Temporal Versus Permanence

     The things of the world are temporal. They are either tolerated or enjoyed for a limited amount of time. That instant in eternity is measured by each person's heartbeat. Life is for better or worse. Unfortunately, because of original sin, most of our lives are for the worst, and as such, mankind places the focus on pleasure. Six days are for work but only one for rest. What should be our pleasure? Rest! What is our pleasure? Sin. Sinfulness is the work of pleasure. If course, God does provide pleasure but Epicurean men prefer the pleasure of the flesh.
     Pleasure is finite and limited. Work circumvents pleasure. It was pleasure Adam sought but instead he received the punishment of working by the sweat of his face (Gen 3:19). Prosperity was in the Garden. Then poverty is outside the Garden. Prosperity is preserving life forever. Poverty is enduring death eternally! God said, "You shall surely die," as a warning to not seek other pleasures (Gen 2:17). With rebellion, mankind's clock, designed to be forever, started clicking off the time. God was graceful for a time to increase his creation. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. Assuming the average heartbeat of mankind at rest is 80 bpm, then if Methuselah had remained at rest, that would have been 510 million heartbeat, But Methuselah did not rest... he worked. Ironically, mankind lives longer by working as measured by the number of heartbeats!
     If modern man rests, the maximum age which we can live is about 120 or 63 million heartbeats. Men live about 76 years on the average. That is 40 million heartbeats if we never work! What is it people want to do with their few heartbeats? Enjoy the things of the flesh, and work in all the pleasure that can be had!
     "Temporal" is relational to time and in opposition to eternal. "Permanence" is immutability - non-susceptibility to any type of change inclusive of time. Temporal implies change! The change is from life to death. Hence, the temporal are the things of the world because soon to come about is that you and I will no longer be of this world! Right now the temporal seems to be of the greatest importance. However, God wants his creatures to focus on the eternal. Satan desires us to be temporary, but God wants that none should perish - that we all be permanent. What stands in the way of permanence? Sin? What does sin essentially mean? Having it our way!
     Our way is pleasure. Some say that things are our idols. However, things which are pleasurable, appease our flesh. Thus, our flesh is really our idol, and it is what competes with God for godhood. Albeit, we are temporary gods and goddesses, we relish the temporary divinity which we enjoy.

Jas 4:14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time then vanishes.

     Mists evaporate. Bodies decay. Either way, life ends. The end of life would be temporary if not for the hereafter. That is of paramount importance. My own life is in pursuit of eternal life. By default, if I don't "run the race" as Paul called it, eternity still exists but in torment. We all deserve that because we cherish our own godhood and appease our flesh.
     As death approaches , the reality of it becomes certain. I cannot escape dying nor can you, but all of us can escape eternally dying. If death was eventually over, it would not be so dreaded but dying is forever if one is to die at all! I don't want to die and there is an antidote for death. The shed blood of Jesus is how to avoid an eternity of agony. Wisdom is doing something about what could be all too permanent. If I am to live forever, my desire that it be in Paradise!