It can be frightening and rather sobering when we must face our own mortality. It seems that especially during times like attending a funeral, the reality of our future can become quite vivid. We may even ask ourselves, “If I were to die tonight, where would I go?” Have you ever thought about that? It is an extremely important question, and no one or nothing on earth has more information about that than the Bible.
The Bible acknowledges that life is short (James 4:14), and that all human beings will eventually die (Hebrews 9:27), but it also says that physical death is not the end. There are literally hundreds of passages that indicate we will have a bodily resurrection in a spiritual realm, known as “eternal life” (Matt 25:46; John 4:36; Rom 2:7; 1 Tim 6:19; Titus 1:2). From just a cursory glance, it sounds good that we go on living even after we die. In fact, many have stopped right there, having only that knowledge. It’s unfortunate, because the Bible still has much to say about what happens after death.
The most important thing to know is the Bible makes us aware of a dilemma we must navigate. It has to do with the fact that eternal life is divided into two areas. Which of those two areas we end up in, in that realm, depends entirely upon decisions that we must make now, while we are living in this world. The decision has nothing to do with our health, wealth, accomplishments, ethnicity, or status in life. The dilemma has to do with a serious problem that we have. The problem is “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23), therefore, “There is none righteous, no not one,” (Rom 3:10).
According to the Bible, sin is breaking God’s law and acting in rebellion or disbelief against Him. Our Creator and Father (James 4:17; 1 John 3:4). In Isaiah 59:2, we also learn that our sin separates us from God. Why is all of that important? Why do we need to understand the seriousness of sin? Perhaps the Apostle Paul explains it best, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
All of those things listed are sins.
All of those sins are things we do as human beings, living in this physical world (“works of flesh”).
All of those will prevent us from being with God in heaven when we die.
All of those will send us to the “other side” of eternal life, the “lake of fire,” (Rev 20:12-15) where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 25:30), and eternal punishment (2 Thess 1:9).
But there is hope! In another passage that lists these same sins, Paul wrote, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor 6:11) In other words, there is something we can do to save us from that punishment and instead, ensure an eternal destiny in heaven when we die. It’s called “Obeying the Gospel” (Rom 6:1-7).
If you were to die tonight, you can know where you would go … IF you have obeyed the Gospel.
-Troy Spradlin