Over Eternity

We live in an age of distraction. Everywhere we go there are flickering, glowing screens screaming for our attention. They demand us to swipe, to look, and to listen—our immediate action and our constant attention. More people in our world have access to cell phones than they do working toilets. The average person in our world spends almost seven hours a day on the internet. The average American has spent seven hours a day in front of a screen for the past decade. We live in a world of beeps & dings, alerts and notifications.

Even those who are not interested in being on the cutting edge of anything technological have been dragged kicking and screaming into this bright new world. Opting out isn’t really an option.

But all of these devices take their toll on us. It’s nice to have so much information and power at our fingertips, but we know we’ve lost something. Nowadays, every profession feels like they’re on call. It seems like we’re never out of reach. And if we want to be, we need to write an outgoing apology so that people know why we aren’t responding.

But it’s not just stress that we’ve taken on. It’s worry. Anxiety. Depression. We know that with the rise of social media there has also come a swell of mental health problems. It’s hard to argue that there’s no connection. Even if you don’t think these distractions aren't making you depressed, it’s likely they’re diminishing your intellect. King’s College in London studied the effect these distractions have on us. They diminish our IQ by 10-15 points—the difference between an adult and an 8 year-old child.

With so many things looking for our attention, it’s hard for people to concentrate. People struggle to be productive or solve complex issues. People even put their own safety at risk. At times, even when everyone commits to putting the devices away, it’s hard to have a simple conversation. Don't you long to focus on what’s important?

I wish the answer was as simple as trashing the tech. But it’s not. Some moderation would be helpful. But even in a world without all the technology, and all the information and power at our fingertips, we would still struggle to focus intently on what is truly important.

As the Apostle Paul encourages the Philippians to imitate him as he presses on toward God’s goal for him, he acknowledges that many are distracted. (Php. 4:18-19) Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their god is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. And most tragically, their destiny is destruction.

There’s a lot that Paul is laying on us in these tearful words. And don’t miss the tears. This reality is heart-wrenching for the Apostle Paul and for all those who love God’s work of salvation.

Paul wanted the Philippians to see the culture they were living in for what it really was. The people of that day were living to satiate their appetites. Surely some were eating too much or drinking too much—gluttony in the traditional sense. But there was also a bent for regularly eating and drinking only the finer things—gluttony in a more "refined" state. Paul warned the Philippians to not envy those whose diet demonstrates they are serving their stomachs, only living for this life.

That’s not the only appetite idol that people struggled with. Sexual appetites, hungering for more and more material wealth, power, and status symbols, and enviously craving the blessings God has given to another are a few of the appetite idols God lays bare throughout the Bible. The world may make much of these pursuits. They may say that these things are what makes life really worth living, but God, the Author of Life, sees it differently. Their glory is in their shame. The very things that they are most proud of, most delighted about, & most gratified by are the very things that God says are shameful. The very actions that sinners flaunt are the very things that God condemns. Their minds were set—preoccupied, gripped, and obsessed—with the matters of this material world which is here today and soon gone.

And this was the state of mind in a culture that couldn’t even imagine the technology we carry around in our pockets. We can order the finest of delicacies to be delivered right to our front door. We can live in a near-constant state of sloth and gluttony. We can also live as if our bodies are the most important thing. Fancy clothes and fanatical dieting may make us look good on the outside. But even this is to our shame.

In many ways, the internet is structured to temporarily satiate our self-destructive appetites for gossip, anger, lust, and envy. This isn’t to say that technology is bad or the internet is a tool of wickedness. But remember who fashioned and remakes it. Is it any surprise that when people who have their minds set on earthly things, who daily live as enemies of the cross, build something that it would be not all good?

Even if we do not engage with the darkness that can be found in the digital world, we do run the risk of living with a divided mind & loyalties.

That is why the Apostle Paul warns the Philippians and us so forcefully. Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Many in our world today, live as if sin does not really exist. Many in our world today are guilty over traits that God gave them rather than how they have failed to live up to his standards. Many in our world today live as if this life is all that matters. Many in our world today deny the necessity of suffering for the sake of our faith. Many in our world today insult the Son of God and blaspheme his life, his death, and his resurrection.

But Christians cannot live that way. Christians cannot tolerate sin to be minimized as nothing more than an honest mistake. Christians cannot allow their appetites to rule their lives. Christians cannot take pride in the things God says are shameful. Christians cannot live as if this world is all that matters. Christians must instead press on toward God’s goals.

Paul calls Christians to (Php. 3:17) join together in following my example. Keep your eyes on those who live as we do. What is that example? Eyes on the eternal prize. Paul says: I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. So how do we do this?

It’s so important that we get this question right. Because if we don’t, we can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons and be no better off than those whose minds are set on earthly things. Paul tells us that he is pressing (Php. 3:12) on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. Later on, he says he is striving and straining (Php. 3:16) to live up to what he has already attained. We strain toward what is ahead, we press on to win the prize because we know what Christ has done to take hold of us.

Christ has earned for us heavenly citizenship. This is a big deal. It's something we, who have inherited our earthly citizenship as a birthright, ought to consider more carefully. Philippi was a place where many Roman soldiers came to to settle down, build a life, grow a family, and retire. In order to secure their rights as a Roman citizen most served in the military and then also paid for that status.

In Acts 22, we learn of its value. Some Jews were trying to put Paul to death and a riot was fomenting , so the Roman soldiers stepped in to keep the peace. They wanted to get to the bottom of it, so they took Paul to the barracks and as they were stretching him out to flog him, Paul asked if this was legal to do to a Roman citizen. This put the whole thing on pause. They had to report this to the commander.

The commander asked Paul, (Acts 22:27-28) Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? I am, Paul answered. The commander said: I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship. Paul replied: But I was born a citizen.

One man had to make tremendous sacrifices and then still pay a substantial cost for his citizenship. Another did nothing but be born. It seems unfair. But it doesn’t strike us as unusual. This is how citizenship works in our world. And in our spiritual lives.

Like the Roman commander, Christ lived a life of strict discipline, he made tremendous sacrifices, and in addition to that he paid a substantial cost for citizenship. But he wasn’t getting heavenly citizenship for himself. He was securing it for us. And he has made it ours through spiritual birth. The Spirit has given birth to spirit. God, in his mercy and wisdom, has chosen to make us his own by grace through faith in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. This is how Christ has taken hold of us. Christ Jesus has made us his dwelling place. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We have a different outlook on life—the pleasures of this world and the glories that await us in the next—because of Jesus. Heaven is home.

So we cannot live like we would if we were not citizens of the kingdom of heaven. We forget what is behind us. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad. That stuff doesn’t make or break us. We look intently at what is ahead. And we exert our energy to reach that goal.

And that means we are going to stick out in this world. Our words and actions, our choices and our sacrifices are shaped by what our Savior has done for us, what he is doing now for us, and what he has promised to do for us. We have a mature view on life & glory. We have a compelling goal. We live & move with a Christ-centered focus.

So it’s going to look strange to others. Many others. Each year, about six million people go to one spot in our state. The Grand Canyon. Most just walk around the South Rim. Snap a few pictures and then go home. Hundreds of thousands actually descend the canyon a little ways. Maybe you’ve had the opportunity to do just that. But an even smaller portion—around 1%—venture on what is called a rim-to-rim hike. They start at the north rim, the side less seen, and they descend the 14 miles to the bottom. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of going down the canyon, you know how good you feel compared to the folks coming the other direction. It is the ascent that is so punishing. The last 9.6 miles up Bright Angel are grueling for those going from one rim to another. But they always have the goal in mind. They forget how easy it was to descend and press on toward what is ahead, the upward climb on Bright Angel.

Our Christian journey is much the same. In the beginning, it may be easier than we suspected. We may find more satisfaction in denying ourselves sinful pleasures than we ever thought we would. We may find joy in doing right for the right reasons. But as we press on, our bodies grow weak. We meet new struggles and challenges that we did not anticipate. Our legs burn. But we must not quit. We must push on. We must press on to take hold of all that Christ has earned for us. Our good works, our cross-bearing, all this pressing on doesn’t earn us heaven. But it is a necessary part of God’s plan of salvation for us. And we find comfort in what God promises will happen after we make our final ascent. God will transform our lowly bodies to be like Christ’s glorious body. Then we will enjoy our citizenship for eternity. Amen.