THIS LIFE IS TEMPORARY

Here are seven Bible verses about things that are temporary.

Second Corinthians 4:17-18 “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

If we look at life through the lens of eternity, today’s troubles cannot be compared to the glory that’s coming (Rom 8:18), so what hurts today will be wiped away behind the veil (Rev 21:4). That’s why the Apostle Paul wanted the church to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen,” which also happen to be eternal. Compared to that, “this momentary affliction” is simply preparing us for the glory that beyond description.

Psalm 102:26 As for the heavens and the earth (Psalm 102:25), they “will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away.”

Even though everything is passing away, “The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you” (Psalm 102:28). In fact, Jesus’ promise of eternal life is for all who believe in Him, and this promise is not like a human-backed promise, which can be broken or may only be temporary. Jesus said that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt 24:35). That settles that!

Hebrew 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

When the author of Hebrews listed the heroes and heroines of the faith, not one of them had received their promise. These all died with faith in God and without ever having received the things God promised. God says, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Luke 20:38)? Jesus always spoke about Moses and Abraham as if they were still alive, and they are; in fact, they’re more alive than ever! Death is simply a doorway to eternity, and it is when everything that God’s promised you comes to pass, including being in the presence of God, and even seeing Him face to face for the very first time (Rev 21:3; 22:4).

Daniel 7:14 “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

In the verse above, Daniel the Prophet was writing about a vision sent from God and wrote about a kingdom unlike any earthly or human kingdom that has ever existed. Mankind’s kingdoms eventually pass away (all except for Israel). That doesn’t mean that some nations won’t still exist at the time of Christ’s return, but that the kingdom under the rule of the King of kings will be a kingdom without end or “an everlasting dominion,” so fix your eyes upon that, and the temporary things of today will pale in comparison.

Matt 5:18 “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

What was it that Jesus was to accomplish? Surely, part of what He accomplished is the perfect keeping of the Law of God that Jesus exhibited throughout His entire lifetime. He was the spotless, blameless, Lamb of God, without blemish or sin. Part of what passed away at Calvary was the curse of the Law that judged every man guilty. Paul wrote, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Gal 3:13). Jesus was crucified on a cross made from trees, so this was accomplished by Jesus’ perfect life, His passion or suffering, His death on the cross, and by His resurrection. That was accomplished, however there is more yet ahead.

First Chronicles 29:15 “For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.”

This is the basis of the Christian classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan who would write about such very-human characters like Pliant, Obstinate, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Evangelist, Mr. Talkative, Lord Hate-good, Mercy, Great-heart, and Miss Much-afraid and their relation to “Christian,” the main character in the story. In a similar way, everyone who has trusted in Christ is like ancient Israel who sojourned toward the Promised Land, but the difference is, we will cross over, unlike ancient Israel’s first generation in the Wilderness, so we are certainly all like strangers or aliens in a foreign land, and awaiting a better home. Paul put it perfectly in stating that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).

Psalm 102:3 “For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.”

The psalmist is writing about the brevity of life. Job knew that, as for man, “the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass” (Job 14:5), and there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Eccl 3:2). There is a day appointed for our death, after which comes the judgment (Heb 9:27). We all “came from the dust and all return to the dust”(Eccl 3:20), as “and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it”(Eccl 12:7), however that’s surely not the end. Job’s hopeful words should encourage us as he said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Conclusion

Daniel gives us a vivid image of the last resurrection or the resurrection of the dead that the Apostle John wrote about (Rev 21:12-15), and so Daniel wrote of the last days, “at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan 12:1-3). Today you must decide, if you’ve not already done so, to repent and trust in Christ. Otherwise you die in your sins and with the wrath of God abiding on you for all time (John 3:36b).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2016/11/16/top-7-bible-verses-about-temporary-things/