As human beings, we are naturally drawn to the pleasures and possessions of the world. It’s understandable – after all, we need food, shelter, and clothing to survive. However, it is important to recognize that the things we see and enjoy in this world are temporary. As the Bible tells us, “the things that are seen are temporal.”
Our world is a dying one. We have no continuing city here. No matter how hard we try to hold onto the things we have, they will eventually slip away from us. It may be sooner than we think.
In a few years, the Lord will come, the last trumpet will sound, and the great sentence will be pronounced on each of us.
However, there is a world that does not pass away. It is a glorious and beautiful place called “the inheritance in light.” It is filled with the love and joy of God, and “the Lamb is the light thereof.”
Its gates are made of pearl, and they are always open. As Christians, we must remind ourselves and tell others about this wondrous city, and urge them to enter in.
The Vanity of Earth: Revelation’s Warning of Commercial Doom and Desolation
In the book of Revelation, we are told the story of earth’s vanity. The prophet John saw a mighty angel throw a stone into the sea, symbolizing the destruction of the great city Babylon.
The voice of musicians, pipers, and trumpeters would be heard no more. No craftsmen would be found there anymore. This is the doom that hangs over the earth, foreshadowed by the many commercial disasters that have brought sorrow and desolation to so many homes.
An old minister who lived two hundred years ago lay dying. He had lived a long and adventurous life, having traveled between England and America many times. As he lay on his deathbed in Boston, his daughter asked him how he was feeling.
He lifted his dying hands and said, “Vanishing things, vanishing things!” We must heed his words and remember that all the things in this world that we hold dear are just vanishing things.
Beyond the Mist: Why the World is Not Your True Home
The world passes away like a dream of the night. We go to bed, fall asleep, dream, and wake up to find that everything we dreamed about has disappeared. The same is true of the world. O child of mortality, do you have no brighter world beyond?
The world is like the mist of the morning. It covers the hills and valleys, but as soon as the sun rises, it disappears. Will you embrace a world like this? Will you lie down on a mist and call it your home?
The world is like a shadow. It has no substance, no being. It is just a dark figure with motion. Is this what you want to chase after?
The world is like a wave of the sea. It rises, falls, and disappears. Is this what you want to make your portion? Surely, there must be a better pillow for your weary head than this.
The world is like a rainbow. The sun throws its colors on a cloud, and for a few minutes, everything is beautiful. But the cloud shifts, and the beauty is gone.
This is the world. It may be full of beauty and pleasures, but it is also full of madness, luxury, and riot. It is not a place for an immortal soul to be filled with.
Embrace Your Eternal Home: A Christian Reminder to Focus on God’s Promises
As Christians, we must remind ourselves and others that our true home is in the eternal inheritance in light. We must not become too attached to the things of this world, for they will all eventually disappear.
We must keep our focus on God and His eternal promises. The Apostle Paul said, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
Let us not put our trust in the things of this world, for they are but temporary and fleeting. Let us not be like the rich fool in Jesus’ parable who built bigger barns to store his wealth, only to have his life demanded of him that very night (Luke 12:13-21).
Let us instead lay up treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).
But how do we lay up treasure in heaven? It is by obeying the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by serving Him faithfully. We must love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).
We must be doers of the Word, and not hearers only (James 1:22). We must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). We must bear fruit that will last (John 15:16).
Let us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Let us not love the world or the things in the world, for all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world is passing away, along with its lusts; but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).
Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus: The Author and Finisher of Our Faith
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
In conclusion, let us not be deceived by the vanishing things of this world, but let us set our hearts and minds on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1-4). Let us live for eternity, and not for time; for heaven, and not for earth; for God, and not for ourselves.
Let us remember that this world is not our home, and that we are just passing through. Let us press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).
May the Lord bless and keep you, and may His face shine upon you and give you peace. Amen.
