“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 10:27-28 NLT)
A question the Lord has laid on my heart that was recently confirmed by a brother who reached out to me after reading one of my articles, asks: “What do you think happens after you die?” Have you ever seriously thought about that? It’s interesting to me to realize how many people prepare financially for their death so their family will be taken care of but fail to make preparation for themselves spiritually.
Realizing millions, most likely billions of people have no clue what happens after they die, it becomes incumbent upon those of us who know Jesus to get the word out. Will everyone believe us? Likely not, but those who do will be eternally grateful. So, may I ask you: “Are you prepared to die?”
The implications of that one question are staggering when you give it serious thought. Joseph Addison Alexander wrote: “If men are prepared to die they are ready for anything.” Let’s look at that more closely.
Because I know where I’m going when I die, that I’m ready to face the Lord knowing my judgment has already been reckoned with on the Cross of Christ, there’s a very real sense in which my life no longer belongs to me, but to Him.
Baptism paints the picture of dying to self and rising to new life in Christ alone, by faith alone. So, if I’m already “dead,” of what do I have to fear? You can’t kill a dead man! So, if my ventures for the Lord Jesus demand my life be sacrificed in His service, as so many of His children have been and are being called to do, why should I even hesitate?
And on that note, I hope you’re joining me in prayer every day for our brothers and sisters all over the world who are literally laying their lives down in sacrifice for the King of kings and Lord of lords. The way things are going in our world currently, it may not be long before we’re called to join them, which heightens our need to come to terms with the question under consideration.
The reality is, as a Jesus follower we’re not ready to live until we’re ready to die. Our tendency as human beings is to protect ourselves from danger and certainly from anything that may threaten our life, and in many circumstances that makes perfect sense. But when the Lord calls on us to share our faith with someone and we’re more afraid that our reputation may be affected or our Facebook audience may criticize us, then there’s a problem.
Movie makers want to protect our sensibilities, but when Jesus hung on the Cross, He was naked and exposed in literally every way. He held nothing back as the soldiers gambled for His clothes. How dare we not risk everything for the sake of our Savior! What possible good does it do anyone for us to protect our reputation at the risk of someone going to hell?
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must remove ourselves from the throne of our life and give Jesus full access to every detail of our being. Loved ones, friends, co-workers, and neighbors in our spheres of influence are dying every day unprepared to face the judgment due largely to our negligence. We MUST make a greater effort to help them understand what’s at stake.
What they do with the knowledge we give them is certainly up to them, but we’ve got to make every effort to warn them of the consequence of their neglect when they’re not prepared to die.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed
Walking With Jesus 