Obviously the only things of everlasting, or eternal, value in this world are those that are everlasting or eternal in their character. Life in this world is temporary and finishes at death. Consequently it is not everlasting, and therefore, the only part of life that has everlasting value is that which lasts through eternity. So the most important thing in this world that has true and everlasting value is having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, because the free gift of eternal life comes only to all those who believe, i.e. fully rely, on Christ as their personal Saviour (1). “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14v6). After death everyone, that is Christians and non-Christians alike, are going to live somewhere forever, called eternity. And the only everlasting destiny apart from being with Christ in heaven, is with the Christ rejecters, sadly, under everlasting punishment in hell and the lake of fire (2, 3).
Many determinedly go after the plentiful and greatly varied material things of this world. However the Lord Jesus taught us not to store up for ourselves earthly treasures that can be corrupted or stolen (4). After all, we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it (5). Yet core Christian values can often get discounted or even disregarded in our pursuit for success and material comfort down here. Therefore we can often forget about God. Moses addressed this issue around 3,500 years ago as the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land. He warned them not to forget about God, for he knew once they had built fine houses and settled down their hearts would become proud and they would forget about Him (6). There is certainly no everlasting value in living for ourselves, and getting out of life all that we can, as this world’s system would have us think.
Yet there can be noteworthy and everlasting value with what we do with our lives in the very short time that we have to live on the earth. Although the Bible makes it clear that our own good works on earth will not save us from sin’s everlasting judgment or keep us saved (7), it is equally clear that we will be everlastingly rewarded according to what we have done while here on earth (8). Christians are encouraged to do “good works” (9, 10, 11, 12). Therefore we are to serve the Lord with good works because we are already saved and not to get saved. We are to serve our God the best way we can with what He has given us and fully depending on Him.
But it is not any old works that will do. The quality of the works that can bring everlasting rewards is discussed in 1 Corinthians 3v11-15 (13). The quality of our works, which are equated to building materials, that we build upon the foundation, that is Christ, will have the testing fire of God’s standards applied to them in the future at the Judgment seat of Christ. This is not the Great White Throne which is where unbelievers will be judged (14). Those that are “gold, silver, and costly stones,” which require more effort to produce, have everlasting value but using the inferior materials of “wood, hay and straw”, which require less effort to produce, have no everlasting value and will not be rewarded. So not all our conduct and works will receive God’s rewards. As we are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” therefore we should be also seeking God’s will as to what He would have us do. This is emphasised by the principle seen in Ephesians 6v6 “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”
There are many ways our service to the Lord will bring us rewards. First, we need to recognize that every true believer has been set apart by God and for God (15). When we received God’s gift of salvation, we were given certain spiritual gifts (16). We are to live in the fear, i.e. respect of and obedience to, the Lord (17). Nevertheless if we think our gifts are insignificant 1 Corinthians 12 encourages believers that the body of Christ is made up of many parts (18) and “God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (19, emphasis mine) and those parts of the body that seem weaker are necessary (20). If you are exercising your spiritual gifts, then you are playing the appropriate role in the body of Christ which pleases God and is doing that which has everlasting value and significance.
Every member of Christ’s body can, amazingly, make meaningful contributions when we humbly seek to obey God’s Word and will and therefore glorify God. The potential is that actually every little thing can please God and add to the wonderful pattern of what God can do through us when we each do our part. When we show our love for God by obeying His commandments, when we persevere in the faith despite all opposition and persecution, when we teach and/or encourage other believers, when in His name we show mercy to the poor and the sick, and help alleviate the pain and suffering that is all around us, then we are indeed building with the “gold, silver, and costly stones” that have true everlasting value and significance.
“Only this hour is mine, Lord – may it be used for Thee;
May ev’ry passing moment, count for eternity!” – Merrill Dunlop
Bible References:
1. Romans 6v23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
2. John 3v36 “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”
3. Matthew 25v46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
4. Matthew 6v19–20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
5. 1Timothy 6v7 “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
6. Deuteronomy 8v12–14 “Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
7. Ephesians 2v8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
8. 2Corinthians 5v10 “For we (believers in Christ) must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
9. Ephesians 2v10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
10. 2Timothy 3v16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished {or fully equipped} unto all good works.”
11. Titus 2v14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
12. Hebrews 10v24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”
13. 1Corinthians 3v11-15 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: 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. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
14. Revelation 20v11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
15. 1Peter 1v2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience (Italics mine) and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
16. 1Corinthians 12:7, 11 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
17. Acts 9v31 “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”
18. 1Corinthians 12v14 “For the body is not one member, but many.”
19. 1Corinthians 12v14 “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.”
20. 1Corinthians 12v22 “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.”