An excerpt from the book titled “LIVING WITH ETERNITY IN VIEW” by Gbile Akanni
Until a man understands the
meaning of eternity, he will not be able to prepare for it properly. This world
is passing away with everything in it. This world and your condition in it will
end one day. But eternity has to do with permanence. It is not measured in
terms of time or change. In eternity there is constancy, permanence and
consistency. When you step into eternity, you step into what is unchangeable.
Your condition can neither improve nor depreciate.
Living in this world is but a
step or passage into eternity. Every man is given a chance to live in this
world where change can occur so that he can by himself make a choice of his
placement in eternity where there will be no change. So, all the years of your
existence in this world is to give you an opportunity to make a choice of your
placement in eternity.
Eternity is infinity. Once a man
steps into eternity, he cannot change his choice. He cannot change anything. It
is in this unchangeable state that every man must remain once he enters
eternity. The choice that determines your placement in eternity is not made in
eternity. It has to be made in time in this life. Living in this world is the
only opportunity you have to determine your placement in eternity. Once you
step into eternity, you cannot change your mind, location or choice. Choices
are not made there. The moment you step over into eternity, you automatically
lose your power of choice. Any choice you do not make while you are here on earth
can never, ever be made again.
Eternity is the final everlasting
state into which everyone is going to enter. The truth is that you are already
making a choice of what your eternity will look like, by what you are doing
now. You hold the pen in your hand, and you are busy day by day, though
unconsciously, writing the script of your eternity.
God does not want us to wake up
on the other side in eternity, full of regrets. That is why He graciously
speaks to us about eternity in His word now in the realm of time. If you enter
into eternity with regret, you will forever live to regret it. If you enter
into eternity with a sense of unfinished assignment, you will forever keep
living with that sense of unfinished assignment. There is no programme for
making up for your deficiency in eternity. It is given to man once to die, and
after that, judgment.
My understanding of judgment here
is placement in eternity. And that placement is an eternal placement. No
promotion in eternity. Promotion is only possible here on earth. Once you enter
into eternity, there is no promotion, no growth, no advancement and no
regression.
You must strive to secure a
correct placement for yourself in eternity no matter the cost. This is the wise
thing to do rather than to get involved in self-indulgence on earth only to
face eternity in hell fire. Whatever could cause you to sin, you must cut it
off. It is better to enter into life maimed or crippled than to enter eternity
on the side of hell. If there were no eternity, we would not need to put
ourselves under any pressure of holy living. The time we have now is just to
determine where to step into in eternity. Anything that will hinder me from
eternity in God’s kingdom is not actually worth keeping in this world. My two
feet may be useful to me here, but if they endanger my place in eternity, it is
better to be crippled now and with one foot, make the right place in eternity.
Remember in eternity you enter into permanence. You enter into a world without
end.
The brief time you spend here is
only to position you in eternity. Whatever I do at each point here on earth has
an eternal consequence. It is only in eternity that it will be played back.
Each of my actions and choices here on earth will serve to either jeopardize or
enhance my position in eternity, so, when we talk about living for eternity we
are talking about your choices that will position you properly in eternity.
Every day here on earth is like a
point on an elongated line which reaches eternity. Each omission places an
eternal, irreplaceable gap in my life in eternity. Living for eternity means
living and making choices that will position you properly in eternity. It means
living with eternity in view. Labouring for eternity means doing things here on
earth that will have an everlasting positive or negative reward. Actually
everything a man does here on earth, whether good or bad has an eternal
component to it. It is possible for a man to squander all that eternity could
hold for him within a short time.
Most people misunderstand
eternity. We think eternity is far away but it is just one step away from here.
There is just but a step between life and death. How will you give account of
the days you spent in what has no relevance in eternity? If your life is not
yet right with God, you must pause here for a sober reflection and prayer. Do
you know anything in your life that places you on the wrong side in eternity
forever? You will do yourself a lot of eternal good if you take your stand and
deal with it. The things that you enjoy today that make you make wrong choices
in life, will become a terrible offence to you in eternity.
You must repent before you cross
the line to the other side where repentance is impossible. You know what you
are involved in, that is secretly eating up your life, and pushing you towards
a sorrowful eternity. Take your stand, be bold and cut it off.
