Something that Lasts Forever | Grace Devotional Bible Study

Something that Lasts Forever!

In this world, nothing lasts forever. Our physical health declines, we grow old and die. All of our earthly accomplishments are gone and even if we are remembered by others after we are gone, how long will people remember us? Even famous people will be forgotten as time continues to move on. Florence Lawrence is known as the first movie star, but who knows who she is today? Not many. Some of the actors, singers and authors that were popular when I was a teenager in the 1990s, my own teenage daughter has never even heard of them. 

People often spend their whole lives trying to accumulate money, things, various earthly accomplishments, special connections, fame, diplomas, and experiences (like traveling, parties, concerts etc) or just totally wasting time on tv, movies, video games etc. The thing is that these things do not bring glory to God (except for maybe the rare exception like traveling to a grace conference or watching a Bible study video or other edifying things) and will not be taken with us into eternity and will actually burn up one day. All people will be spending eternity somewhere, whether that is heaven or hell depending on whether or not they have believed the Gospel of their salvation, and these earthly things and accomplishments will not be coming with us!

But there is something that lasts forever, if you are saved! And that is SOUND GRACE DOCTRINE BUILT UP IN YOUR INNER MAN. 

Gods word will also last forever. Harry Potter books won't last forever. Books written by athiests about evolutionary theory won't last forever. The Koran or book of Mormon or other false doctrine type of books won't last forever. No man-made book will last forever! If it doesn't bring complete and utter glory to God, it will be destroyed!

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." -Isaiah 40:8

1 Peter 1:25a

“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever."

This same word of God, when built up in our inner man, has eternal value! It goes with us into the heavenly places!

Even during Christ's earthly ministry to Israel regarding the coming kingdom, he told them not to focus so much on current earthly things because the world (before the Kingdom comes) is temporal.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Paul also tells us not to focus so much on temporary earthly things, but to stay focused on eternal things. 

Colossians 3:1-4

3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

So, what else will last forever?

• God's word, rightly divided, stored up in our inner man (mind and heart). This means that we ought to make time daily to read, study and meditate upon God's word rightly divided. It really should be our "daily bread".

• Evangelism - sharing the Gospel of the grace of God with others so that hopefully they will choose to believe it and be saved!

• Teaching others God's word rightly divided. Helping fellow believers to be established in foundational sound grace doctrine first, and then edified and built up in more advanced doctrine as well. This includes mothers teaching their children Gods word!

• Encouraging and being helpful to fellow believers. 

• Prayer - in particular, praying based upon God's will for us today and our understanding of scripture rightly divided. 

• And any other time that we are allowing Christ to live in and through you in all of the details of your life! **This can include our biblical homemaking!

• Being thankful to God for everything!

These things will last forever!

How many of these things does the WORLD prioritize? None of it! In fact, they might say that YOU are "wasting time " just "reading a book" (they are clueless about what the Bible actually is!) And they might call you boring, fanatical or any number of things for not doing more WASTEFUL things in your flesh like they do. Don't fall for it!

We will all be judged as believers at the judgement seat of Christ. We are not judged for sin (we are completely forgiven of all sin the moment we believe the gospel) but believers will be judged for how much they allowed Christ to live in and through them and Christ can ONLY live in and through us as we are 1) Saved and thus have God's Spirit in us 2) Established and properly edified by Gods word rightly divided (spiritual maturity through the word). The more sound grace doctrine you have built up in your inner man, the more that Christ can live in and through you as a believer. 

1 Corinthians 3:13-15

13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: [at the judgment seat of Christ for believers] for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 

14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [Christ living in and through us; Gods word in our inner man that we believed and obeyed; our rewards lead to higher positions in Gods government in the heavenly places] 

15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. [He still goes to heaven, but has loss of rewards if he wasted time and never bothered to learn "rightly divided bible study", and will have a lower position of governmental power in the heavenly places].

So, therefore...

Col 3:16-17

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

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