Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
“What is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
These verses of scripture apply to every human being. The word of God declares that everyone who has breath today, will not live forever. The world is changing, no question about that. But one thing that isn’t changing and will never change is the word of God and His commitment to bring His word to pass. So here it is, in black and white, if you are living today, it doesn’t mean you can still have life tomorrow.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil (James 4:13-16).
You need to be aware of the inevitability of death so that you don’t live your life anyhow or as if you will live forever. What are you living for? Knowing the shortness of life gives you the opportunity and motivation to live a purposeful life – a life that fulfils God’s purpose on this earth and brings glory to His name. And if you have not received Christ as your Lord and personal saviour, now is the time to do so. It isn’t the desire of the Lord that you die in your sin. Don’t die in your sin because after death there is judgment (Heb. 9:27)
" You need to be aware of the inevitability of death so that you don’t live your life anyhow or as if you will live forever. "
For the believer in Christ, when death does happen, it will be for the better. Christ’s promise is by no means all He is doing. The message of Christ provides eternal life and abolishes death which seems like impossible venture, but with God all things are possible. “The appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10). According to the Bible, the believer in Christ cannot die because Jesus is alive. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
A Christian is immortal until his work on earth is done. Even though he dies he will live again. If you have lost a loved one, and that person was a believer, then they are better off than they have ever been. That’s what the word of God says. That may not be what it looks like. That may not be how your unbelieving friends or even your believing friends are saying, but that’s true according to the Bible. For all believers in Christ, physical death just means absent from the body and their spirits find themselves present with the Lord. “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).
There is a special seat in heaven for the believer. “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). Jesus, God’s sinless son, was born as a human. He died on the cross in our place and rose from the dead. We can choose life with God or death separated from Him. We are assured of our seat in heaven when we make a decision to accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour.
If a born-again person dies, then you have no reason to be devastated by their death because that person is alive and having a great time with the Lord in heaven. You can rejoice and praise God. Maybe you will miss them, but they are not missing you. They are complete for the first time in their whole life. And even if they didn’t know the Lord, you can be rest assured that God gave them every opportunity to accept Him. God is merciful than you ever thought. He doesn’t desire that sinners will die in their sin (Eze. 18:23).
Even if they go to Hell it will provide you with the motivation to start telling other people so that they wouldn’t go to hell. All true Christians will be carried to heaven, a golden city housing many mansions built by Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth. Jesus said: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14: 2-3). If you are a believer, you are going to live forever in heaven. You have a mansion prepared for you. It took only 6 days for the Lord to create the heavens and the earth, He’s been working on our mansions for more than 2000 years. Imagine how the mansions are going to be like.
We are not talking about death wish, because we have got a job to do on this earth. Just like the apostle Paul, I have a desire to depart but It’s needful for you that I stay here, and so for that reason we are going to stay here until our appointed time to depart. We have got a purpose; we have got somethings that God wants us to do here on earth. But we cannot resist death when it’s our time to go. You will live and not die until you have fulfilled your God given purpose. Let’s say with the apostle Paul: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).
God’s love for the world is clear. 16“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18). God has a good plan for you. “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for” Says the Lord.
Sadly, the devil’s plans, agenda and program are for your destruction. Satan is a thief and a thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy but Jesus came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
I encourage you to seek the road to heaven. Everyone will answer to God, the great judge of Heaven and earth. Do not despise the faithful word of God because you will not escape the consequences if you neglect such a great salvation. All you need to do is to put your trust in Him and if you will, you may pray this prayer:
Dear Lord: I recognize that I am a sinner and need to be saved.
I understand that Jesus died in my place and suffered the judgment of all of my sins.
I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and He is at the right hand of the father.
Lord Jesus, I surrender my Life to you.
Come and Live in my heart and be my Lord and saviour.
Thank You for saving me. AMEN!
And if you are a believer, help spread the message of the gospel to the dying world.
