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ETERNITY IN THE HEARTS The Lord God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  Mankind has been given the ability to perceive eternity in the mind, but man is not in himself eternal. Even the great ideas of the ancient Greek thinkers about the immortal soul are only a vain hope. All ideas of deathlessness in the thoughts of mortal man are but a temporary state of mind. The impermanence of human life is an unchangeable reality. What is the final destiny of all men but sickness, old age and death? Why is life impermanent? THE CAUSE OF LIFE The blessed Ruler alone is immortal - God, who lives in unapproachable light, and whom no-one has seen or can see (1. Timothy 6:16). DEATH Death entered the world through the disobedience of one man and reigned even over those, who did not sin like him by breaking a commandment of God (Romans 5:12a & 14). By the disobedience of the first man, the common ancestor of all humans, all men in solidarity got excluded from fellowship with the possessor of life, the invisible God of light and the Creator of all good things. BAD DEEDS The result of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). Separated from the source of life in God, the unfulfilled needs of mortal man changed into selfish desires in each man's heart. And the human self got estranged from God's law. It led to evil feelings and thoughts in the inner parts of man, which again lead to bad deeds. And habitual bad deeds lead to death. Therefore, mankind continues from generation to generation with still greater trespasses towards God and one another. Since human mortality is universal and no-one possesses divine life, the inevitable death of all is fast approaching.
LOVING KINDNESS At one time all of us were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of Christ our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:3-5a). To bring an end to the bad deeds of the estranged self, the author of life himself entered the realm of mortal man. Out of his great compassion he carried the punishment from sin on behalf of all men.  MANIFESTATION OF LIFE Since Christ died and was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died for our sins once for all (Romans 6:9-10a). Since it took only one man, our common ancestor, to bring death to all, so it takes only one man, namely the righteous Jesus Christ, to bring life to all through his obedience until death on a cross. FAITH To all who receives him, to those who believe in his name, he gives the right to become the sons of God - children born not of natural descent ... but born of God (John 1:12-13). The Christ came as a true human being to dissolve all enmity by his suffering and undeserved death, and consequently to renew the friendship between God and man. Through knowing the source and the completion of life, the law of impermanence has come to an end. Reconnected to the source of life by faith in the Name of Jesus Christ of Israel, a complete new existence begins with the spiritual rebirth in Christ. NEW LIFE You are urged, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your mind, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). Human religion might reflect the true light for a while. But the reborn in Christ can bravely put the old self behind him and get renewed in his thoughts and his mind in a new confidence to the provisions of all things needed from God his Creator. Sound thoughts lead to good deeds in Christ, and habitual good deeds lead to a life of Christ-like quality through the power of his divine presence in us, which is the Holy Spirit. PRACTICE Those who obey his commands live in Christ, and Christ in them (1. John 3:24a). The Way of Christ is a living faith, active in obedience to the Master's Teaching. In Christ what truly matters is such faith, active in loving kindness towards others in the midst of daily life. The human being perfected by Christ exists eternally in the light of God. 
PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I have come to understand your great loving kindness. I believe that you rose from the dead, and that your undeserved death for my good, and for the good of all mortal beings, has freed me from the slavery of the selfishness and bad deeds of this world, and eternally to be separated from the life in God. Reconnected to your life I find true spiritual fellowship with you, and upon your path of life, I will be led forth into the quality of your likeness, and receive eternal life in the light of God. I want to leave my former ways of ignorance about God. Please forgive my trespasses against God and my fellow man, and lead me forth on your holy and glorious path to life. Amen! |
