What does it mean to be a builder for eternity?

Jeffrey D. Johnson draws a parallel between building and investing, emphasizing that both require hard work upfront for a long-term reward. As believers, we are called to invest not only in this world but ultimately for eternity. The greatest adversary of our investment is sin, which tempts us to focus on immediate gratification rather than the eternal impact of our actions. Sin encourages us to live for the moment, neglecting the consequences that can ripple through generations.

The message of God contrasts sharply with the deceptive allure of sin. While sin offers fleeting pleasure, it ultimately leads to destruction, affecting families and future generations. To truly invest in joy, we must deny ourselves and reject sinful pleasures, choosing instead to build a legacy of faithfulness and righteousness. This requires doing the hard work today, crucifying the desires of the flesh, and aligning our lives with God's eternal purposes.

Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV): "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

I love the idea of building is like you're doing an investment, hard work upfront for a long-term reward. It's an investment. And so here we are, we're to invest, Invest in eternity, invest in this world. We're investing in this world ultimately for an eternal investment. And the enemy of all investments is sin.

Sin is always live for now, live for the moment, Live for flesh. Don't think about tomorrow. Don't think about the next generation. Don't think about eternity. Just think about the joy of this moment.

You'll have fun for today. Live for now. That's the message of Satan. The message of God is generational. The message of God is eternal.

And so sin is a deception because it puts our eyes on the flesh. It puts our eyes on the now, on the present. It puts our eyes just on the immediate gratification, on the feeding of the flesh. I want to touch things, I want to see things, I want to hear things. I just want to satisfy the cravings of my body.

Live for now. And that's what sin tells us, but it will ruin tomorrow. It destroys the future. It destroys families. I mean think about a man who has a moment of temptation and commits an adultery has a fun one-night stand.

But then it ends in divorce and his kids won't talk to him anymore. It's like it's not worth the price. Sin is destructive, it's evil, it promises gratification, but it leads to destruction. The way of its transgressor is hard. So we should hate sin.

If we're going to be builders, investors, If we're going to live for eternity and live for the next generation, then we must deny ourselves and hate sin and says, no, I actually love happiness. I hate sinful pleasure because of the destruction and the misery that's going to cause me and others. I love joy. I love God. I love joy.

And to invest in joy is to do the hard things today, is to crucify sin and the flesh.