The Purpose and Preciousness of Time

All of time is ultimately God’s time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-9) (Psalm 31:14-15).  All that occurs in the realm of time is by God’s decree and under God’s control (Lamentations 3:37-38), as He directs the course of history according to His infinite wisdom and majestic power (Romans 11:33-36) to its purposeful end, namely His glory (Isaiah 43:7); that the awesomeness, beauty and infinite perfections of His eternal being may be seen, known, honored, adored and enjoyed by men and women throughout eternity, men and women who would, while in this world of time, come to trust in His love, pursuing Him alone as the object of their deepest love and source of their greatest joy. (Luke 10:25-28).  God’s purpose in His creation of man is best summarized in the answer to question one of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which asks, “What is the chief end (purpose) of man?” Answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

Our time in this world is a gift, a precious gift, an unrenewable commodity, a fleeting asset, that can’t truly be saved, but can be wasted if it is to be spent on things, activities and experiences that have no eternal value, in that they are motivated by selfish ambition and worldly desires, rather than a passion to know and love, enjoy and delight in God who created us for Himself (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  As I noted in my previous post, how we spend our time in this world will determine where we spend our time in the world to come (Matthew 25:31-46).

The great 18^th Century American theologian Jonathan Edwards understood this when as a young man preparing for ministry, Edwards wrote seventy resolutions that were to guide him in his short life in this sin-cursed world, in preparation for the world to come.  Many of his resolutions were written with time and eternity in mind.

His first resolution acknowledged the purpose of his life when He resolved “I will do whatever I think will be most to God’s glory; and my own good, profit and pleasure (he wisely understood the connection between the two), for as long as I live. I will do so without any consideration of the time they take.”

In Resolution 5 he writes, “Resolved: To never lose one moment of time but seize the time to use in the most profitable way I can”.

In Resolution 6 he writes, “Resolved: To live (for God) with all my might…while I do live”.

In Resolution 7 he writes, “Resolved: Never to do anything (in time) which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.”

In Resolution 9 he writes, “Resolved: To think much, on all occasions, about my own dying, and of the common things which are involved with and surround death”.

In Resolution 17 he writes, “Resolved: I will live in such a way, as I will wish I had done when I come to die.”

In Resolution 22 he writes, “Resolved: To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the world to come as I possibly can.”

In Resolution 28 he writes, “Resolved: To study the Scriptures so steadily, and so constantly, and so frequently, that it becomes evident – even obvious – to myself that my knowledge of them (and God) has grown.”  Edwards understood that it was only through his diligent study of the Bible, God’s gracious self-revelation of His glorious person and purposes, that he could come to know and love and enjoy God’s love as God intended.

In Resolution 30 he writes, “Resolved: To strive to my utmost every week to be brought to a higher spiritual place, and to a greater experience of grace, than I was the week before.

In Resolution 37 he writes, “Resolved:  To inquire every night, as I am going to bed, where I may have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and how I have denied myself.  I will do this every week, month and year.

In Resolution 41 he writes, “Resolved: To ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, where I can have possibly done better in any respect.

In Resolution 43 he writes, “Resolved: Never, from this day, until the day I die, act as if I were in any way my own, but entirely and altogether belong to God, and then live in a way agreeable to this reality.”

In Resolution 52 he writes, “I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live if they were to live their lives over again, so.. Resolved: That I will live just as I can imagine I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.”

Now to those of us who are wasteful, careless and unintentional in how we spend our time in regard to our eternal destiny, these resolutions may sound obsessive, self-righteous, even neurotic.  However, Edwards understood that whatever we do with each moment of our time in this world will echo throughout eternity, or as theologian R.C. Sproul commented “Right now counts forever.”

Later in His life Edwards wrote more specifically in regard to time and eternity when he penned a treatise titled, The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It.  In it, Edwards notes that time is a precious commodity that needs to be treasured.  He gives four reasons for this.

• Because a happy or miserable eternity depends on how we each use it (time).
• Time in this world is very short, limited, which is what makes it precious.
• Time ought to be esteemed by us as very precious because it could end at any time.
• Time is very precious because when it is past it cannot be recovered.

Edwards notes regarding this latter reason that “If a man should lose the whole of his worldly substance and become bankrupt, it is possible for the loss to be made up…but when our time (in this world) is gone, it is impossible that we should ever obtain another such time.”

Another writer noted that we cannot store up seconds or mass produce minutes as we can other commodities…once they are gone, they are gone.

In my next post I will look at the Bible’s command in Ephesians 5:15-16 to redeem the time, and more of Edward’s thoughts regarding this.

Grace and Peace ×