This morning I wrote to a grieving family, a family that had lost someone so dear to them just over a year ago. Time passes but the pain of sorrow can still be very real and so my heart goes out to them.
However, it was such a privilege to remind them that when death came knocking their beloved mother was trusting in Jesus alone for her salvation. Like every single one of us, she couldn’t trust on her own good deeds because they would never be good enough to save herself, so she took up the invitation of her Saviour and placed her full confidence in Christ as a certain ticket to Heaven.
The consequence was that the family didn’t ‘lose’ a loved one as they knew exactly where she was- walking with her Saviour enjoying fullness of life and eternal pleasures – all bought and paid for by Jesus Christ on the Cross. In reality it was NOT ‘death’ that came calling but her beloved Lord who was unwilling to be parted any longer from his precious child. so He took her by the hand and lifted her up and through the Pearly Gates.
This all begs the question; when it comes to the hour of your death what will you be relying on? A good life? A religious life? The money you have given to missions? Your efforts at keeping God’s law? I know in my heart that even if I was ten times better than I am right now, none of these things would carry me to heaven. At the hour of your death the ONLY thing that will count is-have you done, what the above mentioned lady did; turned from a life lived for self and put your faith in Jesus alone for salvation.
Surely there can be no greater joy than to live life knowing that we are going to live through death and live eternally- all by the grace of Jesus!