Living In the Shadow Of Eternity (Part 1)
Life is best lived in the shadow of the future. If you are a student, you can only hope to pass the tests you prepare for. At work, we only complete the deadlines we plan for. A coming vacation often brings present motivation and anticipation to our work week.
The future is meant to impact our present. This is the reality the apostle James wants us to understand in one of the central sections of his letter. James 4:12-5:12 teaches us how to live in the shadow of eternity. While most of us like to avoid the thought of death, James says that life is best lived with the end in mind.
James emphasizes the first thing that changes when we live in the shadow of eternity is our speech. James’ brackets this section of Scripture with two exhortations regarding our words. He starts with a warning against judgment,
There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor - James 4:12 ESV
Now, the apostle isn’t speaking against all judgment because judgment is a part of life. Rather James warns against impartial judgment. Partiality was a real issue in the churches James wrote to and God made sure it was addressed in the Scripture because it remains an issue today. In James’ situation, the rich were judging the spiritual condition of others based on their earthly goods and outward appearance (see James 2:1-13). They lived by sight not by faith.
This teaching was not original to James, he was simply echoing the teaching of His Savior. Jesus Himself taught us to judge with equal measures. Jesus taught not to judge with a standard we would not want measured against us (see Matthew 7:1-6). Embedded in this command is a warning about future judgment. God is watching, so don’t judge with a standard He wouldn’t use.
Jesus also warns against judgment based on appearance. Rather, we are to judge with “righteous judgment” based on the judgements God has provided in His Word (see John 7:24). Ultimately James and Jesus agree; we must not judge because we are not the Judge. We should not attempt to take a position that is reserved for the Lord alone. God sets the standards and the Lord is the One we will all answer to. He is the King, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. Therefore, God’s Word is what must form our judgements.
Yet our culture is still very anti-judgement, at least selectively. In fact, many who would say we should never judge under any circumstance still somehow find a way to get road rage. Why judge another’s driving? It is just an expression of who they are or a product of the day they are having. Of course we do, and should, judge the driving of others, not because we wrote the law, but because a mutual authority has placed us all under it. We judge based on a law from an authority above us. As it is with earthly laws, even more so with the laws of Heaven.
How is our judgment? Are we quick to draw conclusions based on outward appearance? Do we have racial prejudice in our hearts? Do we assume motives based on someone’s economic status? Do we let our opinions override the Words of the Omnipotent?
Rather than judging based on what our daddy believed or what our present culture celebrates, our judgements must be shaped by the declarations of the One and Only Judge. In eternity, His Word is all that will ultimately matter. Jesus gets the final word which means we must measure our words carefully. May we live shaped by the Word of God as we live in the shadow of eternity.