What does the Bible say about things with true eternal value?

from the old testament

• The things of this world are temporary, but God’s presence and covenant with His people are lasting (Psalm 16:11; Psalm 73:25–26).
• People are created in God’s image, and their choices and obedience carry weight beyond this life (Genesis 1:26–27; Deuteronomy 30:19–20).
• Wisdom, justice, and devotion to God are portrayed as lasting riches, while pursuits of wealth or status apart from God are fleeting (Proverbs 3:13–18; Ecclesiastes 5:10–15).

from the new testament

• The apostle John drew a sharp contrast between what belongs to this world and what belongs to God. He warned believers, “Do not love the world or the things in the world …. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17). By saying that the world is passing away, John meant that the world system and its sinful desires are going away.
• However, while the things of the world are going away, every person has an eternal future (John 5:28–29). Everyone will be resurrected at the end. Some will have everlasting joy with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), whereas others will face eternal destruction for rejecting Him (2 Thessalonians 1:9). People’s relationship to Christ, then, is the part of this life that is eternally significant. However, while everything outside of Christ is temporary, many things in this life can benefit eternity.
• Jesus warned that wealth hinders the heart’s ability to follow Him because it can tempt us to put our trust in it (Mark 10:23). However, the New Testament also shows believers using their resources to care for the needy and support gospel ministry (Acts 4:34–35). Things in this life that are for personal ease or status end with this world, while those same things, when used to strengthen the church, relieve suffering, or help others hear the gospel, carry eternal value.
• Influence can be eternal or fleeting: when used to reflect Christ’s peace and serve others, it has lasting value (Romans 12:18), but when used for self-promotion or admiration, it is temporary and holds no eternal significance (Matthew 6:16).
• Knowledge and education can have temporary or eternal value: used for self-interest or opposing God, it bears no lasting significance, but when focused on knowing Christ, it surpasses all worldly wisdom and holds eternal worth (Philippians 3:8).
• Suffering is one thing humans (rightly) try to avoid. However, striving for comfort can be done at the expense of the eternal value found in suffering. That is because believers are often called to suffer to grow to be more like Jesus (James 1:2–4). In fact, Jesus prepared His followers to expect hostility (John 15:18–19), and Peter explained that endurance in unjust suffering “is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (1 Peter 2:20).
• Many things in this world can be used for eternal value when done to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39). We love best when we are sharing the Gospel. That’s true whether we are going out as missionaries or using our finances and skills to help those who can go out. Everything we do to promote Jesus and warn of God’s coming wrath is of eternal value.

implications for today

You will live forever. Scripture makes that clear. Because of that, nothing in your life matters more than your relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Him, eternity means facing God’s wrath for your sin because His justice requires that every sin be punished. But God sent His Son so that you would not have to bear that judgment yourself. Jesus lived the perfect life you have not lived, and died the death your sins deserve. His resurrection shows that He truly paid the full penalty and that eternal life is available to you if you turn to Him in faith.

If you have never repented of your sin and trusted in Christ, do that now. Turning to Jesus is the only thing you can do right now that is eternally significant in a positive way.

Conversely, if you are already a believer, Jesus has given you a mission: to bring the gospel to all people (Matthew 28:19–20). You hold in your hands the message that every person desperately needs to hear. While for some this means a life-long calling as missionaries, God uses every believer in their own environment to help others find eternal life. So, be eternally significant in your situation by helping the gospel go forward. This includes praying for others, living like Christ, sharing the Gospel with all who will listen, and supporting your local church and missionaries who can use those funds to reach others you will never be able to reach. Everything you do to promote Jesus as Lord and to call people from their sins will echo throughout eternity!