How to Face Eternity
Two days ago I learned that a good friend of mine recently passed away. Though we had lost touch over the years, I loved and respected the man and was greatly indebted to him for the many things he taught me. The thing I remember most about him was his great desire to be a man of faith. He told me he once prayed for the faith of Abraham, and he pursued that faith with passion. He will be greatly missed.
His passing was relatively sudden. Only 3 months ago he learned that cancer had taken over his body, and in that brief time he went from living a full and vibrant life to entering the presence of his Lord.
As often happens to me when I learn of the death of someone near my own age, my mind drifts to the uncertainty of life and the brief time I have left on this earth. I am 69. My three score and ten years is nearly up, and my own mortality is staring me in the face. Time is becoming more precious with each passing hour.
I want more than anything to finish well. I have stumbled and fallen a lot in my walk with Christ, but by His grace, and only by His grace, I am still in the race, and for that I am grateful. Like the song by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir says, “Though at times I’ve had questions, even failed to believe, He’s been faithful, faithful to me.”
But I am ready for eternity. In His great mercy, God saved me over 45 years ago in my mother’s living room when He brought me to faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I have banked everything on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for me and on God’s Word that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How about you, my friend? Do you know that if you were to die before this day is over that you would spend eternity in the presence of Jesus in heaven? Or would you go to hell? And by the way, you do not have to do anything to go to hell. You are already under God’s wrath because you have not repented of your sins and received God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for your sins.
But you can change that right now. Turn away from your sin, believe that Jesus died for you, and ask him to save you from your sin. Then email me and tell me at mdwhitney61@gmail.com.