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Man in time
for eternity
“From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God … For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night (Psalm 90:2,4).
God reveals Himself in Scripture that He is eternal and not limited by time.
He speaks of Himself as the “I AM THAT I AM,” - the Eternal (Exodus 3:14-15).
He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending, the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 41:4).
But man is finite and limited by time and space - he is subject to time.
Although man is a finite creature in time, God made him for eternity. Man has a beginning but has potentials to exist for eternity.
Creator God will reward creature man according to man’s works during his earthly life whether they be good or evil.
Man’s probation in time
After God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in the Garden of Eden. They were in the earthly paradise on probation in time.
They were under the commandment of God to test their freewill, as to whether they would obey God or not (Genesis 2:17; 3:1-6).
Adam and Eve miserably failed in this probation.
The Lord God mercifully extended grace to Adam and Eve. He gave them time to repent and be restored to fellowship with God by the atoning sacrifice of God’s Only-Begotten Son - Jesus Christ.
God, the God of love, is also the God of Justice. He pronounced the death penalty on man’s sin of disobedience - death.
But there was a period of time given to Adam and Eve as well as to their generations to come - the entire human race. This probation period is called time.
From the time of birth to the time of death of every offspring of Adam is a life span. Within this limited period of time, man is on probation.
Within this time every one born of Adam is given space to repent and return to God in total obedience and submission (Revelation 2:21).
Mortal man knows not how long his probation is.
God’s grace comes to every man during his lifetime to repent, seek his creator and ask for forgiveness (2 Peter 3:8-9).
When mortal man’s probation in time is over, the physical frame dies and his eternal state is sealed forever – heaven or hell.
God states this clearly in His Word the Bible:
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment . . . Hebrews 9:27
After death, the eternal state and destiny of man is settled - unchanged and unchangeable.
It is within this period of probation called time that man settles his future destiny for eternity.
It is for this very reason that God calls all men to turn from their sin and freely receive God’s redeeming grace in Christ Jesus.
The rewarding of man in eternity
The ushering in of eternity for man is for reward, or for condemnation, depending which side man chooses – God’s side or his own wicked nature.
All men will be rewarded according to their works, whether good or evil.
Because a person’s eternal destiny is settled here in time, according to his choice, so a person’s eternal rewards are settled here in time according to his works, in heaven or in hell, in eternal bliss or everlasting torment. grampa’streasure.blogspot.com
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