We all know what it means to chase something. Children chase one another in a game of tag. They run for the sake of running. The only prize is to tag someone as “it,” so that they can run and be chased. This game that children love so much, is the way that many people live their lives. They run here and there chasing after things. Once they get “it” they move on to another thing to chase. They never seem to find satisfaction in anything for more than a brief period of their life. When they get what they were chasing, it somehow loses its attraction. However, there is a chase that we all should be running toward. That’s the chase for eternal life. The pursuit of living forever in Heaven with Jesus.
Some do not pursue this goal because they are not sure how to gain it. Some think they have gone through some religious rituals and they don’t have to worry about it anymore. Their design is to be religious so they will have a fire escape for eternity, then they live the rest of this life as they please. Yet, there are multitudes who do believe there is an eternity to pursue and they live today as if there is no tomorrow. They never plan or prepare for their exit from this earth. The last group is the one I want to fit in. They believe in eternity, and everything about their life is based on their relationship with Jesus Christ. This group can’t wait to spend eternity with Him.
The first group is not pursuing eternity because they don’t know how. These people believe there is a God, and that we will all live eternally, but no one has ever explained to them the reality of eternity. This reminds me of the rich young ruler in Luke chapter 18. He comes to Jesus and asks Jesus, what he must do to inherit eternal life. He had probably heard about Jesus’ teachings on eternal life and was curious.
Luke 18:18 “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him and told him he must keep the commandments. He replied that he had done this from his youth up. Then Jesus tells him he lacks one thing. He told him to go and sell all that he has and come follow him.
Luke 18:20 “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
Jesus is not saying that we can’t own anything if we are pursuing Him. However, he knew the heart of this man, and his real desire was in things. He was not willing to put Jesus first! We know this because the next verse says the young man went away very sorrowful. He didn’t know how to obtain eternal life, and when he found out how he wasn’t willing to pay the price. Our desire to follow Christ must be supreme in our lives. He must be first. We must love him so much that if needed we would give everything we have just to follow Him.
Luke 18:23 “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.”
The next group feels they are fine They have said some words, gone through some rituals, and think they are ok. These live their life by checking off the boxes. They are deceived because they fail to understand seeking eternal life is not a set of rules that we keep and check off. They are basing their eternal life on their works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Another group is those who know in their minds there is a God, but they don’t care. Their desire is to live as long as they can on this earth. Their goal is to gain as much wealth as possible and enjoy as many pleasures as possible. Life is all about them and what they want. You can quote all the scripture to them that is in the Bible, but they are not interested. They take the approach of the Israelites in Isaiah 22:13 when they were about to be taken by the Assyrian army. Enjoy all we can in this life because we are going to die. The Israelites should have been fasting and praying for God to deliver them, but their faith was not grounded in God.
Isaiah 22:13 “And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.”
God wants and intends for us to “chase” after eternity, to run hard as long as we live, pursuing Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Paul has this attitude in I Corinthians 9:24-27. He speaks of the Christian life as a race that we run, not walk, not acquire, and lazily enjoy, but one where we pursue Christ and righteous living until the day we die. There is much effort placed on striving to please Christ. Paul’s total desire was to please Christ in all he did. His desire was to be with Christ. His goal was to be with Jesus eternally as he noted in Philippians 1:21. He said for me to die is gain and to live is Christ. When we truly love God and are grateful for the salvation and promise of eternal life, we can’t help but pursue eternity with everything in us. Life becomes a marathon that ends in Heaven.
I Corinthians 9:24-27 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
I want to live and pursue Christ with Paul’s attitude. While I know I am saved and on my way to Heaven, I do not want to act as though I have already attained it. I want to continue to press forward until I reach Heaven. Christ has done too much for me to ever slow down!
Philippians 3:12 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also, I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”
