal. This we know, all of us came into existence at one point in time. And this we find near impossible to understand, all of us will continue to exist forever either with God or without Him. Eternity is coming for all of us.
God, in His wisdom, calls us again and again to contemplate our eternal destiny.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” II Corinthians 4:17-18
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalms 63:1
In his book “Heaven”, Randy Alcorn writes, “We may imagine we want a thousand different things, but God is the one we really long for. His presence alone brings satisfaction. His absence brings thirst and longing.” Later, Alcorn distills his point, saying, “God’s greatest gift to us is, and always will be, himself.” Our goal and attention should be on the eternal because that is where God dwells and is the future into which he calls us.
These verses, and Alcorn’s unpacking of them, indicate that If a counselee is going to make lasting progress it is essential that he cultivating a longing for and focus on eternity is absolutely essential to the Christian life. That would also make an eternal focus key for our counselees as they seek lasting change and growth in their own journeys toward eternity.
A firm grasp of our final destination has the effect of putting today’s problems in perspective. It engenders hope, encouragement, and endurance. It clarifies priorities, enabling one to see what is truly important in this life. In short, it makes a huge difference in a believer’s life!.
How do we help our counselees to start down the path of setting their minds on the eternal? I am going to propose a series of homework assignments that could help begin the journey. Each of these assignments is very short and could be added to other assigned work.
Assignments:
1). Write down five sentences about heaven and five sentences about the new earth. With this assignment you are just trying to find out how much he knows so that you have a starting point with your plan. This will open the discussion.
2). Assign the Randy Alcorn booklet “Heaven”.
a. Read one section each day (there are 19 short sections).
b. Look up the Scripture verses referenced, putting a check mark beside each when completed.
c. Write three sentences about what you read. Use that as a prayer praising God for what He has provided for you.
d. Tell someone what you learned.
3). Choose to read and memorize some of the following verses:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
John 14:1-3
Philippians 1:23
Romans 8:18-25
2 Peter 3:10-13
Revelation 21-22
I Corinthians 15
Colossians 3:1-3
4). Create a playlist of worship songs about heaven:
A helpful resource: 57 Songs About Heaven (thegospelcoalition.org)
5). Assign the following passages on hell and have them write three sentences of their own as a response.
Revelation 20:12-15
Matthew 13:40-42, 50
Matthew 22:13
Matthew 24:51
Matthew 25:41-46
Mark 9:43-48
Luke 16:19-31
Conclusion
In summary, the topic of eternity, including both heaven and hell, is vital to discipleship and growth. We are mobilized to spread the Gospel by thoughts of the incredible endlessness that goes on after death in both destinations. The prospect of spending forever with the Best Friend you could possibly imagine, worshipping Him and enjoying indescribably delightful things with perfect brothers and sisters, and receiving rewards for doing God’s work, should carry us onward in this life.
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6-7
Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash