As Long As It Is Called “Today”

By Jamey Hinds

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12–13).

No one is promised tomorrow. And we all know this, but sometimes we need the reminder; sometimes we need a kick-in-the-seat kind of reminder. Like what the world is going through currently. The wake-up call is sometimes necessary to get us to wake up to what truly matters. And what truly matters isn’t this temporary dwelling — “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:1–2).

It’s not that the temporal world we live in doesn’t matter at all: Why do we so often argue in extremes? It matters, but not comparatively — “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). “For your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:12).

“Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7–8). “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6–7).

“This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison, because we do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18 ISV).

We know these passages, but how do we live them? How do we show that we’re looking forward to an eternal reward in heaven?

It looks like more prayer, specifically more diligence and fervency in prayer to the One who is in control of it all. Throwing ourselves upon his compassion and mercy (see James 5:11). “For [God] knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. . . .. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children” (Psalms 103:14, 17).

It looks like more praise! “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Hebrews 13:14–15). “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:13–16).

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way [not if but when], then think of the kind of holy and godly people you ought to be as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved and the elements will melt with fire. But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells at home. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to have the Lord find you at peace and without spot or fault. Think of our Lord’s patience as facilitating salvation” (2 Peter 3:11–15 ISV).

It looks forward! When Jesus spoke about the impending judgment of God against Jerusalem, he said to those who heard: “Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:32–33). Too many are looking back — we need to be like the apostle Paul: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12–14).

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:28–30).