“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT)
May I confess? I’m not a great planner. If it wasn’t for my wife, I’d probably be wearing the same pair of skivvies every day on a weeklong trip. I almost always get my pill count wrong and generally have things in my suitcase when coming home that I didn’t use. No harm, no foul, right! But what about the final “trip” we’ll be taking after our eyes close for the last time?
Too many people, especially in America, are so focused on preparing for retirement they forego their plans for eternity. Some, no doubt, have “prayed the prayer” and think they’re in good standing with God, but as Corky Calhoun wrote: “God has a bigger plan for your life than just picking your retirement home after death.”
Walking the faith journey with Jesus isn’t a contract we sign, stick in the drawer, then pull out when we need it. It’s a lifelong commitment that begins the day we yield our life and allegiance to Him, and continues every day, not only in this life, but the next. It’s a relationship that in many ways is like being married.
Marriage isn’t simply a covenant of convenience where we sign up for the “fun” stuff but bow out when things get tough. The best and the worst part of marriage is living together. I had a friend who used to say: “Life is so daily!” What does that mean? It means life will bring out the best in us and the worst. It means relationships are hard and they require work – daily!
The goal of marriage is to become one – in our love, faithfulness, commitment, and enjoyment. Similarly, the longer we walk with the Lord the more we learn of Him, the more we love and trust Him, and the more we depend on Him for everything. How so? By daily reading His Word, speaking to Him often in prayer throughout our day, and learning to love His Family, His Body, members of His Church.
Verses like the ones above from Hebrews, explain a lot if we’ll pay attention. People who believe in reincarnation or a pre-existent life can clearly see that we have one life, we die, then we face judgment. We only get one shot at getting it right. We learn that Christ died as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people (not all people). Everyone doesn’t go to heaven, only those who have a relationship with Jesus based on faith that what He did He did for them.
We tend to think of hell being for the clearly “bad” people, but many who are trusting in their own goodness are going to be disappointed when they assume their good works, kindness, generosity, etc. is enough. Anyone or anything that pretends to be equal to the shed blood of God’s Son, thus adequate to pay the penalty for their sin, is going to be sorely mistaken.
Jesus said in Mark 2:17: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Thinking about life after death requires more than careful thought about our destination. It requires planning well the journey that will get us there. If your plans to go to heaven are leaving Jesus out, it’s going to lead to a very disappointing end of your journey.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 