Issue 3

Biblically Speaking Magazine

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Today Upholding:

The Gospels

The Bible

The Christian Faith

Into the 21st. Century

ISSUE 3 January-February 1997

Permanent Dwellings Wanted !

Psalms 49: 11

Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Psalms 49: 12

Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

Have you ever had an estate agent's advertisement telling you that your house or flat was desperately needed for their books? Isn't it strange that property in the 1980's and 1990's has become more of a commodity for financial investment than a place to live in.

Many have regrettably suffered the loss of their homes by adopting this philosophy. Everything seemed so `hunky dorey' when property prices rose and rose. Today we are wiser, or should be.

Have you ever considered that this is a picture of life in this world? What is at the root of people believing so strongly in investments? Is it scientific certainty or economic genius, or simply the way people like following the crowd and unsatisfied desires?

Long ago, a Hebrew Psalmist wrote (under Divine inspiration) that people think their houses will continue forever and their dwelling places to all generations [Book of Psalms 49 v11]. Our house is our body. All the evidence points to our having a temporal existence - a life that will end sooner or later. The brevity of life is so clearly stamped on what we experience daily that you would have thought this a ridiculous assumption for people to make. Nevertheless we believe in our permanence. Why is this?

Dark Sayings

What God has to say is often called a 'parable' because it is like a dark saying that we do not understand easily. That's not because it isn't as clear as daylight to see, but because something in us obscures it. That something is our own morally defective desire to live for ourselves without any reference to our Creator and Maker. So, we follow our own understanding and not the understanding that comes from God. The understanding that comes from God helps us to see ourselves and face up to the truth and to act on this it. What is this truth?

Desire to Live Forever

We have an innermost desire to live forever, to go on and on, and what's more - it is a desire to enjoy our existence for as long as possible. Why cannot we just accept as normal the fact that we only live for so.... long? Could it be because it is not accepted as a naturally good thing for someone to die, especially us? Death is therefore an unpleasant subject - and not surprisingly it is feared. One of our ways of subconsciously avoiding the reality of death is to pretend and attempt to convince ourselves, for as long as we can, that we are really here permanently. We live our lives and make our plans according to this subconscious rule. If someone or something reminds us of the reality of our brief life, we do not think of them pleasantly. `The truth is often painful' - goes the time honoured cliche.

Fear of the Unknown

Still, that doesn't explain everything about why we assume that we are in this life for good. Fear of the unknown is a reason often given. We don't know what death will be like until we experience it. We also believe we don't have anyone we can go or turn to, to tell us what that experience is like. If we visit the local cemetery we may plead with the dead to tell us but they remain silent. The only sounds we may hear are the birds, a squirrel darting by, the rustle of leaves in the wind-swept trees, the digging of yet another grave and the echo of our own thoughts about death. We return home and subconsciously we manage to turn the switch of a permanent life on again, forgetting the ugly reality of death - till next time. Some day at some time, sooner rather than later, someone will be digging our own grave.

Breaking the Power of the Grave

The same Hebrew Psalmist wrote (under Divine inspiration):

But God will redeem (buy back) my soul from the power (hand) of the grave: For He shall receive me, Selah'. [Psalm 49 v15].

What gave him the confidence and authority to write such stunning words? The answer is that he had an understanding with God - his Creator and Maker. He tells us that those who only live for the here and now and give no consideration to the hereafter do not understand, ' but are like the beasts that perish '.

Understanding the Way

What is this crucial understanding that he had with God? How did he get it ? Well, he got it by starting to do what we don't want to do - he considered that he was a human being who had to die one day. Then he listened to what God had to say to everyone - whatever their race, financial position, intelligence or class. He became genuinely sorry that he had offended God and asked God to forgive and receive him - and God did as he desired.

He also considered:

that we are travellers through time facing death - not permanent

that without God's help we are blind spiritually.

that we are morally defective - even by our own standards

that we need to be forgiven, rescued and brought back to God

that life without God leaves us ignorant and without any power over the grave

that we will be eternally lost if we do not seek and find God for ourselves.

Permanent Dwellings

We do have a desire to be permanent that can only be made reality when we genuinely seek Jesus Christ with the desire to find Him. Why Jesus Christ? Because He is God - the God of the Universe Who loved us and has a permanent dwelling place for those who do not despise His love. He left His permanent dwelling place to come to our time and Universe so that He could buy us back by His own selfless act of dying in our place. Why did he need to die and suffer on our behalf ? Because we are the guilty ones who deserve to be punished since we have offended God personally. Jesus suffered terrible punishment out of His love for us. He is the innocent One who suffered for the guilty. It is important to understand this and be sorry for our wrongs before God if we are ever to experience God's forgiveness in our lives. God's forgiveness comes to us when we truly and genuinely acknowledge our guilt. God's forgiveness frees us from our guilt . When we have experienced forgiveness and have trusted and set our desires to obey the teachings and commands of Jesus Christ we experience conversion to God and we begin to have a new life where we have a relationship with our Creator and Saviour. Our dwelling place will then be secured and eternal .

Corinthians I 2: 9

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

He sacrificed Himself for all those who will trust Him permanently. Seek Him Today!

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