The Most Important Thing
ICS Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (NKJV) The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The law tells us what sin is and if someone were to die in sin without acknowledging Jesus Christ, the sting of death would send him right to hell. This is what is called the “second death” after the physical death and what makes people separated from God forever because there won’t be a second chance. However, the sting of death will lose its power over us when we have Jesus in our hearts because of the imputed righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NJKV) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Therefore, even though we don’t get to choose when we will die physically, we can decide not to be separated from God spiritually by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! The decision to be part of God’s family is made when we are on earth after the Gospel has been presented to us, and if we have rejected God when the Gospel was presented to us, or we have not heard the Gospel, the final judgement at the Great White Throne awaits us, and those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be judged by God and thrown into the eternal fire.
Most people will struggle on their deathbeds unless they are believers in Jesus Christ. Now for those who are religious, death is a question mark (?) because they are uncertain whether they have done enough to be accepted by God. To those who are atheists, death is a full stop (.) because they think life has ceased to exist the moment they experience physical death, but their denial does not mean hell isn’t a reality. However, for Christians, death is an exclamation mark (!) because we get to live with God forever in a place where there are no more tears, sicknesses, sorrow, and pain!
Therefore, as believers, we should not grieve over the deaths of our loved ones for a prolonged period especially when our loved ones belong to Jesus! The most important thing is to ensure that they get to hear the Gospel and be saved.
Sermon Series: God’s Compelling Love
