Eternal life could be defined as time in timelessness. And Sabbath is a sign of the coming age (Hebrews 4) when we fully enter God's Rest once and for all and we cease from all our labours. Wonderfully, in Hebrews those who believe have already entered that rest and we have ceased from our labours as God who rested on the Sabbath day. Even now as we believe we are granted eternal life, a life that will not end, so time now, historical time is relativized in the light of eternity which we have already entered in through faith. John, who knows Jesus more than anyone else, for he lays on Jesus' bosom, has this to say of life eternal - to know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3). As God has created time and time is a creature of timelessness since God dwells in eternity, we who know God, know time in timelessness and a Sabbath is a sign of this present and future reality.
Paul in Colossians noted that Sabbaths are only shadows of things to come but the substance is Christ. A shadow is a type of something more concrete that exists in reality. If Sabbath is a sign pointing to Christ, those who are in Christ have entered into eternal rest and peace here and now. Now it is no longer he who labours but Christ in him even as Paul says, "It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me" and in another place, "I will not boast anything of myself but what Christ has done in me." Can we boast like Paul of what Christ has done in us? Or is it more of human achievements or human wisdom, all things of this world pass away and are like shadows in the light of eternity.
No comments:
Post a Comment