Our memory is a wonderful and gracious gift from the Lord. By allowing us to remember the past, God bestows upon us the enormous blessing of cherished memories while simultaneously using the past to shape us in our sanctification and spiritual maturity. Walking with someone losing their memory to the effects of Alzheimer’s or dealing with amnesia as a result of a horrific accident gives you a new appreciation for what it would be like to go through life not knowing–not knowing the things you’ve done or that have been done for you, the places you’ve been, or those whose shoulders you stand on.

If you think about it, almost every non-fiction book ever written is a history book of some kind. Certainly explicit historical tomes or biographies are obvious historical works, but even instructional and self-help books are all about creating lessons based on observations of past events and actions. Even math and science textbooks are fundamentally based on recalling past observations and discoveries.

But what about the future? Over the centuries, a myriad of books have been written by visionary prognosticators, futurists, and even those claiming to be outright psychics hoping to predict what might happen at some point either somewhere or to someone. But as Christians, we know that the Bible is the one book uniquely qualified to speak to the future, whether on this earth or in our eternal future on the new heavens and new earth. 

What is the purpose of the future promises in Scripture? Bible scholars estimate that about 30% of God’s Word concerns prophecy. Why so much? Why did the Prophets, Apostles, and Christ Himself dedicate so much space telling us about what is to come? Here are three key reasons why Christians should seek to remember the future.

So that we are not surprised

We should not be surprised at what will happen to us as individuals in this life because we are in Christ and share in His sufferings. In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter tells us to not be surprised when we face fiery trials for they are not a strange thing. He tells us that we suffer as Christians in the name of Christ and that through this we share in Christ’s sufferings–something in which we should rejoice. But at the same time, we must follow Peter’s stark warning to be sure that we do not suffer because we are acting like unbelievers, that our suffering should not be because we are acting as murderers, thieves, evildoers, or even troublesome meddlers (v15). For we as Christians must be righteous and suffer for righteousness’ sake, entrusting our “souls to a faithful Creator in doing good” (v19).

Also, we should not be surprised at what will happen in the world around us. In the opening verses of His Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, Jesus Himself tells us what will be coming in this world, what it is that must happen prior to His return. We are told that there will be societal disasters (war) and natural disasters (famines and earthquakes), resulting in untold amounts of suffering, bloodshed, and death in the world around us and that these things are “merely the beginning of birth pains”  (v8).

Lest we be complacent to believe that those things simply happen “over there”, in that far away country we only hear about on the news, Jesus continues on in the passage to warn us that we will be hated by all nations (including our own) because of Christ’s name. What a stark reminder that eventually the entire world will hate us because we are in Christ. In fact that hatred is so consuming that it will infiltrate the church. First that we will be hated and betrayed by those that have claimed the name of Christ but are in fact false believers and, second, that false prophets will rise up to try and deceive us into following the path of the evil one. 

So that we would not be anxious

It is safe to say that for a significant portion of the secular world, anxiety has seemingly become normal–a simple fact of life. Searching Amazon.com for books referencing anxiety returns over 50,000 results while scientific studies seek to classify anxiety as a disorder that afflicts vast swaths of society, especially young adults. But as Christians, should we be anxious about the future, whether it’s tomorrow or even 10 or 20 years from now? Scripture’s answer to that question is a resounding “no”. At the end of Matthew 6, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us to not be anxious about where basic necessities come from or what challenges arise each subsequent day we are still on this earth. In Philippians 4:6-7 the Apostle Paul tells us to be anxious for “nothing”, making our requests known to God through prayer and petition, for in doing so a peace that surpasses all comprehension (especially worldly comprehension) will guard our hearts and minds in Christ.

Ultimately, why is it that we don’t need to be anxious as the world is? Because we know what is coming. We know that our hope lies in Christ and His resurrection. We know that no matter what happens to us on this earth, we will one day be in eternal glory with our Savior. That we will be made whole, there will be no more tears, and that God will have His justice. Oh what a glorious thought that is!

So that we would hope with anticipation

That assurance of what is to come is why we as Christians are unique in that we can truly have hope and that we can live each day with anticipation. Anticipation that one day Christ will return to gather His church to be with Him for eternity. The world cannot say that. The world does not have a true understanding of what will happen to them when they die. For the world, they can only hope for a better tomorrow, for their best life to be right now. As Christians, we know that our best life is not now nor will our best life be on this earth. No matter how many joys we experience in this life as God’s children nor how many blessings and gifts the Lord bestows on us in this life, they cannot compare with the perfect joy that is to come. Therefore…

“…since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.” (Heb 12:1-3 LSB)

More Reading

If you or someone you know struggles with being anxious about what tomorrow brings, here are some great books that will help ground you in what Scripture teaches on the topic:

• Anger, Anxiety, and Fear: A Biblical Perspective by Stuart Scott
• Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Care Of Your Soul by John MacArthur
• The Sermon on The Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair Ferguson
• The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs