It's about time...
Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash
Time. It flies, drags, ticks on, runs out. It’s a constant in life, something we often take for granted and don’t really think about. But is there a Christian view of time? What does the Bible have to say about how we should view time? There are four truths we need to bear in mind when considering a Christian view of time.
1) Time has an author
God made time, and He is lord over it. As such, God does not count time as we do. His experience is fundamentally different to ours. The psalmist speaks frequently of God’s eternity; “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2). God is limitless, existing beyond the boundaries of time as we know it. He has always been, and he will always be.
2) Time has a focus
The focus of creation is Jesus. He is the lens through which we are to see ourselves, the world, and everything in it. This includes time. Galatians 4 tells us that “When the set time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Gal. 4:4-5). God structured time itself in order to achieve his redemptive purpose in Christ. Jesus, and his saving work on the cross, can therefore be seen as the focal point of all time. What an incredible truth!
3) Time has a purpose
What are we to do with the time God has given us on earth? Paul writes in Ephesians 5:16 that we are to make the most of every opportunity. Older Bible versions translate this as “redeeming the time”. To redeem something means to buy it back, to take possession of it. When scripture tells us to redeem the time, it is instructing us to seize every opportunity to share the Gospel, to do good to our neighbours, and to bring glory to God.
4) Time has a destination
Time is going somewhere. We can take comfort from the fact that, while we exist in time and can experience frustrations as a result, God is free from the limitations of time. He knows the end from the beginning, and at this very moment He is working all things to accomplish his purposes in the redemption of the world.