By Jim Mettenbrink
The most important moment in your life is when you draw your last breath. Your eternal destiny is sealed. Whether you were living faithfully as a Christian or not is the determinant of where you will spend eternity. Heaven or hell! 40% of Americans do not believe hell exists, but 73% believe heaven exists. The obituaries usually acknowledge heaven with statements such as “He went to heaven” or she went to be with the Lord. This reveals the biblical heritage in the USA, and at the least reflects the hope that there is a blissful afterlife.
The Psalmist admitted man can do nothing to prevent death –“What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” (Ps 89:48). However man has hope that his life will somehow go on.
Last week, we considered the beliefs regarding what happens to a person when he dies. The ancient Greeks thought a person went out of existence. The Egyptians surmised there was a material afterlife of some kind. The Old Testament reveals an afterlife. The Psalmist wrote a temple song declaring, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me” (Ps 49:10). The Pharisees in Jesus’ day believed in the resurrection into eternal life. The Sadducees (Jewish theological liberals) did not (Acts 23:8). So death is not the end.
Jesus’ message repeatedly was about His power to give eternal life, not on earth but in heaven. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and ruler of the Jews, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). So Jesus revealed Christians have eternal life, non-Christians do not! Next chapter. At the well Jesus told the woman, “But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn 4:14). Turn the page. In chastising the freeloaders, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life….” (Jn 6:26-27). More on eternal life – Next!