Has death ever glanced at you? Has death ever taken a good, long look at you? If you know what I’m talking about, your answer is probably, yes.
In other words, have you ever been in a serious car accident and somehow miraculously come out alive? Have you ever been asleep at night when a fire broke out at your house, but you and your family somehow got out alive? Have you ever had a tornado to rip through your community, and for some weird reason it skips your house, but destroys everything around you? Have you ever had the eerie experience of watching a tragedy unfold on TV at some place where you were supposed to be that day but because you overslept or couldn’t get out of the house fast enough just happened not to be there. That is what I mean by staring death in the face. It is at times like these when we are forced to confront the reality of our mortality.
At such times, which most of us will experience in life, what do you choose to do? I am afraid that most people run away from the seriousness of these situations as fast as they can. They bury themselves in recovering and rebuilding. They turn a blind eye to the reality of what they have experienced. They know that they have narrowly escaped death, but they do not want to face the fact of how close they came.
I believe that when these events happen, we should take a different approach. At times like these, when death stares us in the face, instead of running, we should stare back. We should take a good, long look at death, and realize three things.
1. We should realize that, eventually, death will catch up with us. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:2, “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.” Death may have come close to getting us at one time or another, and by God’s grace, we were kept alive. But one day, death will come calling and we will have to go whether we want to or not.
2. We should realize that what happens after death is most important. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Many people focus on death as the end of life, but the truth is that our lives extend far beyond the point of death. After our death, we will face God, the Judge of the Universe. The decisions we make in this life will determine the result of our meeting with God.
3. We should realize that we do not have to fear death if we are prepared for it. We must realize that we will live forever in an eternal place after we die. Romans 2:6-10 says that God “will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil… But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good.” What we do in this life will determine whether we spend eternity in Heaven, a place of glory, honor, and peace,” or in Hell, a place of “wrath, tribulation, and anguish.”
If we know for sure that we are going to Heaven when we die, we will have no reason to fear death no matter when our time comes. You say, well, how can I be sure that I will go to Heaven when I die? You might be thinking that always doing good is the way to get to this wonderful place. However, the Bible tells us that even our good works are not enough to get us into Heaven. Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses (good works) are as filthy rags.” Your good works, no matter how numerous they are, cannot save you.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Just one sin condemns you to eternal punishment in Hell, or the Lake of Fire. Romans 21:8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
The only way we can be allowed into Heaven is if we place our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept the grace and mercy offered to us on the cross. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
This mercy and grace is given to us because of God’s love for us; He does not want us to die and be punished forever. This mercy and grace was secured when the Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross taking the punishment for all of our sins on himself. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Are you willing to accept God’s mercy and grace and escape the fear of death? Are you willing to give your life to Jesus Christ, trusting him to save your soul from eternal punishment so that you can enjoy eternal life with him in Heaven? Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, you will begin a relationship with God that will last for eternity. And when you face death, you will know without a shadow of a doubt, that you will see Him welcoming you home to Heaven on the other side. If you want this assurance and peace, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Please pray this prayer with me to let God know that you have decided to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour so that you can spend eternity with him.
Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today and forever. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Believe by faith. Share the faith. And keep the faith! God Bless You!