The Book of Ecclesiastes Part 2

There are several ways to develop and maintain an eternal perspective on life:

John 3:3- Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

1. Make certain you have been born again. Eternity awaits all of us, but the only way to ensure that we spend eternity in heaven with God is to be born again. That new birth results in a renewed spirit and a new desire to please God.

Acts 4:31- And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was

shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God

with boldness.

2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit-We receive the Holy Spirit as a gift the moment we are saved. The degree to which we submit ourselves to His transforming work is the degree to which we can live with an eternal perspective.

3. Store up treasure in heaven. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. The treasures we store for eternity are the things done for Christ on earth.

Whatever you try to build your life on other than Jesus is ultimately utterly meaningless….

Note: The garden of Eden, which God created for Adam and Eve, was “very good” (Gen 1:31)- a fruitful and meaningful place to live. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they were expelled from the garden, and a guard was placed at the gateway on the east side, (Gen 3:24).

Ecclesiastes drives home the point that life in this fallen world east of Eden is futile and meaningless. A parallel from Paul in the New Testament illumines this backdrop.

Romans 8:20-21- For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope v.21- that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

When man rebelled against God’s design, (Gen 3), a frustrating curse was brought into the world. According to Paul, the fallen creation is futile and in bondage, screaming for rescue.

The creation of humanity and the fall into sin are the background to Solomon’s observations of life in this broken world. God created the world good with a design for everything. God created the world as a perfect home for His children, and gave good gifts like food, drink, relationship, and sex. God designed these gifts to be used as He intended and not as ends in and of themselves. They were designed to cause our hearts to worship our Creator. When we eat, drink, or enjoy sex with our spouse, these activities elicit a reaction of praise and gratitude to God for His good gifts. Instead, we rebelled against God’s good

design and began using His gifts in ways He did not intend. We’ve turned them into ends rather than means.

We sought to find satisfaction in the created things rather than the Creator God……

The loss of an eternal perspective has to be restored. The source of our restoration is Christ and Him alone. Our eternal lens must be clear through the written word of God. Having a strong defense and living a life in the Spirit, requires us to be able to have a purified perspective. If we are seeking satisfaction in any area of our lives, Christ has to be the center, where we live FROM, or our seeking and pursuits are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Note: The Book of Ecclesiastes is of extreme value, especially for those who seek to discover the reason for life; people who take life seriously. In this permissive, hedonistic, materialistic society, there is a great need to understand the principles taught in the book.

The author reveals the futility of life without God and is not afraid to bring it into the dynamic of life.