Eternity Changes Everything

by Stephen Witmer

Our view of the future affects how we feel and act in the present. Stephen Witmer excites us about where the world is heading, gives certainty about where we as individuals are heading, and thrills us about how eternity really does change everything in our daily lives.

If you are worried about your future… or if your future doesn't seem to make any difference to your now… or if you simply want to get more excited about where you will spend eternity… read this book!

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Theology

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2014

About the author

Stephen Witmer (PhD, University of Cambridge) is the pastor of Pepperell Christian Fellowship, Massachusetts, and is an adjunct professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is also the cofounder of Small Town Summits, an organization that serves rural churches and pastors.

Witmer is the author of Revelation: a 12-Week Study, Jonah: Depths of Grace, and Eternity Changes Everything. He has written for Bible Study Magazine, Reformation 21, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God. He lives in Pepperell, Massachussetts, with his wife, Emma, and their three children.

Reviews

[Elliot H · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable little book. It’s hard to mess up a book whose task it is to proclaim the life-changing effects of looking to a future more wonderful, joyful and glorious than anything we can imagine. Stephen Witmer writes with warmth and personality about the paradoxical nature of the Kingdom God. The paradox that God’s Kingdom has already entered into the world, but not in the fullest extent (which will be ushered in at the 2nd coming) has been referred to as the already-not yet kingdom. Witmer does a great job of answering the question, “how then should we live?”.
If we are living in the Already-Not-Yet Kingdom (a paradoxical concept that can, and does, cause some confusion), how does that affect how we live our lives? Witmer answers with another paradox. We are to live with restless patience. We live with patience, knowing our salvation is secure and that the best is yet to come. We do not look for satisfaction in this world. Yet we are restless for “the sons of God to be revealed”. We are living in the end times. We know what is to come and we long for it. We fix our eyes on the heavenly things, which causes us to live in the way Jesus calls us to now.
A great book with good applications founded on perfect promises.

[Heather Gladney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super encouraging and reminds us that our future is certain because of Him who has secured it. We are able to endure suffering now with restless patience because our future becomes no less certain while trials arise. We will not have any regrets in the next life, will be able to perfectly love others, and will be able to perfectly enjoy the new creation. A quick read and I highly recommend!

[Joanna Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:15-16)

A helpful book to begin the new year, good reminders of how we’re called to ‘restlessly patient’ - in loving the world in which we’re in, whilst yearning for our true home.

[Michael Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great evangelist Jonathan Edwards is credited with declaring “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” Such a statement reveals that living in light of eternity with all that we do focused not merely on this present life, but rather living our lives with an eternal goal in mind should be a hallmark of the Christian walk. Such a perspective is important as after all, Christ reminded us in Matthew 6:20 the need to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven rather than here on earth. Pastor and author Stephen Witmer, in his timely new book Eternity Changes Everything: How to Live Now in the Light of Your Future, explores this issue of living today with a focus on eternity, a truth I submit we as believers all need to grasp.

Witmer makes a very important point at the outset of his book, specifically in relation to examining how the Apostle Paul viewed life. Our focus should be eternal as it was with Paul because we can clearly notice that “Everything we read about Paul in the New Testament shows that this conviction about the future allowed him to happily give up everything now, because he was sure he was heading for everything after death.” At some point, death will find us all as unfortunately, the wages of sin is death. With that said, for the believer, death is not the end and it will have no sting, thus providing us the impetus to live in a future minded reality.

Our eternal future will be much different than the death, decay, and sinful nature we endure in this present life. Witmer rightly comments that what believers long for is a time when we will dwell in complete fullness with our Creator. Furthermore, the glorious vision the Apostle John was given shows us “God doesn’t just pitch his tent and invite us to camp alongside him. No, he opens his tent flap and beckons us to come inside, forever.” We will one day see His face and enjoy the renewal of the relationship that was lost when sin came into the picture. What a glorious day that will be and it is a day that all believers look forward to taking place.

Witmer affirms for us the need to realize this future is a certainty. The issues we face in this life due to the impact of sin will one day be dealt with for all eternity. The Kingdom of God is a now and not yet phenomenon. As Witmer so rightly notes, “Through Jesus, God has already changed the world forever. And if we understand this truth, it will change us.” It is that perspective of eternity and the fact that God is reigning and will reign forever that should impact the life of the believer to live in confidence of God’s sovereign rule.

Living in light of eternity involves in part understanding that eternal life is not just something in the far distant future. We can live with the end in view by grasping that we have eternal life right now. This does not mean of course that physical death will not one day find us. It does mean as Witmer states, that we live with hopeful expectation, an eager groaning if you will. Witmer states this as restlessness or “aligning our identities, thoughts, actions, and goals with that future.” It is the need to run the race the Apostle Paul spoke about with our sights set on the finish line, that end of the race of life and human history when Christ returns to set things straight forever.

Restlessness involves patience; something Witmer aptly reminds the reader of in his book. To live in eager groaning of the future does not mean we get ahead of God’s sovereign plan of action or His perfect timing. It means we align ourselves with His will. Witmer saliently comments “Restlessness with patience is Christian maturity. Restlessness without patience in disaster.” Witmer provides a number of practical ways that patience can be developed and cultivated in our lives as we anxiously await eternity. Two practical ways we can enact patience in our lives are to love the world less and to love it more. While this may seem contradictory, Witmer states “Knowing we have a future home steadies us in the present. As the new creation strengthens its hold, this world loosens it grip”, in particular the seemingly ever present cares of this world. At the same time, Witmer notes “restless patience gives us exactly the three things we need for productive work here and now. It motivates to want to improve our world; it shows us the stunning significance of our work in it; and it tells us how to improve it.” It is the balance of being in the world but not of the world. Restless patience does not mean we do nothing in the present. Conversely, as Witmer is so clearly declaring, restless patience defines how we live in the present, namely to the glory of God with the future always in view.

Those who far too often find themselves burdened by the present and who may have taken their eyes off the certainty of the future, will find Witmer’s book to be a needed set of corrective lenses that will refocus life from the doldrums of the present to the glorious reality of the eternal. When our mindset is focused on the eternal, we will in turn live the present life knowing our future is set. Having that understanding will keep us directed on the proper heading set by God. The restless patience that should be part of our lives will motivate us to “show and share the gospel” because “If you’re restlessly patient, it’s going to come out somehow!” I recommend this book for seasoned and new believers alike.

I received this book for free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Gwilym Tudur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant little book about how glorious eternity in Christ will be and how safe it is for his people. I particularly enjoyed how Witmer answers the question: How can we be sure about eternity? In a helpful, biblical manner (and with plenty of memorable illustrations), he explains that since Jesus had already brought God’s kingdom in a mustard-seed fashion, we can be sure he’ll finish what he started in a mustard-tree fashion. Since Christians’ eternity is both marvellous and secure (the best of both worlds), we should allow our future to change our present. The book is full of helpful application about how we can live today as restless yet patient people: restless for the sin-, suffering-, death-free New Creation, yet patient for Christ’s return like a thief in the night.

[Lydia Loh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to hear the author's journey to the new creation. This isn't always the most theologically proven book, but at least it does get one excited about the next creation and has a lot of nice nuggets of truth.

[Iain Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started this whilst camping on the 2021 May bank holiday and some of the pages got a bit wet and crinkled…

Good encouragement though to raise our eyes.
Also liked the exhortation in two of the later chapters to need this world less and love it more.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and encouraging little book! This was an easy and delightful read. Also, I think this book had the many helpful and memorable illustrations. Which made Witmer really enjoyable to read. I'm definitely "stealing" some of his illustrations as I speak to others.

[Jane Koh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it in two different rounds . Not advisable as it breaks the flow . This book was highly recommended by friends and I am glad to have caught a glimpse of the author’s conviction

[Peter Yock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, encouraging read that helped me reflect on Jesus and eternity. Helpful. I recommend.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another decent read which is again too short to really sink your teeth into.
The Good Book Company should rename themselves The OK but Really Short Book Company.
Anyway decent but I wanted more!

[Lisa Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[B · Rating 1 out of 5]

In Eternity Changes Everything: How to Live Now in the Light of Your Future by Stephen Witmer, we are told: "Our view of our future in this life affects how we live. As we'll see in this book, that is true also of our future beyond this life." This proposed thesis by the author is not well-defined; the scope is too broad and the audience is never identified. In the beginning chapters, the author seems to write directly to Christian believers, but in Chapter 5, Mr. Witmer gives an incomplete Gospel message to "others [who] find themselves condemned to enduring existence without anything good." The unbelieving reader is told to just believe, (Kindle location 545), without any reference to repentance, (see Mark 1:14-15).

Without warning, Mr. Witmer redefines his thesis in Chapter 6: "The central point of this book is that Christians are meant to live, in a healthy, exhilarating, joyful, productive, frustrating, painful, challenging tension between restlessness and patience." He then goes on to use the illustration of tightrope walking as a metaphor for the Christian life of balancing patience with restlessness. The author creates a man-centered, works-based system to balance not only the life of a Christian, but also the world itself because "the earth we improve now is the earth God will perfect then," (Kindle location 1261). He concludes by asking the reader: "Do you "think of the other world?" The more you do, the more good you'll do in and for this one," (Kindle location 1299).

Mr. Witmer's writing style is very incoherent. His sentences lack clarity and precision, and he repeats the same idea throughout the book without adding content. I found myself rereading many passages just to understand the point he was trying to make. In addition, the logical flow between paragraphs and chapters is not always evident; it was difficult to discern how his ideas were connected.

The author opens most of the chapters with a personal experience that reinforces the chapter title, and then validates the truth of that encounter by citing Scripture. He employs a method of writing that focuses more on himself and how his life explains Scripture, rather than on Jesus Christ and what Scripture actually says. An autobiography is not the proper hermeneutical approach to exegete a biblical passage.

The most alarming criticism I have of this book is Mr. Witmer's positive acknowledgment of the New Testament scholar N.T. Wright, (Kindle location 1198). N.T. Wright is a retired Anglican bishop associated with the New Perspective on Paul (NPP). In his article 'The New Perspective on Paul Part 3', Pastor Gary Gilley of Southern View Chapel says: "In the NPP, justification has nothing to do with salvation and everything to do with the church, or community... In order to make the NPP "work" it becomes necessary to redefine or deny fundamental doctrines of the faith."

While the author doesn't necessarily advocate the New Paul Perspective, his use of words seem to indicate the same tactics used by the NPP in redefining generally accepted biblical terms. While reading this book, I was uncomfortable with the author's use of unconventional words such as 'restlessness' instead of 'waiting', 'resurrection life' instead of 'eternal life', and 'new creation' instead of 'a new heaven and a new earth'. These trendy words give me the impression that Mr. Witmer has a different meaning for them than the traditional Christian understanding.

For example, Mr. Witmer generally refers to the 'new creation' as a place. However, he reveals a slight redefinition of the concept when he says: "When people see us, they should catch a glimpse of the greatness of the new creation, the beauty of forever with God...We're home and we're homesick, because the new creation is really here in us, but not fully here in this world," (Kindle location 997). The Bible says that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, (1 Cor. 5:17); believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit and conformed to the image of Christ, (Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:29). Therefore, people should see Jesus in believers, not any image of heaven. Because of the author's unusual word usage and subsequent equivocation, he implies the gnostic view that heaven is inside man, which is similar to the heretical teachings found in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas.

Eternity is changed for a Christian because of Christ's redemptive work on the cross and His subsequent ascension into heaven; it has nothing to do with man or what he does on this earth. Therefore, based on the author's man-centered view of eternity, I cannot recommend this book.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

NB: The formatting for the Kindle version does not include an interactive table of contents which makes is very difficult to navigate through the book.

[Leo Elbourne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Helpful ideas, but not really successful in convincing the reader that eternity changes anything in their life at all

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eternity Changes Everything
How to live in the light of your future
By Stephen Witmer
Publisher: The Good Book Company
121 pages

Grade: four and a half stars

Ever heard this one before: He was so heavenly minded that he was of no earthly good? Well Stephen Witmer, author of the new book Eternity Changes Everything, would disagree totally. His central premise of this great little book is that in order to live the life God has for you, to be of any value in this life, to experience life the way it was meant to and to get the most out of life one must constantly be focused on the eternity that is coming. I am reminded of an illustration from Francis Chan where he stretched a rope from the podium he was speaking out the side door of the auditorium. He pointed out on the rope where he had put an inch of tape, explaining that this was our entire life and that the rope represented eternity. He then went on to attack the idea of living for the now, living for retirement, living for this life, because it is so short compared with the next life. Stephen Witmer’s short accessible book takes this point and runs with it. Eternity is going to be great, and this well written, enjoyable book brings that home with clarity and a sense of awe that makes me excited for what is to come.

When I first picked up this book and flipped through it I noticed it had pictures. So the kid in me became excited because I can get behind books with pictures, however, the seminary grad in me stuck his nose up because “I don’t need pictures, because I be smart!” (That poor grammar was intentional…) So what was the deal with these pictures and even a tick-tack-toe game? Well I don’t want to spoil it like other reviewers have because it fits with what Witmer is trying to argue with this book and I don’t have the time to explain it at length, but suffice it to say Witmer uses these illustrations well and I was very moved by them. And that is just the pictures! His word pictures and stories are also phenomenal. Not a page is wasted in this book. I loved how he took ideas and played them off of each other in various ways in different chapters. Like the chapter entitled “Needing this World Less” followed by “Loving this World More”. If that doesn’t make you curious how an author can tell us in one breath that we need the world less and with the next breath that we must love it (and by this he means enjoying it not loving it from afar) more then I don’t know what to tell you. His picture of restless patience is wholly Biblical and very well expressed. I felt the strongest chapter was chapter seven entitled “Restlessness” where I was moved by his depiction of how we spend so much time focusing on either our past or our present without a view to our certain future. Wow! What a blessing! I was encouraged and challenged at the same time. This was a great book, totally accessible and worth a read and probably a reread.

Now with this glowing review you may be asking “Why did he not give it five stars?” And the answer is simple. As a teacher I do not accept homework without quotations cited so it really bothers me when I read a book with quotes in it from famous authors and I can’t find those quotes because the author has not documented his sources. I am one of those rare people that like to read quotes in their original context and many times I have actually bought books that authors have quoted because I wanted read it based on that quote alone. Witmer did add a bibliography but it does not help me find the quote without any footnotes or an endnotes. So if he had added these notes I would have given this book five stars.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you could picture yourself as a tightrope walker, what lines would you be trying to balance between? What would you use as your balance beam that keeps you steady and surefooted on that high wire? Is your beam helping you keep your footing effectively? If your foot has slipped a few times, and whose hasn't, perhaps you are using a balance beam that's not so helpful. I would like to share with you a book that may hold the key for surety of foot in the balance act of life: Eternity Changes Everything by Stephen Witmer.

"Our view of the future--whether it's our vacation, our career, our health, or anything else--affects how we feel and how we act, in the present."

The author devotes the first half of this compact 12-chapter book skillfully drawing vivid mental pictures of our future from a Biblical perspective. His intention is to offer his readers more than hope--a certainty we can count on without the plague of doubts nagging at us. He uses a variety of illustrations, a giant golden cube, a tic tac toe game, an oak tree, and his GRE exam, to drive home his point.

"And because those chapters are about our future, the rest of the book is about our present, about the difference knowing our future makes to how we view our lives, and live our lives, right now."

Our lives seem to be all about a balancing act. Should we live for right now, or should we live for the future? Or can we do both? How much should our view of the future influence our present? How much should we invest in this life to improve it? When should we settle and when should we not settle for what life seems to offer us? If you are struggling with a disconnect between looking back, looking forward, and living in the here and now, this book may help you gain a better perspective.

Witmer coins an intriguing phrase in this book: restless patience. It's a paradoxical combination of terms that may not make much sense to us until we have finished the second half of his book. But ask yourself these questions. When is restlessness a good trait? How much patience is the right amount and when is it alright to be impatient? I won't spoil the idea by telling you more, but I can tell you that this concept has already fixed itself in my mind's eye through the use of illustration and will stay with me a long time. It has set me thinking about my motivations for the things I do right now and will do in the months to come. That's a sign of a great book.

Eternity Changes Everything book trailer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC)on behalf of The Good Book Company. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stephen Witmer‘s book Eternity Changes Everything. He has a pleasant, chatty, easy-to-read writing style and his passion for his subject shines through on every page. For me, it ranks right up there as one of the best Christian books I have read on eternity in terms of getting me excited about where I am headed and how that changes life now.

A theme that links together the later chapters is that of a tightrope walker: ‘The central point of this book is that Christians are meant to live, and can live, in a healthy, exhilarating, joyful, productive, frustrating, painful, challenging tension between restlessness and patience.’ The author uses a graphic of a tightrope walker balancing between ‘contentment’ (because of where we are headed) and ‘dissatisfaction’ (because we’re not there yet) and in each future chapter, he adds to this picture. I was impressed that the graphic worked perfectly on my Kindle and was well-aligned with the text.

Pastor Stephen draws out wonderful insights from the Scriptures in this book, and links Old Testament types with New Testament truths beautifully. He is clearly a gifted teacher with a deep love and respect for the Scriptures and for the Lord.

This book doesn’t just raise our expectations in seeing the new heaven and earth as a certain reality to look forward to, it also challenges as to how that truth impacts our lives in the here and now. This is not a book full of theory, but one of practicality – our lives are meant to be impacted. Pastor Stephen does not take for granted that all of his readers will be believers, and he creates opportunity for his readers who don’t know Jesus to put their faith in Him. For believers, he encourages us that because we are citizens of heaven and our identity is in Christ, our lives are changed and we experience ‘restlessness with patience’ as we anticipate our future. The result of this is that as we learn to need the world less, we end up loving the world more.

'It’s a miracle whenever unlovely things and unlovely people are loved with heavenly love. As citizens of heaven extend the love of the new creation into the here and now, this world sees a better world to come.'

Eternity changes everything is a book I am already recommending to my friends as a resource that will encourage, inspire and teach. I loved its contemporary style and that it is jam-packed full of biblical truth. I’m very grateful to Cross Focused Reviews and The Good Book Company for supplying me with a free e-copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.

[Mary-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our view of the future affects how we feel and act in the present. Stephen Witmer excites us about where the world is heading, gives certainty about where we as individuals are heading, and thrills us about how eternity really does change everything in our daily lives.

If you are worried about your future… or if your future doesn’t seem to make any difference to your now… or if you simply want to get more excited about where you will spend eternity… read this book!

Your future in your present
Everything new
He will dwell with them
The future is certain
Your future is certain
Tightrope walking
Restlessness
Patience
Heavenly citizens
Needing this world less
Loving this world more

The central point of this book is that the Christian life is like walking on a tightrope on the way to a new creation. We trust in God's timing while we wait patiently for the fulfillment of His promises, that would be eternal life with Him in heaven.

As we wait here in the "world" for what the author calls the "new creation" we are to be content and patient, eagerly serving our Lord as we wait for the prize. The author speaks of restlessness, that being aligning our identities, our thoughts and actions and goals on what lies ahead for us as Christians. In other words, we don't get stuck on "worldly" things, we look to the future.

Basically we live either in the past, in the present, or we are looking toward the future. We must keep that in mind as we live the life we live here on earth.

Mr. Witmer has done a great job with these questions and how to think about our future, and what to prepare for.

I received this book free from www.crossfocusedreviews.com . I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eternity Changes Everything is another book I was given the chance to review. It's a deeper read; mostly because of how it has caused me to begin looking at things. Most of us don't (Or do we) consider our actions and how they effect us and others in the long run. Unfortunately, I know I myself, can tend to act rashly at times. Sometimes react without really considering things seriously. So where does this leave us? What does eternity mean for us when we look at the things we say and do today? Let us consider, seriously and like with "eternity on my eyes" as Jonathon Edwards has said. Let us live for that great eternity, with Christ; truly we will see and feel a difference (as will those around us) This is a quick and easy read you will complete in what feels like no time at all.

[Lynnette Goebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional book and I hope it changes my thoughts, actions, attitudes, and reactions to everything. I highly recommend it.

Stephen's writing flows smoothly, handing out truths of which we all need to be reminded. It is for everyone - those who believe in God and those who don't. He writes clearly with perfect examples from his own life. It will be on my 'read this again and again' list.

His humor also comes through time and again. He made the learning fun and cleared up a question I had about the new heaven and new earth.

[Justin Armitage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't have thought to read this book if it had not been given to me by a friend. I'm glad I did, though. My favourite spot asked some thought-provoking questions about the way I live day-to-day and asked me to consider how that reflects my vision of eternity. I appreciated the author's take on some common verses from the letter to the Philippians. Overall, I expected something a bit more practical but still found the book helpful.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Longer review on its way.