Read a quote the other day about how much time affects our perception. Actually, the person was trying to explain how ignoring time changes our perspective. I remember that Jesus spoke a lot about eternal life. It was a cornerstone of His message - the really good thing that God gives. So how would your life change if you lived forever?
If you can't starve to death, are you worried about putting food on the table? If you don't need to buy food, why rush to work in the morning? Cool, huh? I never realized how much of my life is defined by the march of time. Thinking ahead, plans - these are the things that I do. Forever just makes them look so small. And less of a burden.
Now let's really blow your mind. Imagine time from God's perspective. The idea that all of this forever has already happened. He is looking at the end result - a final, static, snapshot of the finished product. Time doesn't matter.
Trapped in this world as I am, I see cause and effect. I see change. I see this thing that flows from one moment to the next and I can't look forward. I have enough trouble looking back 😊. God sees it all as one. When He says I forgive you, He means all of it. From the beginning of time to the end. This caught me by surprise.
We ask for forgiveness as something happens. I see these events as discrete, single points in time. God doesn't. When Jesus died, when He paid the price and God accepted His sacrifice, He already saw everything I still haven't done yet. That hurts my brain. His acceptance was already knowing exactly who I was and what I would do. His forgiveness came in one moment, and it covered every moment. He forgave all of it. I wonder if He even sees each little sin as something separate?
The Bible talks about how God set all things in motion. He told each and every atom how it would spin and what other atoms to bind with. We say natural law. It's God's software - His instruction set for His creation. He put these things in place, but never stepped away. Because He put every moment in place. God created a picture and called it forever. We see pieces of the picture unfolding and think of it as something to control. He sees it as a done deal and something to enjoy.
God created us in His image. Some part of us understands this dichotomy of time. Even trying to think this through, I can feel the struggle. My brain can't wrap itself around this idea. And my soul is jumping up and down screaming yes, yes, yes. Jesus was the perfect balance. His body submitted to His spirit. So these two completely different points of view resolved themselves, bridging the gap. He can approach God because He understands God. He can hold onto us because He also understands us.
How awesome is that - to know the one person who successfully perfected the spiritual?
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