Timeless Truth for Truthless Times
- Heather Erdmann
- May 3
- 5 min read
Biblical Concepts of Time (And Why They Matter to Us)
Whether you’ve lived 20, 40, 60, 80, or more years here on Earth, you’ve probably seen numerous changes throughout your life. Whether it be the prevailing culture, clothing styles, musical genres, family dynamics, or even your own tastes and preferences, life offers many twists and turns—some positive, some negative, and some simply neutral. Thankfully, amidst all the uncertainty that life affords, we have a solid foundation to build our lives upon in the Bible. We can take comfort in the certainty that is God and His Word.
The world may consider truth relative, but the Bible presents timeless truth in these truthless times. It also offers a unique understanding of time itself. The Biblical concepts of time should matter to us because they affect us both here and now... and for all eternity!
The Author Transcends Time
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Critics may say the Bible is an outdated, ancient manuscript that no longer applies to our modern times, yet the Bible is timeless because God is timeless. Not only did He exist before time began, but because He is eternal, He also exists in the future. The Creator of time is outside the boundaries of time that constrain us as mortal humans.
Even though our whole concept of human time is based on the earthly life of Jesus and is divided into B.C. and A.D., which stand for “Before Christ” and “Anno Domini” (or “in the Year of the Lord”) respectively, no one can fully describe the timelessness of our infinite God.
Biblical Concepts of Time Throughout Scripture
Past, Present, and Future--A Biblical Timeclock
One fascinating aspect of time and timelessness concerning the Bible is that it gives us a glimpse of God before time began, encompasses events that span our entire human existence, and describes our future beyond time into eternity!
In the Beginning...
We see a glimpse of God’s eternality in Exodus 3:14, where He states, “I AM WHO I AM,” indicating He had no beginning and will have no end. And we see Jesus's existence before creation in the very first verses of the Gospel of John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2)
God Stepped Into Time...
And, although God existed before both time and creation, Jesus Christ—the Word of God Himself—took on flesh and stepped into both our world and time when He came to earth to live among us:
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Past, Future, and Eternity...
The Bible is also filled with prophecies of the coming Messiah, which looked into the future for those living in Old Testament times. But now we look back on the past to those prophecies and know they have been fulfilled in Jesus. The Bible then continues to detail time through the end of this age and into eternity:
“I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13)
Truth is Not Relative
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
When God inspired the authors to pen the Bible’s words, He intended them to endure forever. They would never become obsolete. He was not unaware of future circumstances or current times. Nothing is new or a surprise to God. Those who say the Bible is outdated or that the original writers of Scripture didn’t foresee future cultural or societal changes forget that God is the ultimate Author and that He is outside of time. God’s unchanging nature is our firm foundation for truth in a world filled with relativistic morals and ideas. The Bible is still as applicable today as it was originally because its principles are still true and can be applied to all situations and experiences when taken in their respective contexts.
For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to always be thankful, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us to take good care of our bodies to glorify God, and Luke 6:31 gives us “The Golden Rule” to treat others the way we want to be treated. Proverbs alone has 31 chapters and 915 verses with practical life principles for almost every situation we could face. We can trust the Bible to help us navigate relationships, work, and every aspect of daily life.
God’s Word teaches us wisdom, guides our decisions, corrects us when we lose our way, comforts us in times of trouble, and prepares us for this life and the next.
Biblical Concepts of Time Give Us Timeless Truths
As we navigate our ever-changing world, we have an unshakable confidence knowing that our God transcends time. He is the God who was, who is, and who is to come, and He has given us His eternal Word as our anchor amidst life's uncertainties. Unlike shifting cultural opinions or evolving human philosophies, Scripture offers absolute truth that remains relevant across all generations because the Author exists outside the boundaries of time.
We can build our lives on this unchanging foundation by:
1.) Immersing ourselves daily in God's Word and letting it transform us:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
2.) Allowing the Bible's timeless wisdom to guide our decisions and measuring what the world says against what God says:
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)
3.) Cultivate an eternal perspective that sees beyond temporary circumstances:
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Aligning our fleeting lives with God's timeless principles, absolute truth, and unchanging character provides us with the stability we need in these turbulent times. When everything else seems uncertain, His timeless truth remains our surest foundation—yesterday, today, and forever.
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