DEATH AND ETERNITY (1)

“For the living know that they will die…”

~Ecclesiastes 9:5

The death of a loved one, a friend, or a relative ought to cause each of us to stop and reflect upon our own mortality and feebleness. “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). The death of a fellow human being ought to cause each of us to cry out to God like the tax collector in the temple, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” (Luke 18:13). When we experience the death of a friend or family member it is not the time for the stiff upper lip. It is not the time to be angry and lament, “Why did this happen?” It is not the time to bury your head in a bottle and try to forget all about the corpse in the coffin. It is not the time to screw up false courage and say, “I am not afraid to die!” When we attend the funeral of a loved one it is time to face our own mortality. It’s time to reflect on the meaning of life. It’s a time to ask yourself the hard questions regarding your sin and guilt before the holy God of Heaven and earth. It’s a time to be honest with yourself and confess that your conscience continually accuses you of breaking all of God’s commandments. What then will happen to you as a law breaker when you stand before the judgment seat of God? How will you escape the penalty that your lawless deeds have merited, which God says is eternal Hell?

For the living, the graveside of a loved one is a time of God’s longsuffering and patience toward you as you are forced to face the questions of mortality, eternity, sin, forgiveness, judgment, mercy, grace, repentance, and the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it’s a time to look into the face of Jesus and ask yourself what you have done with God’s Beloved Son, the Savior of sinners. Death is a time when self-deception is exposed and the mask of hypocrisy is ripped from your face and you are laid open and bare before the God of Heaven and earth, who holds your very breath in His hands.

We all need God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) who have broken God’s Law, and we all know we will soon die and face our Creator. “For the living know they will die…” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27). Denying these truths is simply an act of self-deception. As it is written, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18-19). Run to Jesus; He is ready to save all who come to Him by faith.

Friday Devotional: July 5, 2024

In Christ,

Pastor S. Henry