INVESTING BEYOND THE GRAVE

                                       INVESTING BEYOND THE GRAVE                                          

                                               (For the local newspaper)                                                      

  Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven…” He went on to say, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  

  There are two plains of existence which we must be aware of if we are to make the best use of our time here on earth; the natural or temporal plain, and the spiritual or eternal plain. As humans we have the characteristics of both. We are both natural beings, and thus temporal, and we also have a spirit and are therefore eternal beings. In this life we have a duty to survive and provide for ourselves and those around us, but we are also responsible for our eternal destiny since we will be called by our Creator to give an account for this life which He has given us. There is a popular misconception that we will just waltz into Heaven because we are such good people. It is therefore critical that we are prepared and correctly invested to that end as well (that is where the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes in). The challenge is that we are so immersed in this natural world that it is easy to miss or lose focus on that which is not currently visible. True, we have all heard the catch phrase ‘He is so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good,’ which can be a snare. But if a person is really Heavenly minded, he or she will be genuinely earthly good because the efforts of their life will be according to the loving design of God our Heavenly Father. Instead of living a life of self-pleasing and personal gain, their focus will be on pleasing God and loving their neighbor as themselves. The desire of their heart is on the prize of the upward calling in Christ Jesus Who paved the way for us. This hope is beyond the grave, and should be the concluding goal of all our actions. No, we cannot work our way into Heaven. Jesus had to pay our way for us through His death on the cross and His resurrection. Instead, we are merely preparing for the hope to come.

  The lie of the devil is that we will miss out on the pleasures of this world if we follow Jesus. The fact is that the only pleasures of this world that we will miss out on are what the Bible calls sin - like lying, cheating, stealing, debauchery, sexual immorality, hating, killing, greed, and so on.  If that is where our heart is, there is something seriously wrong with our heart and thinking. Indeed, the treasures of our heart should be invested beyond the grave through the expressions of our faith and love in Christ Jesus toward God and the precious lives and souls of the people in the world around us. No one can take that from us, nor rob from us the joy He gives. Next – WHAT ABOUT OUR RESURRECTION?