Pt 29 TIME IS SHORT
Nothing is of greater value than that which has infinity as its scope.
There simply is nothing of this world that comes close to comparing with eternity, and all the time we spend in this life has its conclusion that which is rewarded FOR eternity, and time is short.
We have no knowledge of when our time in the temporal is over; this year, next year, this day or tomorrow or the very next minute, TIME IS SHORT.
For this who belong to Christ, there is another imminent that we look for, and that is his return for his church, the bride of Christ. Life continues until, “in the twinkling of an eye” we are changed and caught up to be with the Lord.
Time is indeed short even for the judgement that is to come upon this world, like a “thief in the night”, when they shall say “peace and safety, then sudden destruction”.
Time is short.
1 Corinthians 7:25–35
25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. 27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
The chapter begins with “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me:”, Paul evidently in this chapter has chosen to address matters that were specifically enquired of by the Corinthian churches concerning matters that are temporal in nature;
But Paul sees NOTHING AS TEMPORAL, but all the temporal matters of life are measured in the light of the ETERNAL. This is how he sees the value in the work.
It is impossible to miss that this chapter’s main enquiry is related to that temporal aspect of personal relationships.
Yet while Paul does answer the temporal, you are certainly impressed that he seems to set its value in the background to that which is eternal;
First we see the eternal consideration in marriage identified in verse 16 encouraging the believing husband or wife to remain with their unbelieving partners for the sake of their eternal hope;
1 Corinthians 7:16
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
“The time is short” Paul writes of in verse 29, and we cannot but glean that of all the troubles enquired of, a focus on that which is eternal ought to moderate the concerns of the mind.
Of all the matters that concern us;
- to marry or not to marry,
- to weep or not to weep,
- to rejoice or not rejoice,
- to buy or not to possess, of all that our minds are moved by, all ought to be moderated by the knowledge that “time is short“.
- Choices to be made with the focus on the eternal
Choice In Marriage In Knowing That Time Is Short.
Choices Of Life Knowing That Time Is Short.
Choices Of Service Knowing That Time Is Short.
Service Focused Knowing Time Is Short.
Choice In Marriage KNOWING That Time Is Short.
1 Corinthians 7:25–28
25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. 27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
There are no absolutes respecting the question of marriage. Let the circumstances of life at the time be that which is determined by the individual, only let that CHOICE IN MARRIAGE BE ATTENDED IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT TIME IS SHORT.
25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
Nothing in particular had been given Paul respecting the matter of marriage more than that which was already given us all. There are no absolutes if a man or woman remain virgins or married.
Paul gives his judgement on the matter and expects it to be diligently considered by the Church as one who is faithful.
The modern state of our western culture think it strange that any person would ever remain a virgin. More-so, we are being given to a world that also think it strange that any person would ever remain with one partner for life.
So the world clearly has no true answer on the subject but the Bible does;
26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
Let the present state of life be that which determines the decision to marry or not to marry. Should the case be good, let them marry, but if the case of the life be one of distress, and the man or woman be able not to burn in lust, it is better for them to remain unmarried.
Why? V28
Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh:
Paul wrote that “God hath called us to peace” in verse 15, marriage in troubled times add to our troubles and distracts us from matters eternal.
We see the focus drawn to in the last verse of our passage; v35 that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
It is not always easier nor better to be joined to a wife or husband (again, this is always in the light of your ability to remain celibate. Take care in how you read this beloved, FORNICATION is never the better option either way). For those who can abide alone, should perhaps remain alone during times of trouble, in “the present distress”.
Turn to Ephesians
Ephesians 5:15–17
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
If you can abide without, there is no commandment teaching that you ought to either be married or not married. Make you decisions in light of the eternal with a mind on the temporal knowing that TIME IS SHORT.
Redeem that TIME beloved.
Jesus warned of WOE to those who are with Child during the judgement that would come in that generation;
Matthew 24:19
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
There is no absolute respecting the matter, but choices made respecting Marriage must be made in the knowledge of the times;
27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
With either decision laid bare before you, there is no sin in either case and such a choice ought only to be made knowing Time is Short.
Will there be trouble? Yes, no doubt. In the flesh, there is always going to be trouble in marriage. Paul leaves us free to chose even in hope that the benefits outweigh the trials.
Remember; Proverbs 18:22
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
Be aware of the times, keep the eternal as the focus and know always that TIME IS SHORT.
Choices Of Life Knowing That Time Is Short.
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
When matters eternal dominate the heart and the mind, all other matters are considered in the knowledge that Time is Short.
It is so clear in this passage that Paul expected the Lord to come iminently, little could be clearer, for it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
Isaiah wrote the same respecting the nearness of the hour;
Isaiah 24:1–4
1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. 4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
Jesus spoke of the same state in Revelation;
Revelation 22:10–12
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Beloved there are two great equalisers in the world, one is death and the other is the rapture of the Church and that time of judgement that is to come upon this world.
No true Christian will be left behind and no man who is left behind will escape that judgement. There is a Choice however.
Just as death is the inescapable leveller of life, so too will it be that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
What do you have your focus upon today? Does it have eternity in view?
CHRISTIAN, Are you making the choices of life with a focus upon Christ?
Decisions that are being made, are you doing so God’s way and willing to leave him with the responsibility of the outcome?…or are you still choosing matters based on you own perspective of PRAXIS?
What you THINK is more practical, your own limited perception, in accord with the morals and habits of the culture of the day?
Beloved, this is one of the reasons why teaching on 1st and 2nd Corinthians is so difficult today, the culture has changed, the mores of the people have changed and there is a stubborn unwillingness to attend to all matters God’s way, knowing he is the one who gives the charge.
Fornication is the standard state of relationships today, and some forms of it are becoming as normalised as they were in Sodom.
Beloved, what is going to be the response when I come to the passages on Idols? On the abstinence of certain foods some of you may have given yourselves over to? In Chapter 8?
What of your money and on your responsibility to GIVE for the work of the Lord in chapter 9? MONEY IS THE GREATEST IDOL OF ALL. Some Churches preach on that topic every week, we have done so three times in ten years, the last time we did, many were offended as if the preacher invented the notion himself.
What of when we come to Scriptures command for the humility of WOMEN in chapter 11?…(Yes, I feel perhaps I may preach chapter 11 in a suit of armour).
What about spiritual gifts and tongues in chapters 12 – 14?
Beloved, prepare yourselves now to be humble, do not look for teachers that are content to twist the scriptures so it suits your personal pre-disposition.
Look to trust in the choices of the matters of life with the knowledge that TIME IS SHORT and all decisions ought to be made with eternity in view.
We hold loosely to the things of this world when matter eternal motivate the heart and the mind.
We surrender OUR WILL to GODS WILL that we may serve the LORD, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. To serve without hinderance.
The CHOICES OF LIFE ARE MADE IN THE FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT TIME IS SHORT.
Choices Of Service Knowing That Time Is Short.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: 33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
It is clear that Paul understands that matters eternal ought to dominate the thoughts and intents of the heart and mind, and that our Choice in Life ought to reflect that.
He makes clear the reality that when an individual is married, their service largely switches from serving the Lord to pleasing our partners.
Yet we have commands in the scriptures to choose matters most peasing to our partners with an eternal perspective.
1 Peter 3:1–4
1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
All through this chapter Paul has his focus on matters eternal, even the suffering of a difficult marriage where one is lost and the other is saved.
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband… (1 Cor 7:14).
Do not employ excuses in the matter beloved.
An individual I once counselled asked if God was pleased for him to be miserable for his life rather than happy?
Beloved, it is your surrender to the Lord in trust and love that brings BOTH eternal AND temporal happiness.
When the woman, whose adorning is not outward but inward, she becomes the most beautiful of all women. It is not the jewels and the hair that makes her appeal to her husband, but the chaste humility of honouring him that makes her irresistible and inspires in him a willingness to die for her.
LET THE ETERNAL BE YOUR FOCUS.
Your Choice of SERVICE ought to be framed KNOWING THAT TIME IS SHORT!
Paul identifies the practical reality here beloved, and that is that relationships often shifts the focus from pleasing the Lord to pleasing our wives and husbands in the flesh.
But this does not need to be the case when your RELATIONSHIP is moderated by matters ETERNAL.
When you surrender your will to HIS will, and love him more than you love your spouse, your love and honour for your spouse grows EXPONENTIALLY.
Your heart is FILLED both with the temporal joy, and the absolute joy in knowing that AN ETERNAL REWARD AWAITS YOU rather than a loss of it for your unwillingness to TRUST IN THE LORD.
Service Focused On Christ For Time Is Short.
1 Corinthians 7:35
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
“And that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction”
“And that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction”
If you cannot see that Paul has, as his fundamental concern for the contemporary Church, a desire for their focus on matter eternal, I am not sure how much more he needs to present it in this Chapter!
TIME IS SHORT
This is the only place in the entire Bible where this phrase is found and yet it is still to this day in common usage in conversations in every nation where the English language is spoken.
Yes, it is used most often in secular terms with most people ignorant as to its origin, nevertheless that ought to give to you and I a greater appreciation as to its value from the time it was penned.
TIME IS SHORT (1 Cor 7:29)
“The Lord is at hand” (Phil 4:5)
“A thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2 & 2 Pet 3:10)
“The coming of the Lord draweth nigh…The judge standeth before the door” (James 5:8-9)
“… It is high time to awaken out of sleep” (Rom 13:11)
“The end of all things is at hand” (1 Pet 4:7)
“It is the Last time” (1 Jn 2:18)
“In the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor 15:51)
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit 2:13)
Beloved, if there are so many passages that speak so plainly of the iminent return of the Lord to take his bride home with him, every act you attend to could be your last…what will that be beloved?
Are you living for eternity? TIME IS SHORT.
Do you attend to your work in this world as if you are working for the Lord? TIME IS SHORT.
Your love for you wife gentlemen, is it as the Lord loves his Church? Would you die for her? TIME is Short!
Wives, Do you honour your husbands AS UNTO THE LORD? When he returns, is that how he will find you? TIME IS SHORT.
I was convicted of the Lord last night to preach every sermon I preach as if it was my last ever sermon, no matter what the topic is, no matter the passage, why?
BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A “LAST SERMON” ONE DAY, and it is highly unlikely it will be at my choosing.
If this were to be my last ever sermon, HOW I PRAY THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT IT IS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LIVE EVERY DAY FOR THE SAKE OF ETERNITY.
View every conversation in light of for ever.
View every employment and act of work, as UNTO THE LORD for that eternal prise.
All that you do in life with the consideration on matters good in the light of eternity, for TIME IS SHORT;
That you hearts be so tuned, that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
TIME IS SHORT.
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