All men (and women) die. We don’t like to think about that, but it is an inevitable reality of living. Every cemetery we pass on the road testifies to this inescapable truth. All men die. Some die young and some die old. Some die expectedly and some die unexpectedly. Some die without notice and some die with great fanfare. But all men die.
But what happens to us after we die? That is the question that must be addressed. Is death the end for us? Does our existence disappear without consciousness? The Scriptures teach us what happens after death, and we would do well to give heed to its testimony.
The Scriptures declare plainly, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There are two appointments spoken of in this verse, death and judgment. Both must be kept. Paul admonished the believers in Rome “So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
This world was created by an all powerful God for his purpose and his glory. That creation and purpose includes each one of us. The Psalmist wrote “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). We should not be surprised that we must give an account to our Creator. Tragically, many, if not most men will come to that day of judgment having never acknowledged their Creator nor his benefits. That will be devastating!
Speaking of that day of judgment, Christ gives us a glimpse of what that will be like for those who do not know him as Savior. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-12, 15).
The small and great will stand before God. Presidents, ball players, movie stars, doctors, teachers, moms, dads, sons and daughters will stand before God. The good (as we view them) and the wicked will all stand before God and be judged by their own works according to the standards of God’s absolute holiness. Keep in mind that the Scriptures teach us that “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). That being true, we must ask ourselves with the author of Hebrews, “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” (Hebrews 2:3). To neglect is to suffer eternal damnation.
Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God on the cross for our sins. Those that put their faith in him “hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but [are] passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life!
From the Chaplain 