There is a wisdom saying that there are two things in life that are certain. Death and taxes. This may have to be altered a bit as I learned recently that somehow 50% of American’s avoid paying taxes. Hmm…that’s another post! So this leaves us with death, death is certain.

For many people death is the ultimate ending. Your body ceases to operate, your heart stops pumping, your brain stops functioning, your body no longer lives. You’re gone. You no longer exist. Immediately our bodies begin the process of returning to the earth. Dust to dust. Ashes to ashes.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)

According to God’s Word death is not the end. We do not cease to exist when our earthly bodies fail us for the last time.

In life on earth our death is a certainty. In the afterlife judgment is the certainty. In judgment one thing is essential, a certainty, a must, an absolute and that is whether or not your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

 

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)

“In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying ‘You must be born again.'” John 3:3-7 (NIV)

Being born again doesn’t protect your body housing your soul or your spirit from physical death. Being born again involves the soul (spirit) and Jesus.

As the year 2013 tick-tocks to an end we tend to reflect on the past 365 days, plan for the future. Ending and beginning.

My suggestion to you is to be sure you have taken care of the most important thing in your life, the ending of the physical and the continuation of the spiritual. Have you been born again?

I’m not asking you if you go to church, belong to a church, were baptized as a baby, have been baptized as an adult but not as a true Believer in Jesus Christ. I’m asking you have you been born again? When your earthly life is over, where will your spirit reside? Heaven or hell. In the presence of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or in Hades in the presence of Satan? Do you KNOW Jesus personally, intimately, deeply, truthfully?

If you aren’t sure, please read the following scriptures. If you do not have a Bible (and if you don’t and you would like one please leave me a comment) there are multiple on-line sources you can utilize to find these scriptures yourself and I encourage you to do so. Be sure what I quote to you is what these scriptures read in the Bible. I’ve used the New International Version (NIV) if you look these passages up in a Bible of another translation (King James, New King James, English Standard Version, The Living Bible – for example) the words won’t be the same but the meaning should be.

These first eight scripture passages are sometimes referred to as the Roman Road. They will walk you through the steps to becoming born again, and help explain why and how that happens. The Gospel of John is my suggestion for your first venture into reading and understanding the Word of God. It is one of my personal favorites in the New Testament.

Romans 1:20-21 ^“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Romans 3:23  ^“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 5:8 ^“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:23 ^“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9-10 ^“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:13 ^“…for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 11:36 ^“For from him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the  forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Gospel of John but especially 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the  world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not  condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in  the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Your future depends on the decisions you make right now. If you are making a decision for Christ, to ask Him into your heart to be Lord of your life, accepting His AMAZING GIFT OF ETERNITY WITH GOD please tell someone. Find a church that teaches the Word of God and become a disciple of Christ.

No better way to bring in the New Year than to walk into it holding tight to the hand of God.

–Faye