Eternity

ETERNITY

(By Dr. Martin Luther)

“A Christian must consider that he will live not only on the earth, nor remain forever in this world, If he does not in his thoughts and desires and hopes rise to a life beyond this world, then he degrades himself to the level of dumb animals. Animals pursue no higher aims than to fill their stomachs. They are limited to this life. When they are killed, then both their life and their hope come to an end. But a Christian is to look for a better life when this temporal, perishable and short life comes to an end; for then we shall enter into an everlasting, never-ending, heavenly existence, filled with pure joy and blessedness.”

“To be sure, God has placed us here on earth. Here we must till the ground, plow, sow, plant, reap, spin, stitch, milk cows, work in the kitchen, cook, and keep house, and many other such things. To regulate these matters God has instituted government, arranged family life, and given us our common sense. But it is damnable abuse if we attach our hearts to these things as did the people in Noah’s day, Their life just did not mean a bit more to them than eating and drinking: exactly as with the dumb animals. ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’”

Christ came down from heaven, and was made man. He died on the cross and rose again from death and ascended into heaven, not for the purpose of leaving us here below in pain and misery, much less to leave us under the earth in death and the grave to decay and to be food for worms, but rather, to redeem us from all this and to redeem us from all this and to receive us into His eternal kingdom of glory.”