All the heat and light in our solar system radiates from the sun. It takes eight minutes and thirty-one seconds for light and heat to travel from the sun to our earth. Eight minutes and thirty-one seconds is pretty fast when you consider that the sun is, on average, more than 94 million miles from the earth. The sun, a million times bigger than the earth, is the mega-powerplant of the solar system. Earth, at best, without the sun would be a bleak, cold, lifeless planet.
It takes a little more than eight minutes for light to reach us from the sun, but do you know how long it takes for God to justify a sinner — declare them perfectly and forever right with God? It doesn’t take any minutes or seconds at all, but happens the instant a sinner repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that instant a sinner passes from death to life and righteousness.
God shows tender mercy to the sinner. Mercy is what God shows to us when He helps us in our misery. To live in a state of sin and separation from God is the greatest misery on the face of the planet. In a certain sense the justification of a single sinner is an act far greater than the creation of the entire universe. It didn’t cost God anything to create all that was made. He simply spoke and the universe leapt into existence. But God had to do far more to justify sinners. The One who created the world became a man, and was taken by cruel hands and crucified. On the cross, He gave His life as a sacrifice for sin. This is what it cost God to justify sinners. This is the extent God was willing to go to in order to bring sinners back to Himself.
Nobody has to live as a stranger to God’s grace and love. When we believe in Jesus, it is as though the sun with all its light and warmth rises in our hearts. How good the warmth of God’s love feels! He gives us a new life so that we can begin to live righteously — ways that are right according to God. The light from Him can drive out sin’s deepest darkness.
Eight minutes and thirty-one seconds is how long it takes for the light from the sun to reach the earth. But you don’t have to wait that many minutes to know God’s love. You can know His love right now by looking to Him in faith. Don’t remain in the darkness of sin and unbelief. Come to Him who said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness; but shall have the light of life” (John 8:1212Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)).
Shadows
“Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity” is one of the best-known verses of the Bible (Ecclesiastes 12:88Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 12:8)). The word “vanity” means “meaninglessness”. We crave meaning in our lives. To live a meaningless existence is to live in the dark shadows. I would like to share with you five vanities that affect all of us, then follow up with a set of truths that have the power to drive the shadows away.
Vanity 1: The Shortness of Life
The average life expectancy for the general population of the world is about 73 years. If you go to a graveyard you can find headstones of the very young and the very old. Life, besides being brief, is very uncertain. If this one short life is all there is, what difference does it make what kind of life you live?
It makes a great deal of difference because this one short life isn’t all there is. God has made us with a soul that will never go out of existence. There is life after death. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). Each one of us will have to give an account to God for how we have lived.
Those who have come to Christ by faith, in this life, will live forever in heaven, while those who refused God’s grace will be sent away into hell’s awful night.
Does what you do in this short life matter? It matters immensely because there is a never-ending existence to come.
Vanity 2: Idolatry
What is the stock? In the ancient world men would cut down a tree and carve it into an idol. Then they bowed down to it and worshiped it. God has always condemned idolatry because it corrupts the hearts of men and women and turns them away from the living God.
Idolatry doesn’t always involve the worship of statues and images. The Bible also says, “Covetousness ... is idolatry” (Colossians 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)). Sadly, anything people make more important than God becomes an idol in their hearts.
Are you living without a relationship to God? Our hearts were made to worship, and if we are not worshipping the true God, it is certain we will find false gods to worship.
Worshipping false gods is vanity because only the God of the universe has infinite power, wisdom and love. He is far above all created things. They can never even come close to taking His place. If you want something better for your life than the vanity that comes through idolatry, then do what the Apostle Paul said in the book of Acts, “Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Acts 14:1515And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:15)).
Vanity 3: Deceit
Several thousand years ago our first parents listened to and believed a lie rather than the truth God told them. At that moment a floodgate for deceit was opened. Ever since then deceit and falsehoods have filled the world we live in. The following are some of the atrocious lies that abound.
“There is no judgment for sinners.” “God does not exist.” “Human government is the highest authority.” “It doesn’t matter how we live.” “God will not punish the wicked.” “There is no life after death.” These lies, and many others like them, are repeated over and over like broken records until the great mass of people believe them. Hearing the same tired falsehoods over and over make the world a dreary place to live.
Deceit in the long run always leads to vanity and emptiness. The only way to drive out the vanity of deceit in our lives is to come to the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man come[s] unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). On the cross He who was the truth, who lived the truth, and revealed God’s truth, was crucified. He gave His life so those of us who lied, and listened to lies, and lived a lie, might have a chance to come to know God’s truth and light.
If you are tired of listening to the lies and deceits that abound in this world, you can find rest for your soul by coming by faith to the One who never wavered from the truth. The Lord Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
Vanity 4: Pride of Life
We like to think of ourselves as capable and self-sufficient. But the truth is that without God’s help we can do precious little. He is the One who has given us all that we have: our intelligence, our looks, our talents, our personalities, our skills, our ability to reason and to understand. Even our life is a gift. When we are proud, we forget that all that we have is really a gift from God. Proud thoughts are full of vanity, false and far from reality. “God resist[s] the proud but give[s] grace unto the humble” (James 4:66But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6)).
Will you humble yourself before God? The Lord Jesus gave His life for you on the cross so that His grace and salvation can be yours. How you respond to the grace He shows you will determine where you spend eternity.
Vanity 5: Safety Apart from God
In these troubled times, a strong deadbolt on the door at home is a wise precaution, but it is far better to have God’s protection in your life. There are plenty of forces of evil that can break down the thickest door, but there is no force of evil that can overcome God’s power. He will forever be a shield to those who trust Him.
The above five vanities have the ability to cast deep shadows across our lives. Only the love of Christ can drive those shadows away. Call out to Him today in faith. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)).
Emptiness can hide inside apparent success. Learn more about Where to Find Success.