How Many Days Do We Have Remaining in Our Lives?

There are countless people living in this world; however, among all of these people, there is not a single person who knows exactly how much time they have remaining in their life. Most of them tend to spend their time each day only thinking about their lives on this earth. On the other hand, there are also those who think about the Kingdom of Heaven and live for that eternal world.

What kind of life are we currently living in this world? We need to examine ourselves to see whether or not we are blindly walking the path of faith with a vague notion of Heaven. We also need to seriously consider what kind of goal and direction we should choose for our life, asking ourselves: “What should I live for? How should I live my life?”

The Wisdom to Count Our Days

Thomas More was an English politician, as well as the author of the book Utopia. He was imprisoned at the end of his life because he refused to compromise his principles. When his family visited him in prison, they attempted to persuade him to abandon his resistance against the king, emphasizing how pitiful it would be if he were to die in prison. They urged him to hear their plea, in hopes that he would retract his stance and have his life spared. After hearing the earnest plea of his family, he asked them how many more years they thought he would be able to live in this world if he followed their advice. His family reasonably assumed that he would live approximately 20 years or more. After considering their position, he replied as follows:

“I refuse to sell my soul and abandon my hope for eternal life, only to live a few more years on this earth.”

Thomas More understood that 20 additional years was far too short of a time period, when compared to the eternal life that would be given to him in the world to follow after death. He reasoned to himself that he could never give up on eternity, only to live physically for a slightly longer period of time.

In the same way, we need to consider how many days we have remaining in our own lives. In this day and age, the average lifespan of a human being is typically no more than seventy or eighty years. Even if we live up to 100 years, all of our days pass away swiftly. In reality, we only live for a very limited period of time. Therefore, there is a very small amount of time left for us to live on this earth.

Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Ps 90:11–12

The author of the book of Psalms asked God to grant His people the wisdom to realize the finite brevity of their life. This is a very important teaching. What will happen to us if we choose to deny God, abandon our faith, and completely disregard our gospel mission, only for this short earthly life that is focused on temporary things? When we consider how many days we have remaining in our lives, we can understand what we should live for during the remainder of our time on this earth. In this way, we will be able to prepare wisely for the eternal world that is surely coming soon.

There are some who may have dozens of years left to live, and there are some who may only have a few more years or even days remaining. It is a very foolish choice to abandon your hope for the eternal life God has promised, simply for this temporary and transient life. We need to count our remaining days correctly in order to gain a heart of wisdom and be worthy enough to enter the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

The Invisible Eternal World

There is nothing eternal on this earth, nor is there a single person who can live on this earth forever. It does not matter how powerful a person may be; he will inevitably die in due time. This is the vanity and reality of life.

All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Ps 90:9–10

It would be wonderful if all of the days of our lives were to pass away while we were living in the joy of God; however, the Bible testifies that most people will live their lives under the wrath of God. This essentially means that most people will spend all of their youth and energy pursuing the pleasures of this sinful world, rather than living their lives in accordance with the pleasing will of God.

The days of our lives pass away so quickly, just as the Bible has said: “They quickly pass, and we fly away.” If we calculate how many days each of us has remaining in our life on this earth, we will realize that we do not have much time. In actuality, there is only a short amount of time left for all of us. In the Kingdom of Heaven that God has prepared for us, time is eternal.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Co 4:16–18

The Bible teaches us that we should pursue the things of the invisible world, not the visible things on this earth, as those visible things are only temporary and the invisible things are eternal. God earnestly wants His children to focus on the eternal things, as they work diligently to acquire them. In an effort to shift our mindset, God advises us to seriously consider how many days we have left to live on this earth.

The Mission Entrusted to the Workers of the New Covenant Leads to Eternal Life

The longer I live as a pilgrim on this earth, the more frequently I hear about the deaths of my acquaintances. As their bodies return to the earth, their wisdom, wealth and power become completely meaningless. They come to gradually disappear from the memories of others. In contrast, those who achieve great results while participating in the gospel work as the people of God are carried into the arms of God, after living faithful lives on this earth. They are never forgotten, and they remain in the memories of brothers and sisters as beautiful fruits. This is why God always tells us to become the workers of the New Covenant.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Co 3:6

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mk 16:15–16

God has enabled us to become qualified as the workers of the New Covenant, and He has asked us to go throughout the entire world to preach the gospel to all people. There are numerous types of jobs on this earth, and many people put all of their effort into their job, as a means of supporting their transient life. We need to realize that God has given us the blessed opportunity to work for eternal things, even if only for a short amount of time.

God has chosen and called us to be the workers of the Gospel of the New Covenant, and He has sent us all throughout the world to carry out this work. We should understand that this world is our workplace and mission field. It does not matter what kind of job each of us may have, nor does it matter where God has physically placed us at this point in our life of faith. Regardless of our situation, we should never stop preaching the will of God to all of the people around us. Those who come to believe in the gospel we preach to them and choose to be baptized will be saved; however, those who refuse to accept or believe in the gospel we preach will be condemned. We have been entrusted with the great mission to save everyone in the world. Therefore, we should strive to preach the gospel of the New Covenant in every opportunity we are given, until we enter Heaven, our eternal home.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; . . . For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Ti 4:1–8

The Apostle Paul dedicated his entire life to preaching the gospel, and prior to being martyred, he said that the time had come for his departure, acknowledging that the days of his life had finally reached their end. If the Apostle Paul had chosen to deny Jesus and abandon his faith, he would have been released from prison; however, such a thought never even crossed his mind, because he fully understood the tremendous difference in the length of time between his physical life on this earth and the eternal life God promised to give him in the world to come. Paul confidently said that the crown of righteousness was awaiting him, and he encouraged the saints to continue preaching the Word, being prepared both in season and out of season.

The Faith of the Saints Who Longed for Heaven

Our forefathers of faith faithfully walked the path of the gospel, with the realization that their life on this earth was only temporary.

. . . who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Heb 11:33–38

The Apostle Paul and many other saints of the early Church were physically tortured while preaching the gospel, yet they refused to be released. They suffered every kind of disadvantage and hardship while simultaneously being called heretics. Despite all of these circumstances, they did not care at all, as their faith was utterly unbreakable. They knew better than anyone else that everything on this earth is temporary. They were not afraid of those who persecuted and mocked them, because they knew that every single one of those individuals would come to die in due time. They firmly believed that they needed to maintain their faith at any cost in order to receive eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. They constantly pushed themselves to endure every circumstance they were placed in, understanding that they only needed to stay on this earth a little while longer. As a result of their determined mindset, they were able to regard all of the hardships and trials they faced, as though they were nothing.

As Christians, we should have a clear understanding of how time is measured on this earth and in the Kingdom of Heaven, respectively. The moment we come to forget that our time on this earth is temporary, all of our wisdom will disappear, and we will endanger the stability of our faith, ultimately falling into the temptations of this evil world. We will be tempted to grumble against God and eventually abandon our faith as life becomes more difficult, even if it is only a small matter.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Ro 8:16–18

The Bible says that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. The saints of the early Church genuinely believed this promise and as a result, they never gave up their hope for Heaven in any difficult situation. They thought to themselves, “I’m going to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven soon. What is the point of living for only a few more years on this earth by denying Christ and losing the Kingdom of Heaven? What kind of joy or happiness could I possibly have on this earth, knowing what my end result would be if I were to deny Christ in this temporary moment of trial and difficulty?” They had such unshakable faith that the world was not worthy of them.

We should have this same kind of faith in the center of our hearts and open our spiritual eyes to see the Kingdom of Heaven every day, as we continue living out the remaining days of our lives on this earth. Our final and eternal destination is Heaven. We will enjoy eternal life and happiness with Heavenly Father and Mother in the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever. We need to always remember this and live for the Kingdom of Heaven while fulfilling the duties of our earthly jobs faithfully. Additionally, we should make every effort to stay away from worldly desires.

A Life That is Pleasing to God

God has already given us the answer to the following questions: How many days remain in our lives? What should we live for, and what is the wisest way for us to live? Although we had previously lived our lives under God’s wrath as a result of not knowing God, let us now live a life that is pleasing to God, by putting all of our effort into saving the world, as the workers of the New Covenant. When all of our days come to an end, the time will surely come when we will see whether or not we have spent our time on this earth in a meaningful way.

. . . This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness . . . Col 1:22–25

The Apostle Paul rejoiced in his sufferings on behalf of the saints, and he filled up in his flesh what was still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, that is, the church. He lived in the hope of receiving the eternal crown of righteousness, which God would bestow upon him after he finished his life on this earth and returned to Heaven. If we have this kind of faith as gospel workers, we can truly live a happy life.

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 2 Ti 2:3–4

Since we have been chosen to be the good solders of Christ, we cannot avoid hardships throughout our lives. For those who are called as the soldiers of Christ and the workers of the New Covenant, this world is no longer a place of worldly pleasure or rest; rather, it has become a mission field. Those who do not work but simply rest in their workplace will spend their lives under the wrath of the Lord. Whenever we encounter hardship, we need to consider the few remaining days of our lives on this earth. By doing so, we will be able to renew our faith and endure.

When we were a part of this world, we lived without knowing anything about God or the Kingdom of Heaven; however, now we are learning the way to live for the Kingdom of Heaven every day, through the word of God. As the people of Zion, we must live for eternal life. There are still many people who are living their lives in vain. We must teach them about life in the eternal world, reminding them that life on this earth will only last for a short period of time before disappearing. I earnestly ask all of you to walk the true path of faith in order to please and glorify God as much as possible. Please live your life with the wisdom to understand that your days are very short and limited. In this situation, we should eagerly preach the glory of Father Ahnsahnghong and our Heavenly Mother, the New Jerusalem, to Samaria and even to the ends of the earth.