Forrest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. ” But he couldn’t offer a profound statement for death, because the truth is, we do know what comes next after death. It’s ultimately your choice about what happens to you.
Perhaps you’re a person who is finding that their life is winding down. Perhaps you’re in the twilight years and coming to wonder what comes next. Is this life really all that there is? Why did you grow, learn, have a family, a job, acquire a home and struggle to maintain your health? Why did you go through all the pain of losing people? One day you too will be the one who is missed.
But beyond this life, is it really just ashes to ashes and dust to dust? Or do you, your mind, your person, continue? And if so, what comes next?
Judgement. Judgement comes next.
You will go before God (the one who made Adam, the one who made everything) and you will stand before the most High Judge.
You get to make a choice in this life. When this life ends is uncertain. It might be tomorrow. Or tonight, in your sleep. So you have some serious decisions to make. God is Holy and cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. We are all sinners. God cannot let sin enter heaven, so he cannot let sinners enter heaven, so there is something we must do first.
At the end of this life, yes, you die, but it’s not enough to have mere belief in God. You cannot get to Heaven without Jesus. I cannot reiterate that enough. The only way to God is through Jesus. With Jesus, you no longer need fear death. It will be a temporary hardship and afterward you will be given a new body that doesn’t wear out and decay! You will never know pain and suffering as you have known in this life. You will never know the disappointments you have in this one. You will never again know loss. The questions you always wondered will be answered.
What did the Son of God say? “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father [God in Heaven], except through Me. If you had known me, you have known my Father…” (God, not Joseph). John 14:6-7
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believe in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.
All of us face judgement for our lives after death. And we will all be found guilty of something (no matter how good we may have tried to be).
Have you lied? Have you stolen? Have you ever lusted? Have you ever thought ill of someone? Thinking a thought is equivalent to acting it out in God’s eyes. It is a sinful thought. We haven’t even gotten into murder, adultery and all the other things yet. So, can you honestly face God and say you are innocent of all sin? None of us can, if we are truthful with ourselves.
When it’s too late, it’s too late. Please do not undervalue your eternal being! Your soul! God didn’t intend Hell for you. The devil wants to claim you so that God doesn’t get you. Will you let the devil claim you, or will you claim Jesus and be redeemed of all sins, both small and large, and live forever?
Talk to Jesus….tell him,
Lord, I’m sorry for my sins (you don’t have to name them all) and I turn from them to follow you as Jesus, Lord of my life. Please forgive me and come into my life and be my Lord and Saviour. I ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and strength to help me learn about you and stay close to you as you begin to transform me from the inside out.
Thank you Jesus for hearing me and answering me. Thank you for becoming my Saviour.
Amen.
