Do you ever think about where your soul goes when you die? The Bible is unmistakably clear that we have two options: eternal life with Christ or eternal separation from Him (see Matthew 25:46). If you took your last breath on this side today, where would you be? It’s the most important question you will ever answer. How do we make sense of bad things happening to good people, including why a loving God would send anyone to hell? Perspective Number Nine is: God brings believers with Him in eternity.
The Sadducees who believed there was no resurrection asked Jesus a trick question. They wanted to trap Him into supporting their theory of no afterlife. Jesus insightfully quoted I AM speaking to Moses, as recorded in the Pentateuch, to which the Sadducees ascribed: “‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Matthew 22:32). When we die as believers, we are immediately with Christ. Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that he would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:8).
Just prior to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus shared with his sister Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). The Greek word for believe is pisteuo. It portrays a total commitment of one’s complete inner being. We choose, think, pray, and want to surrender our lives to Christ as Savior and Lord. When we do so, judgment has occurred, and we cross over the bridge from death to life (see John 5:24).
God has drawn each of us to a relationship with Christ (see John 1:9; John 6:44; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9). We either accept or reject His invitation to eternal life. A loving God does not arbitrarily send people to hell. Those who reject His mercy and grace in Christ, choose it for themselves.
Heaven and hell are real. Where will you go when you die? The choice is yours. You can cross from death to life, today. Live once and die twice; or die once and live twice. Draw a line in the sand; put a stake in the ground; and fully surrender your life to Christ as Savior and Lord. He will make you new and use you to bring His restoration to a lost and hurting world.
Episode 404: Restoration Theology | Bibliology: The Study of the Scriptures and Eschatology: The Study of End Times from mitchkrusetv on Vimeo.