Permanency as defined is: the state or quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely.
Is there anything that is truly permanent? Solomon said, “And there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9c). Some things seem to be permanent, but are they really? Take “sin” for example; it was introduced to mankind with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and six thousand years later, it continues raising its ugly head within every human heart. However, after the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, there will be no more sin. Therefore, it is not permanent, at least with true believers.
Have you ever noticed that your possessions eventually have to be replaced because they tend to wear out? Every homeowner is conscious of the never-ending upkeep to ensure everything is in working order.
How long will your vehicle last? I haven’t seen one yet that doesn’t eventually wear out. Could the same be said of our clothes, cell phones, batteries, ink pens, etc.?
As we travel the highways and dodge the potholes, it is immediately obvious they (the highways) are not permanent.
Nothing is permanent that is made by man, except for one thing, and I’ll come back to that.
Even this old earth will someday pass away.
Peter said, “… the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).
When thinking about permanency, we cannot omit the word “eternal.” Jesus spoke of eternal (everlasting) life. Life that is eternal never ends. Methuselah is the longest living human being, and he lived on this earth for 969 years. Wow! That’s a lot of years, but 969 years isn’t even a speck in the light of eternity. His 969 years on this earth ended at his death, but his soul lives on in eternity. Methuselah is not dead. Only his body is dead. His soul lives on in the eternal realm.
God is eternal or permanent, and not just looking forward to the future, but also looking backward in the past. However, there is no “past” with God. He has always been, and He will always be. That’s why He told Moses His name is, “I am.” He is God. He is the only one who has always been and always will be.
Heaven and hell are eternal and therefore also permanent. The short span of life you and I live on this earth is not even a hiccup in relationship to eternity. The life we have on this earth is temporary, but the life we have in eternity is permanent, whether it be in Heaven or hell (the lake of fire).
Even if we live to be as old as Methuselah, and none of us will in this life (except maybe in the Millennium), we have been provided this temporary earthly life in order to decide where we will spend our permanent, eternal life.
When I think of eternity, I think of something that is never-ending because that is exactly what it is … never ending. When I think of permanency, I think of something that will always exist … never ending. Every human being has been created to enjoy something that will always exist and will last forever, but most choose the wrong destination and therefore lose the real prize offered by our Creator.
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
What is the real prize mentioned in this verse? The real prize to me, and I’m sure to you also, is the fellowship we will have with the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity; and that, my friends, is definitely permanent. It is a prize that will never fade away.
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).
God created mankind that we would all have a fellowship with Him that would be eternal (permanent), but we blew it at the very beginning. Sure, Adam and Eve were the first to sin, but we would have done likewise if we had been there.
Genesis 3:15 is the first mention of the Gospel, showing us that He provides the one way we can all be forgiven and enjoy that fellowship He longs for us to have. He informed us through Peter that He is not willing that any should perish.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
I mentioned earlier that there is one thing man makes, which is permanent and therefore eternal. That one thing is the choice we make concerning Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
If we do not repent and ask Jesus to save us before we die, it will be too late. Once we take that last breath, there is no going back and getting a re-do. How many times in this life have we wished we could go back and change a bad decision? Maybe we somehow managed to correct a bad decision in this life, but once our body is dead, there is no going back. The decision we make about Jesus Christ while alive in this body is permanent and will last for eternity.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, I haven’t believed in Jesus, but I’ve been a good person.”
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:18-19).
Millions of “good” people refuse to go to the Light because they prefer what the world has to offer. They are like Lot’s wife, who longed for the world and not the Savior (Genesis 19:26). Then they die and are condemned by God to an everlasting hell.
Nothing is more final and permanent than the life we live after our earthly life is over. Call on Jesus today. Don’t let it be said of you, “It’s too late.” Hell is eternal and permanent.
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html