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“Friend, Life Is Too Short (#2)”
Categories: Daily LivingFriend, Life Is Too Short (#2) …
Jarrod Jacobs
Perhaps all of us at one time or another has heard someone say, “Life is too short to ….” Yes, based on the Bible’s teachings, we see that our life on earth is very brief. David said, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Ps. 90:10). James said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (Jas. 4:14). Yesterday, we studied some on this subject. Today, let us conclude this study.
After yesterday's article, I imagine most would agree that one cannot afford to live in sin as if he had all the time in the world (Prov. 27:1). Yet, when it comes to the matter of identifying sin and identifying false teachers, it is then that some people say, “Life is too short!” Or they say words to the effect, “If you’d just stay busy preaching and trying to save souls, you wouldn’t have time to worry about these matters.” Is this true? Let us examine a few cases in the Bible, and determine from Bible examples how our brief time on earth is best spent.
Consider the example of Christ. While “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10), we find Christ condemning those who were living in sin. He condemned the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites (Matt. 23:13-15, 23, 25, 27, 29). Christ also said that such people as the publicans were sick, and sinners in need of repentance (Matt. 9:12-13). What would you think dear reader, if the roles were reversed and you were in their place? Would you think “life is too short” to talk like that? Jesus would not agree with that assessment.
Another example is Paul. Paul had no problem identifying sin and naming false teachers. Paul warned Timothy of such men as Hymenaeus, Alexander, Philetus, Demas, Alexander the coppersmith, and others whose actions had led many astray (I Tim. 1:20; II Tim. 2:17, 4:10, 14). One might recall how Paul used a significant amount of the book of Galatians, to condemn the Judaizing teachers. Who is ready to say that Paul’s time and ink would have been “better spent” speaking on other subjects? Paul also told the Corinthians that if he got to see them a third time and they hadn’t repented of certain sins, “I will not spare” (II Cor. 13:2). Evidently, the Holy Spirit, who inspired Paul to write what he did, and speak what he spoke (I Cor. 14:37), did not think that life was “too short” to deal with false doctrines and false teachers who were leading people astray!
The quibble which says “life is too short” to take time to deal with false doctrine and false teachers is wrong. We find New Testament heroes standing and dealing with sin and error in an attempt to bring lost souls to Christ, and this is what we need to be doing today (I Cor. 11:1). “Life is too short” to spend it living in sin. We have a limited amount of time on earth and must be about our Father’s will while we have this day and have breath in our bodies (Jn. 9:4).
