Scripture reveals that God has structured the world to reveal eternal truth, display His goodness, expose the darkness of sin, and prepare His people for the age to come.
This life is not a random sequence of events or a test to earn eternal life—it is God’s chosen stage where the contrast between His ways and the ways of sin are fully seen. Every experience in this fallen world points toward one of two realities: the way of life or the way of death.
Below is the biblical foundation for this truth and what it means for followers of Christ.
1. God Established Creation as a Revelation of Eternal Realities
From the very beginning, God established the world as a place where the outcomes of obedience and rebellion would be revealed.
The Two Ways: Life and Death
In Eden, God placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2–3). This was not merely an ancient command; it set the pattern for all of human history.
God intended creation to display:
- the beauty and blessing of His ways
- the horror and destruction that flow from sin
The garden was a microcosm of the entire story of humanity: two paths, two outcomes, two kingdoms.
2. This Life Displays the Goodness of God’s Ways vs. the Darkness of Sin
God tells His people that the entire structure of Drearthly life is designed to reveal two things:
- 1. His righteous ways lead to blessing and life.
- 2. The path of rebellion leads to ruin and death.
This is not simply moral instruction. It is a divine explanation of how reality works—a reality meant to teach us about eternity.
The world reveals the two paths
The book of Proverbs reinforces the same truth:
- The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, growing brighter (Prov. 4:18).
- The path of the wicked is deep darkness (Prov. 4:19).
The contrast is not merely spiritual—it is observable in daily life. God uses actual experience (relationships, decisions, purity, faithfulness, integrity) to display the outcomes of each kingdom.
The joy of righteousness and the pain of sin are not random—they are lessons about eternity.
3. Creation Itself Teaches Us About God’s Eternal Nature
Creation is a constant teacher.
God built the physical world so that:
- His power
- His wisdom
- His goodness
- His eternality
could be seen, experienced, and known in this life.
Every sunrise, every relationship, every scientific discovery whispers, “God is eternal, wise, powerful, and good.”
This world is not neutral—it is revelation.
4. God Uses Earthly Experiences to Lead Us Toward Eternal Life
Scripture teaches that God uses what happens in this life to instruct and shape His people for eternity.
This means:
- every mercy
- every answered prayer
- every provision
- every forgiveness
- every moment of beauty
is God teaching us who He is and drawing us to Himself.
The grace of God in this life trains believers—literally educates them—for the coming age. God is forming His people now with the character that will fill the new creation.
5. This Life Reveals Who Belongs to God and Who Does Not
Scripture says that earthly life exposes the true condition of the heart.
Present life is the stage on which the true spiritual identity of each person becomes visible:
- love vs. hatred
- righteousness vs. sin
- humility vs. pride
- truth vs. deception
God is not testing His people to see what they will become—
He is revealing what they already are in Christ.
This revelation prepares the world for the final division between the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the saved and the lost.
6. God Uses This Life to Display the Glory of His Grace Forever
Ephesians 2:7 states explicitly that God saved His people in this life so that:
“in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace.”
In other words:
- Salvation in this life
- Transformation in this life
- Faithfulness in this life
will forever display the beauty of God’s eternal goodness.
Your life right now is a canvas upon which God is painting the glory that will be praised for all eternity.
7. This Life Separates What Is Temporary from What Is Eternal
God is using this present age to expose:
- what is lasting
- what is passing
- what is eternal
- what is temporary
- what can stand in His kingdom
- what will be destroyed by His holiness
The whole structure of earthly life is meant to prepare believers for the unshakable kingdom they will inherit.
What This Means for Followers of Christ
1. Your experiences here are not wasted—they are revelation.
God is showing you His goodness in a thousand ways.
2. Every contrast in this life is an eternal lesson.
Holiness vs. sin, love vs. selfishness, truth vs. lies—all reveal the nature of the two kingdoms.
3. The pain of sin is a warning.
God lets sin show its fruits so you may cling to the way of life.
4. The beauty of righteousness is a foretaste of heaven.
Every moment of loving obedience reveals the goodness of God’s eternal kingdom.
5. Your life is part of God’s eternal story.
You are living in the age where God displays His grace, His truth, and His power before all creation.
Final Encouragement
This life is not the final story—but it is the stage on which God displays the nature of His eternal kingdom and the end of all things.
For the follower of Christ, life here is God’s gift of revelation:
- teaching you
- shaping you
- training you
- preparing you
- and showing you the beauty of His eternal goodness and the emptiness of sin.
And when Christ returns, what you have learned and lived by faith will become sight.