Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
There will come a time in every single person’s life when they will face death. If you knew that today was your last day to live, what would be important to you? Certainly your list of chores would be at the bottom of your priority list. When people face death they deal with two things: what they leave behind and where they are going. If you have ever stood next to the bedside of a dying person, you will have noticed they have a desire to wrap things up. They want to make things right with people that they have had misunderstandings with, and tell others how much they have meant to them. Another thing the dying tend to do, is examine their life to see if they are prepared to meet God. If we knew the day that we were going to die, we would certainly make sure that those important relationships were cleaned up before it was too late. The problem is, we don’t know when we will die. We need to live today as if it is our last.
What about “where we are going?” Yes, there is life after death. We will stand before a just Judge. How do we know? God has told us in His Word.
How can you know without a shadow of a doubt that when you die you will go to heaven?
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 makes it clear when it says, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
1 John 5:12-13 also says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
To be assured of your eternal life you need to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. It is His work that will get you into heaven, not yours. If you have not asked Christ into your life, go back to the devotional #12 entitled” What Does it Mean to be Born Again?” and follow the steps to having a relationship with Jesus. If you do know Jesus Christ as your Savior, stand on the promises of God that He gives us in His Word. Live each day as if this is your last one, loving God, living for Him, and serving others. The finish line may be closer than you think.