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Time is of the essence

Can you believe it? Another year has passed! Where did the time go? But…what is time anyway?

Perhaps, an easy way to describe time is – an unrelenting and perpetual rotation of yesterday changing into today, with today morphing into tomorrow, and repetitively on it goes, with each advancement measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades and centuries. So, when did time begin? Genesis 1:1 provides the answer. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” In Genesis, Chapters One and Two, we see that God’s Creation, including man and woman, was created and completed in six days, with the seventh day for resting.

Each one of us lives within this time framework. We check our clocks to determine the hour. We look at our calendars to verify the month. We keep appointment books to remember dates. We awake to an alarm clock, and punch time cards. We work, we play, we strive to complete our life’s goals and ambitions. But there’ll be a time when each of us will have no more todays or tomorrows because our earthly time will have been spent. This reality is fully revealed in James 4:14. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Unlike man’s ability to estimate the hour of sunrise and sunset, a person cannot predict one’s length of time on earth, or one’s time of death. Consider the vapor. A vapor is visible, but it’s not solid. Therefore, it easily vanishes. Such are our lives, and when death’s appointed time arrives (Hebrews 9:27), our life, as we know it, will be gone. For those who think there aren’t enough hours in the day, or days in the week, or haven’t enough years to reach their lofty goals, time appears to be the enemy. Sadly, for anybody WITHOUT Jesus, death, not time, IS the enemy, and here’s why.

Eternity is NOT the absence of time, but the presence of endless time. When death claims an unbeliever that person will face eternal separation from God (II Thessalonians 1:9). Endless time will not have time-segments mankind now experiences. There’ll be no clocks, whose hands advance, marking days. There’ll be no tomorrows to eagerly anticipate. The unbeliever will never experience the end of ‘forever’, thus, there’ll be no end to their suffering (Matthew 25:46a). After Hell, they will experience a second death in the ever-burning, fiery flames of the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The born-again believer will experience eternal life (Romans 6:23) in the presence of their Lord and Savior!

Death can claim believer or unbeliever day or night. We know not when our earthly time will end, but each one of us has a reservation for death. “And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) For the believer, having trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal savior, death has no power. “We are confident, … and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (II Corinthians 5: 8/Matthew 25:46b). For the unbeliever, however, death ushers in God’s righteous wrath (II Thessalonians 1:9). Hence, adages such as ‘time is precious“, “life is short” and “every minute counts” should serve as harsh warnings for those who are without Jesus.

Time is a precious commodity! It is alleged that Queen Elizabeth of England, upon her deathbed spoke to her maids saying she “would give half her Kingdom for another hour’s time.” Despite the Queen’s wealth, death defeated time. Not a one of us can purchase time, but through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection He purchased never-ending time with Him in glory for anyone who believes!

Believers, as time ticks by, we increasingly observe more intolerance, more denial of Jesus Christ and ever-growing evil. Therefore, we must use our God-given time to faithfully represent our Lord by being careful in our actions, and to be knowledgeable when telling others about The Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming (using) the time.” (Colossians 4:5)

One day, believer (unless the Rapture intervenes) or unbeliever will face death. Joyously, for the believer, death is not the enemy! Terrifyingly, for the unbeliever, death IS! Therefore, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (II Corinthians 6:2b)

Nancy Hamilton lives in Marietta. Thoughts of Faith runs on Saturday. To submit a Thoughts of Faith, email jhoutman@mariettatimes.com

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