Relevant Life

Ecclesiastes 9:5  For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

This week I found out that one of my pastor friends in the Philippines passed away. He was a great man of God who served the Lord faithfully until the end. He pastored three churches and did everything in his power to help the people of God that he was called to serve. 

The reality, life is short. Too short. We all are on borrowed time and eternity is something we should be more focused on. If we focused more on the afterlife; I wonder how the world would be .

 Ecc 12:1  Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not come, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

Ecc 12:7  then the dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

Many are stuck in their pleasures of sin and are drawn away from the reality of the afterlife. Sin pleasures last for only a season and then comes death. Why do we focus so much on the cares of the world instead of knowing the Lord? Short answer: Because we are here in the here and now. Eternity is not visible with the natural eye, so many don\’t focus on it. The old cliche \” Out of sight; out of mind. Dust we come from and dust we shall return to. The Body goes to the ground and the spirit returns to the Lord for judgement.

\”Mat 25:45  Then He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.

Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.

Many scriptures talk about two afterlives. One is spent with the Lord and one is spent separated from the Lord. One embraces the love and grace of the Lord and allows us to enter into His holiness. The other one embraces eternal damnation and separation from God\’s presence. Fire, rotting flesh, worms , and eternal torment is not the main issue with hell. Being separated from the Lord is.

Joh 11:25  Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.

Joh 11:26  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?

Joh 11:27  She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.

Only through a relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord can we have ever lasting life in Him. What does that relationship look like? How can we ensure we will be with Him for ever?

1. Walk in Holiness

2. Get rid of sinful nature.

3. Pray and seek the Lord daily.

4. Live like Jesus and be like Jesus.

5. Share the gospel with others.

It is that simple. Knowing Jesus and being Known by Jesus ensures our eternity. If we are faithful with this until the end; we will see him in all of his glory.