Bridge 5 The Bridge to Eternity

[HKHaugan]

Now we come to the true bridge. But first we need to revisit the other four that lead to nowhere. The reason will become obvious as we move toward them again and see if they are the ones we might have traveled across. Those travels could very well be a testimony waiting to be shared.

Bridge 1. Identity. Mt.10:39 “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” In Matthew an identity is found that then is lost.

Bridge 2. Moment. Mk.8:35-36 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” In Mark each moment of life seems saved then lost.

Bridge 3. Lifestyle. Lk.17:33 “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” In Luke a lifestyle is hung onto but then lost.

Bridge 4. Love. Jn.12:25 “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” In John love misplaced then lost.

If you've ever had the experience of traveling to Key West you might remember driving on the highway that I assume replaced traveling on the old railroad, the scattered skeleton of which still remains parallel there. Like that place and in other places you will see new bridges that replace old ones too narrow or too worn out to accommodate an increasing population. It seems there are always new bridges that replace old ones and they in turn become old and something else comes along to replace them. A lot of money, energy and material goes into their construction only to end up unused, taken apart or just plain left to disintegrate. Simply put, they died. Is there a bridge that endures the ravages of time and use?

This brings us to a real bridge, one that can't be seen but is more real than one you can see. We come to Bridge 5, the bridge to eternity. As has been said this bridge was right in the middle of Jesus' words. Noting Bridge 1 above, Matthew's quote concerns our identity. Whoever is willing to reject their secular identity for Jesus' sake will find a new one. It's interesting that in Matthew 'for my sake' in Greek is eneken emou. It means 'as far as it depends on me.' So Jesus is saying that as far as you are willing to go to depend on Him, He will replace your secular identity with your eternal identity in Him. You will find you are an image of God that will never cease to be, even if you die. He guarantees you'll have an eternal living identity as His younger brother or sister in His Kingdom. How far are we willing to go to let Him influence all of our life, to be completely dependent on Him from moment to moment for who we are in the world? How far is too far or is there a 'too far'?

This world is a practice field in establishing our identity in a relationship with Him. The moment for making that particular choice of how far arrived for the rich young man who came to Jesus (Matt.19:16-22) asking what it took to get eternal life. When faced with giving up everything he had accumulated to follow Jesus, he backed away saddened and left. The Gospels are full of moment challenges like that where Jesus faced people with identity choices. Every one of His teachings called for and still calls for, a moment of decision. How far was Jesus willing to go to depend on His Father for His identity as His Father's Son, Messiah, Savior, Lord and Redeemer? That's right, to the Cross. And that for our sake.

Moments then, the calls they make for choices, are spiritual inches on the way to eternity. Moments are also the next events toward which we are headed every day, a journey we choose either for His sake or ours. What we have to learn is that each moment calls for us to cross a bridge that will take us to nowhere or a bridge that will take us to eternity. They may involve people and tasks, things to be done, choices and decisions to be made. They are distances measured not by minutes or miles but by faith. Are these made with a consciousness of Jesus' presence and direction? Will it all be to honor Him? Are we all in or all out?

There is a marvelous scene in 'Les Miserables,' both on the stage and in the movie, where Jean val Jean, a convict who, by coming to faith in God, has built a new life and become mayor of a town in France. His relentless pursuer, the pharisaic legalist Inspector Jauvert, who believes no one can be redeemed, happens on him years after his escape, helping lift a wagon off of a man trapped underneath. The amazing song that is sung by Jean val Jean describes a man struggling in that moment with his true identity. Will he run or will he stand up and face whatever comes now that he is a believer. He sings “Who am I?' followed by some self confrontational soul wrestling and finishes the song with, “Who am I? I'm Jean val Jean.” This declaration was yes, he was a former convict. Yes, he had stolen bread for survival and suffered severe justice for it in chains. Yes, he wanted to run. But no. He would not and could not run nor deny who he was. For now, in this defining moment, he was a converted man named Jean val Jean and his integrity before God was more important than his worldly position as mayor.

We may not face the extreme circumstance of Jean val Jean but every choice is a spiritual inch gained or lost on the way to eternity. The beautiful truth in Jesus is one gift He has made always available and waiting. It's called repentance. It's repentance with a double promise. First, it's the recognition that I've wronged God and need forgiveness which is guaranteed when we realize that truth (1Jn.1:9). Second, the guarantee is that He remembers confessed sin, no more! (Is.43:25, Heb.10:17).

So Bridge 1 has been found too dangerous to continue on so we make a u-turn called repentance and on the other side of that repentant exchange for forgiveness lies the vision of a new bridge, Bridge 5, the Bridge to Eternity.

The Designer and Builder is the Bridge Himself, the Lord Jesus, risen and always there for us to cross over.

Before we start across it we need to return to those other three bridges and see the u-turn necessary there. Perhaps we will run into others trying to journey across them and help them see 'nowhere' is a dead end, literally so. But “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”