Why Right Now Counts Forever?

At Ligonier we publish Tabletalk, a monthly magazine with daily Bible studies and theological articles from Christian scholars. Since we launched Tabletalk in 1977, it has been my responsibility to write a monthly column titled, "Right Now Counts Forever."

The reason I chose that title for my column was this—we are living in a period of skepticism and pessimism. We are assaulted on every side by the theme of negative existential philosophy that teaches us one of two things: either right now doesn't count at all, or right now counts for right now, and that's all. If right now counts only for right now, that's the same as saying right now counts for nothing. We're all concerned with the lasting significance of life, and effort, and production. Who's interested in producing something that is useful for a moment and then perishes.

If right now counts only for right now, that’s the same as saying right now counts for nothing.

As Christians we are called to be concerned with eternal things, and to think about everything we do from the vantage point of the eternal. The statement in Tabletalk each month, "Right Now Counts Forever," is my attempt to crystallize the central message of the Bible—that everything that happens today has eternal significance. Every cup of cold water that you give to a thirsty person counts, and it counts forever. Every idle word that we utter as our Lord has said will be brought into the judgment and will therefore count forever. There is no such thing as a cyclical view of history to God. Indeed, right now counts forever.