Scriptural Insights:
Genesis 1:1, Revelation 22:20
Is time an enemy or an ally? This is a significant yet often-ignored question. Some may say that time itself will tell. But as Christians, is this question timely? Or should we rephrase it as, “What is time to us?”
The moment you began reading this article, you made a choice: to invest your time or to waste it.
King James Version
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
New Living Translation
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
In the beginning…
We can find the meaning of time in a dictionary, but its deeper significance is found in God. God is eternal. He existed before He created time for humanity. As Scripture says, “There is a time for everything—a time to be born and a time to die.”
“In the beginning” points to the commencement of creation. It is impossible for something to exist within creation without a temporal framework. Is the phrase redundant? Not at all. Everything that exists began at a definite point. Even evolution, understood as a process, requires a timeframe and, therefore, a starting point. Something cannot come into existence in the middle of a process without having a beginning. If it appears to begin in the middle, then the end of what came before must be regarded as its starting point. Everything begins at the beginning—in the beginning.
Time did not exist independently of God; rather, God created time for His creation. For those who believe in Him, time will ultimately come to an end as they enter into eternal fellowship with God. Time has meaning only within the created order; it does not apply to God, who is self-sufficient and has no need of anything—not even time.
Time, as we experience it, belongs to humanity. We live within the realm of the past, the present, and the future, and our earthly lives eventually end. Yet through Christ’s death on the cross and the atonement for our sins, those who place their faith in Him enter into God’s eternal life. In eternity, time forfeits its meaning or limitation.
This reveals the profound difference between time and eternity: time is the realm in which humanity lives, while eternity belongs to God, who exists beyond time.
Fundamentally, you and I need to spend more time with God. He will give us the time we need to accomplish whatever He calls us to do. What we urgently need is undivided time set apart for Him. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:8). As Scripture says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). Furthermore, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6),
Spiritual awareness matters now more than ever. As we witness what is happening around the globe, we should pray for stronger faith in God. Many of today’s events reflect the prophecies spoken of in the Bible. Time is running short.
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” As morality is increasingly dismissed as nonsense, many may not yet see the spiritual danger unfolding before them. As we understand that time applies only to us, our end is inevitable. Yet the meaning of death—especially spiritual death—seems to hold little significance. The realities of being eternally with God or suffering forever in hell seem difficult to comprehend.
No time to lose
As we have considered, time will run out for us. Are we still concerned about what will happen tomorrow? What is more important is now. The next second can affirm our eternal future. The King James Version states: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. The New Living Translation says: How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
Time, sin, and Timing
These three words- time, sin, and timing have to be considered seriously daily in our Christian lives. Why? There will be a time when we will be tempted to sin, and the timing is always perfect. Have you noticed this? In the same way, God has also given us the perfect timing not to sin at a certain time. What’s the point? Sanctification! God is sanctifying our whole being: spirit, soul, and body. It is the preparation for our eternal life with God.
Give this some thought.
The appropriate question to ask ourselves is: What are we doing with our time? God wants us to get right with Him. Regardless of whether we see ourselves coming to our end or if Jesus returns sooner than we think, God wants us to get right with Him. There should be no excuse for this. It is now irrelevant whether we tell ourselves we have little time or plenty of it. We should open our spiritual eyes to the gift God gave us, His Son Jesus Christ. He gave essence to the meaning of time, delivering us to the eternal presence of God.
Revelation 22:20
King James Version
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
New Living Translation
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Meanwhile…
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each person according to their work. One striking word in this verse that deserves our attention is “quickly.” The Greek word is tachy (ταχύ, pronounced takh-oo’), meaning “without delay.” From a human perspective, this speaks of time; yet God’s understanding of time is far beyond ours. The point is clear: Christ’s coming may occur before our time on earth ends.
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Time is gold, as the saying goes. But do we truly treasure time, or are we merely trading it for earthly riches? Let us invest our time not merely in gaining what fades away, but in seeking God’s eternal presence. The true meaning and significance of time is found in discovering and embracing the value of eternity with God.