The term "transient" refers to something temporary, fleeting, or passing. In a biblical context, it often relates to the temporal nature of human life and the material world in contrast to the eternal nature of God and His kingdom. The Scriptures frequently remind believers of the transient nature of earthly existence, urging them to focus on eternal truths and values.

Biblical References:

1. Human Life as Transient:
The Bible often compares human life to a vapor or a fleeting shadow, emphasizing its brevity and fragility. In James 4:14 , it states, "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." This verse underscores the transient nature of human life, encouraging believers to live with an awareness of their mortality and dependence on God.

2. The Transience of Material Wealth:
Material possessions and wealth are also depicted as transient. Proverbs 23:4-5 advises, "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky." This passage warns against the pursuit of wealth as an ultimate goal, highlighting its temporary nature and the futility of relying on it for security.

3. The Eternal vs. the Transient:
The Apostle Paul contrasts the transient with the eternal in 2 Corinthians 4:18 : "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." This verse encourages believers to focus on spiritual realities and the eternal promises of God rather than the fleeting concerns of the world.

4. The Transience of the World:
The world itself is described as transient in 1 John 2:17 : "The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever." This passage serves as a reminder that the world and its desires are temporary, urging believers to align themselves with God's will, which leads to eternal life.

Theological Implications:

The concept of transience in the Bible serves as a call to prioritize spiritual over material concerns. It encourages believers to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that their true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). The transient nature of life and the world is a reminder of the need for a relationship with God, who is eternal and unchanging.

Practical Applications:

1. Living with Purpose:
Understanding the transient nature of life can motivate believers to live purposefully, making the most of their time and opportunities to serve God and others (Ephesians 5:15-16).

2. Contentment and Trust:
Recognizing the fleeting nature of material wealth can lead to contentment and trust in God's provision, as advised in Hebrews 13:5 : "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said, 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'"

3. Eternal Perspective:
By focusing on eternal truths, believers can find hope and strength in the face of life's challenges, knowing that their ultimate reward is in heaven (Colossians 3:1-2).

In summary, the concept of transience in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the temporary nature of earthly life and possessions, urging believers to focus on the eternal and live in accordance with God's will.1. (a.) Passing before the sight or perception and then disappearing; of short duration; not permanent; not lasting or durable; not stationary; passing; fleeting; brief; transitory; as, transient pleasure.

2. (a.) Hasty; momentary; imperfect; brief; as, a transient view of a landscape.

3. (a.) Staying for a short time; not regular or permanent; as, a transient guest; transient boarders.

4. (n.) That which remains but for a brief time.

5517. choikos -- earthy, made of dust
... 5517 (an adjective, derived from , "made of earth, dust") -- properly, , (made of
dust); (figuratively) , passing away; transient, "earthly." All four ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5517.htm - 7k2310. chadel -- forbearing, lacking
... Word Origin from chadal Definition forbearing, lacking NASB Word Usage forsaken
(1), refuses (1), transient (1). he that forbears, frail, rejected. ...
/hebrew/2310.htm - 6k

2465. cheled -- duration, world
... From an unused root apparently meaning to glide swiftly; life (as a fleeting portion
of time); hence, the world (as transient) -- age, short time, world. ...
/hebrew/2465.htm - 6k

The Universal Gift
... The great fact which to-day[1] commemorates is too often regarded as if it were
a transient gift, limited to those on whom it was first bestowed. ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the universal gift.htm

Dying Men and the Undying Word
... old truth. That special angle is to bring into connection the Eternal Word
and the transient vehicles and hearers of it. Did you ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/dying men and the undying.htm

Christ and the Unstable.
... out the crying abuses from the temple and cleanse His Father's house, He felt that
He could now do; He felt that these stirrings of feeling, transient as they ...
/.../schleiermacher/selected sermons of schleiermacher/v christ and the unstable.htm

Index to Preachers and Sermons
... By Alexander Vinet Christianity, The Transient and Permanent in. ... By John A.
Broadus Permanent, The Transient and the, in Christianity. ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume 10/index to preachers and sermons.htm

What Passes and what Abides
... his men, through whose bowels this generation has burrowed its tunnels, stand the
same, and smile the same amid their snows, at the transient creatures that ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/what passes and what abides.htm

The Passing and the Permanent
... But the thought that lies below them, sweeping as it does through the whole creation,
and parting all things into the transient and eternal, the mortal and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the passing and the permanent.htm

Entering into the Infinite
... and desires, in the midst of all his clinging to earthly and impermanent things,
has ever been intuitively conscious of the limited, transient, and illusionary ...
//christianbookshelf.org/allen/the way of peace/entering into the infinite.htm

Two Shepherds and Two Flocks
... let ourselves be absorbed and entangled by the affairs of this life, and permit
our whole spirits to be bent in the direction of these transient things, what ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/two shepherds and two flocks.htm

Proposition that the Self-Existent Being must be Eternal.
... any thing that is to come; but their thoughts, and knowledge, and power must of
necessity have degrees and periods, and be successive and transient as the ...
/.../v proposition v that the.htm

A Rash Vow
... wrong, good and evil, I find in them". I. A noble, sincere, but transient
emotion and impulse. 'I will lay down my life for Thy ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/a rash vow.htm

Transient (3 Occurrences)
... and then disappearing; of short duration; not permanent; not lasting or durable;
not stationary; passing; fleeting; brief; transitory; as, transient pleasure. ...
/t/transient.htm - 7k

Transgressors (19 Occurrences)

/t/transgressors.htm - 11k

Glimpse (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A short, hurried view; a transitory or fragmentary
perception; a quick sight. 2. (n.) A sudden flash; transient luster. ...
/g/glimpse.htm - 7k

Inhabitant (54 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) One who dwells or resides permanently in a place, as distinguished from
a transient lodger or visitor; as, an inhabitant of a house, a town, a city ...
/i/inhabitant.htm - 25k

Impulsive (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Inclined to act on transient feelings;
unpremeditated. 2. (a.) Having the power of driving or ...
/i/impulsive.htm - 7k

Impulse (18 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A mental force which simply and directly urges to action; hasty inclination;
sudden motive; momentary or transient influence of appetite or passion ...
/i/impulse.htm - 12k

Flesh (468 Occurrences)
... gentleness. 7. (n.) In a bad sense, tendency to transient or physical pleasure;
desire for sensual gratification; carnality. 8. (n ...
/f/flesh.htm - 69k

Fashion (24 Occurrences)
... Schema denotes a transient, external semblance or fashion, and so it may be
distinguished from its synonym morphe, which denotes the essential intrinsic form ...
/f/fashion.htm - 21k

Fleeting (9 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Fleet. 2. (a.) Passing swiftly away; not durable; transient;
transitory; as, the fleeting hours or moments. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/f/fleeting.htm - 8k

Flash (19 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood of flame and
light; as, the lighting flashes vividly; the powder flashed. ...
/f/flash.htm - 13k

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