We Shall Not Always Remain in This World

We Shall Not Always Remain in This World

This truth spurs us on not to drive our tent pegs too deeply, and not to gather treasures in this world for ourselves—not to have an unnecessary interest in things visible; all in all, not to have the present things in mind, because all of them are corruptible.

Asaph says: “When I have You, I do not have a desire for anything else on earth.” The apostle John says: “Do not love the world or the things of the world; if any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” And about food and drink and clothes it is written, “The Gentiles seek after these things.”

Because we are more or less unbelieving, we excuse ourselves with, “But, but, but.” However, when we believe His liberating and saving words like a little child, we simply say: “Amen!”

As a warning and admonition we hear about brother Demas who, although he had been together with Paul, forsook him because he loved this present world. Paul says that when we have food and clothing we shall be content, because godliness with contentment is great gain.

In these days this contentment is held in low esteem among God’s people. Only the very few are enticed by this great gain. One certainly does not believe these words, because one usually thinks highly of gain.

People do not want to be satisfied with just food and clothing. Unfortunately, they also have to have a good number of other things to satisfy their lusts; and when it concerns food and clothing, they desire expensive clothing and choice meals.

There is something called covetousness (a sickness that comes from wanting to have something). This sickness usually manifests itself very strongly when you look into store windows and other people’s homes. One thinks that this and that looks very nice and is extremely practical. This sickness progresses further when the person suffers an attack, with the result that he cannot do without this certain item—it has to be bought. Now the person has a high temperature and is delusional because now he sees innumerable good reasons for making this new acquisition.

There is also something called “the pride of life.” It has to be great; it has to be elegant; it has to be impressive in every way.

Then there is also something that is called “having your belly as your god,” which means that you eat and drink too much at one time, or too often, or things that are too strong, so that the intention is no longer to satisfy your hunger or quench your thirst, but rather to tickle your lusts. This kind of idolatry also brings sickness with it, because the stomach was not created for such worship. It was not designed for such overloads; it does not tolerate it.

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and should therefore be treated with respect; it should first and foremost be free from idols.

All this misuse costs extra money. When a person wants to save some money for the day when he is unemployed, sick, or old; when he wants to satisfy covetousness and the pride of life and commit idolatry with his belly, he has to work extra hard so he can earn more—so he can have the extra money which is needed for all this.

As certainly as godliness with contentment is great gain, so this is a great loss.

Extra work, extra earnings, extra seeking after earthly things—even after things that draw you in the other direction! The sum total of all this is that you become more earth-bound; more tent pegs for the tent that shall soon be moved. How foolish this is! As if we will always remain here—as if there was nothing better on which to use our time!

When you earn more than enough on your job for food and clothing, and still use your free time to seek after more of the things of this earth, isn’t it because the present world is very dear to you? Sirach says that you can gain wisdom by making use of your leisure time. However, by proceeding in this way you rather prefer to do some extra work to earn extra money to be spent on top of all the other money you spend. This is truly chasing after wind!

Let us rather take heed to the pure religion, as James calls it, and keep ourselves unspotted from the world! Or as Paul says, “Do not be conformed to this world.” I would also like to remind you of the late sister Olga Olsen’s words in a song: “From earthly things uproot me, and sever every tie, so I’m prepared to leave this habitation.”

In 1 Timothy 6 we read about the superfluous things in this world about which it is written: “But you, O man of God, flee these things!” March on the double away from it! In 2 Timothy 2:4 we also find a word on which we would do well to meditate. “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

Let us be diligent to please Him, by not getting entangled in the affairs of this life and by being liberated and free: free for Him—nimble and always ready for war; watchful and ready to break camp whether it be by death or by being caught up when the Lord comes.

Here we do not have a continuing city, but when the Lord comes, those who have fallen asleep in Him and those who live in Him will be caught up to be with Him forever. Paul says, “Comfort one another with these words.” This is a blessed comfort, particularly for those who have lived here as sojourners, who have denied themselves and suffered with Christ; because those who suffer are the ones who are in need of comfort.

We should therefore cling to this true and sound comfort and be of good courage, until we shall see Him as He is in a little while.

We read in Hebrews 11:27 that Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” Let us do the same! We shall soon see Him, which is why we do not have any interest in the things of the present world. Amen.