CHAPTER 29
HUMAN RESPONSES TO TIME
We have discussed many issues related to time in this book. At this point the Reader now understands what the Bible reveals about the origin of time, why time was created, the components of time, how God relates to time, how angels relate to time, the Ages of time during human history, what is coming in future time, eternal time and many other subjects. But understanding the "who, what, when, where, why and how" of time is not enough. We must also understand what we must do as individuals in relation to the time we have during our life on earth. Each of us will have a lifespan, a period of time to live out our natural life. What should we do to make the best use of this limited amount of time given to us? As you have already guessed, the Bible tells us:
Ephesians 5:15 "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
Although I use the NIV version of the Bible for quoting as in the verse above, the King James Version says this so well when it says:
"Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, for the days are evil."
These two verses can be condensed to read "Be very careful, then, how you live...redeeming the time...understand what the Lord’s will is." Therefore our use of time must relate to what God wants us to understand and then accomplish. God's will for each and every human who will ever live is first and foremost that they should seek salvation from Him. God has provided salvation as a free gift, and it is there to be accepted. How do you receive a gift? You simply reach out and take it. Accepting the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is the most important issue in wisely using the time we have been given. It is the most basic answer to the question "Why are we here?" The Christian life begins with a simple act of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, which accepts God's free gift of salvation which was purchased at great price by Him. It is as simple as:
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31),
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16), and
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Easy for us, very difficult for God and for Jesus Christ our Savior. God is a God of grace. He does the work, and we benefit. Salvation is given, not earned. And God's way is the only way.
If accepted, this salvation entry point into God’s gracious plan brings the individual into a personal relationship with God and ensures an eternity with Him instead of apart from Him. Without salvation a person cannot have fellowship with God during their time on earth or spend eternity with Him no matter how “good” they are, how little they sin, or how much they help other people. The Bible makes it clear that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, and it is a free gift from God which is accepted by an act of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Salvation is a one-time event, and is forever, unchangeable and irrevocable. Most people do not know much about what they are believing at the moment of salvation, but God does not make salvation difficult. He wants all to be saved. It is a choice, and salvation must be accepted, otherwise it is rejected. None of us are good enough to deserve to live eternally with God but God has made it possible, and it is only by faith in Jesus Christ who has removed the sin issue forever as a barrier to salvation. That faith in Christ means we accept and share in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and reject our own imperfect relative righteousness.
Once the free gift is accepted nothing else is required to retain it, to make that salvation more permanent, or make it better. That means nothing else such as church attendance, praying, avoiding certain sins, or anything else is necessary for the person to keep salvation once accepted by faith in Jesus Christ. Those other issues are about pleasing God once we are saved, and although important and result in increased blessings for the believer, they are not about retaining salvation. Salvation is permanent and even God cannot take it away, and He never would want to.
Once we have entered the realm of being eternally saved, what comes next? What is the next use of time expected of us after we are in God’s plan? If we are saved, why worry about anything else but living life?
Although the Christian life begins with a simple act of faith in Jesus Christ, it does not end there. We remain on earth afterward to make continual positive decisions toward God including learning His Word and living the spiritual life by applying what we learn. Learning to please God becomes the main task for the rest of the person’s life. 2 Peter 3:18 says: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." That learning and growing pleases God and makes our life more enjoyable as we grow to love Him by learning more about Him, and then applying what we have learned. And this in turn leads to greater blessings from God during our time on earth and also results in greater rewards during eternity. So although salvation cannot be lost by ignoring God's will for our life once we are saved, it is very important to understand that blessing can be lost by ignoring God's will for our life, both blessings during our natural life and eternal blessings. Therefore a believer who lives a life of sin and ignores God's will ends up losing enormous amounts of blessings during their time on earth and also during eternity, even though they remain eternally saved.
So we see that growing up spiritually is the primary task required of the new believer. God has provided spiritual food in the form of principles written in the Bible which must be taught by a pastor who is well trained in understanding the Bible, which is the Word of God and the “mind of Christ.” So intake of the Word of God becomes the primary means of spiritual growth in the family in order to meet our spiritual obligations. 2 Peter 1:3-10 says:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness... 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Learning about God's plan is not about drudgery, but just as in regular life a person starts as a newborn and must grow up, so also the spiritual life gets easier for those who grow up and fit into their intended position, act responsibly, become reliable, and generally become good citizens. In this case, good spiritual citizens. This means they please God by growing and fulfilling God’s plan. And God also provides us with the power to do so through the Holy Spirit. God only expects back from us what He first gives to us, which includes both the knowledge and the power to live the spiritual life He expects of us.
The very first item the new believer needs to learn is that God requires continual requests for forgiveness whenever the believer sins, and all believers continue to sin for the remainder of their lives. God understands our weaknesses, and realizes we will continue to sin, so He does not view it as a deal breaker. Instead, He has made provisions for dealing with our personal sins after salvation. Therefore requesting forgiveness for sins is the means provided by God for maintaining the fellowship and power of the Holy Spirit in the life, since the Holy Spirit cannot function when there is unconfessed sin. From 1 John 1:6 we learn “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth...8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” And 1 Thessalonians 7:16 adds “Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.” The ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives is tied directly to the issue of dealing with sins we have committed, and all believers continue to commit sins. Therefore the sins we know about must be confessed to God the Father and all past sins are forgiven at that point, then we can move forward in our spiritual life empowered by the Holy Spirit. The key issue here is that God requires continual positive choices toward His plan, first a positive decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, then positive decisions must be made regarding confession of sins and growing spiritually through learning God’s Word so we can live the spiritual life and have the blessings God wants to give to us.
Over time the believer can reduce the numbers and types of sins as spiritual growth occurs, but no one ever stops sinning completely while still alive, making these ongoing requests for forgiveness a lifelong requirement. And there are many more types of sin than most realize, with most of the sins we commit being mental sins such as arrogance, anger, envy, jealousy, and a long list of subtle sins which can creep into the soul. So the believer must understand that the list of sins is extensive, and any one of them will temporarily lose the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the only source of power for the believer to live the spiritual life, and that power increases as we grow spiritually. However, God cannot provide the level of spiritual support and blessings He desires to provide for a believer who has long periods of unconfessed sins in the life until the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is restored.
The believer must grow and leave the newborn status behind, then proceed through adolescence, and become a spiritual adult. We have noted 2 Peter 3:18 which says “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!” The believer glorifies Jesus Christ as he grows in knowledge of God’s Word. This growth must be accomplished by learning what God has told us through the Bible, and requires teaching from a Pastor who has studied the Bible in great detail. That is not as easy as it may seem, and requires searching for a Pastor who actually teaches from the Bible instead of giving baby food to a believer ready for adult foods. Looking back at the forgiveness of sins issue, a believer must begin each Bible learning session making sure to be “in fellowship” with God by requesting forgiveness of sins. God the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to learn Bible doctrines from a Pastor who teaches them, but unforgiven sin prevents empowerment by the Holy Spirit. These continual requests for forgiveness of sins cannot be overemphasized in the spiritual life, since without it spiritual growth will be severely stunted. Learning spiritual information is not the same as learning any other type of information, since apart from God's power we "cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
During the initial stages of spiritual growth the believer does not have enough understanding of the Bible to have a strong faith, so must instead rely on promises from the Bible to provide strength in times of testing and difficulty. The Bible contains many such promises, which are short phrases emphasizing the faithfulness and love of God toward the believer. An example of such a verse of promise is Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The Bible is full of short and succinct verses which the believer can grab during times of trouble, hardship, grief and distress. These are to some extent spiritual crutches for the growing believer until they have built up spiritual confidence once they understand in depth the Bible and as a result know God as an intimate friend, not as a far-off benefactor. But we must all start somewhere in the spiritual life, and using the promises of the Bible helps boost us upward and can help get us through the tough times during the early stages of growth. But to truly live the spiritual life God has in store for us, we must grow beyond that level and achieve spiritual maturity where we instinctively trust God because we know He has already provided before we even ask, as Matthew 6:8 says "your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
It is in spiritual adulthood where the believer begins to fully function as a spiritually mature and highly productive member of the family in terms of how “pleased” God is, when we are mature enough to bring glory to our Savior Jesus Christ and begin accumulating rewards for eternity. Ephesians 4:15-16 says: "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Note how often the Bible emphasizes growth in knowledge as the means of achieving the mature spiritual life. Believers are all part of the “body of Christ” which describes the totality of believers as functioning together to support the glorification of Jesus Christ. Each believer has a spiritual gift given to them at the moment of salvation. As the believer grows spiritually, that spiritual gift will begin to function. Often we do not even know what that gift is. As we see, the most important aspect of life as a believer is to learn and grow, which increases our love for God and enables greater spiritual strength to face the difficulties the world will present to us. Growth in the Word strengthens our faith, and the Bible tells us “we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
God loves all believers, but He is not equally pleased with each one. Spiritually mature believers are called “friends of God”. Jesus told His disciples “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15) Note once again the emphasis on spiritual learning and knowing “God’s business” as revealed in the Bible, then after that being called a “friend” of God. The more mature the believer becomes in understanding and implementing the Word of God in the life, the more that believer will be blessed by God, both in life and in eternity since this type of spiritual life pleases God our Father and glorifies Jesus Christ our Savior by using the power of the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual growth also makes our prayers and every other aspect of our spiritual life more effective. The maturing process is one which takes time, and requires continual learning and growing over the entire life of the believer. God wants to bless the believer. However, God waits until we are prepared for blessings, otherwise we would focus on the blessing instead of on God Himself. We focus on what we want, but God focuses on what we need and also on what we can handle. And there will be testing along the way, which makes the spiritual life stronger and more focused on what is important. The more mature the believer becomes through growth in the Word, the more God can bless each believer; but blessing is unique to each one and does not mean all will have material wealth. Essentially, most believers get in the way of the blessing God wants to deliver, mainly due to lack of spiritual growth. And lack of spiritual growth is often due to focusing on living life as a secular project, just like the spiritually empty unbeliever lives.
Therefore each believer must understand that the spiritual life has stages. We enter the spiritual life by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, then we are inside of God's plan forever. At that point we are required to express continual positive decisions toward God. These include maintaining the power of the Holy Spirit by regular requests for forgiveness of sins, plus spiritual learning and growth over a lifetime through the various phases to spiritual maturity. When these steps are followed the believer will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18), and will have an increasingly effective spiritual life resulting in greater blessing during the time remaining on earth followed by increased rewards in eternity. Simply being a believer in Jesus Christ allows God to supply the basic needs of all believers, but the real blessings and eternal rewards are reserved for those who grow to spiritual maturity during the time they have while on earth after they accept the gift of salvation, and remain there over the long term.
Therefore each human is put on the earth to make decisions, for or against God. Most importantly each one must make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior during the time they are alive. If the person accepts salvation then the requirement for decisions continues, not to maintain salvation, but to choose daily to either please God or not, which determines the degree of eternal blessings each will have. Comparing the time allotted for our natural life with that of our eternal time puts into perspective the importance of how we spend our time during our natural life. We are locking in our eternity during a very brief period of time.