Job 5:26 says, “You shall come to the grave at a full age, as a sheaf of grain ripens in its season.”
Continuing this word study of darkness from a biblical perspective, the eighth and final definition of the English word “darkness” is: 8. Opakeness or Opaqueness. (Land of darkness, being impervious to light, the grave).
Theologian Blaise Pascal asserts, the immorality of the soul is of such vital importance to us and affects us so deeply that we must have lost our wits if we no longer care about it. Our mortality dogs us every moment. In the space of only a few years, we all will inevitably be brought face-to-face with the reality of eternity, which for those who have neglected it will be eternal damnation with no prospect of happiness. Job 24:19 tells us, “As drought and heat consume the snow waters, so the grave consumes those who have sinned.” What reason is there for vanity in being plunged into such an impenetrable darkness? You are here, in this time and place of history, but life is short. James 4:13-14 declares, Come now, you who say, “today or tomorrow” … whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Our time on earth is truly short.
It has been said that the three big questions in life are (1) Who am I? – question of identity, (2) Why am I here? – the question of purpose, and (3) Where am I going? – the question of direction. Great questions and each a good discussion for another time. It has also been said that only two things are guaranteed in life: (1) death, and (2) taxes. Our days are numbered and everyone sooner or later comes to the end of the road in this life. Focusing on our final destination leads all of us to the grave and beyond – to our ultimately destination, then brings light to the three big questions for living now. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” When we die, we are laid in the grave, but stand before Christ at the Great White Throne judgment.
John 5:26-29 “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” With the immorality of the soul in either Heaven or Hell, this begs for a fourth big question: Where do I go when I die? Let me ask: Have you come to a place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die today you would go to Heaven? What is your eternal perspective,? If you were to die tonight and stand before God, and He were to say to you, “Why should I let you into My kingdom of Heaven? What would you say? Jesus said in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
2 Corinthians 5:7-9 “For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” Those who reject God and His plan of Salvation through Christ evidentially face the cold, dark grave and hopelessly stand in their presence to tell them why? Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” In Pascal’s famous wager, he states that unbelievers bet against God, hoping that He doesn’t exist. Win or lose, they either gain nothing or lose everything. They are either unavoidably annihilated in the darkness of the grave (in which case, nothing matters one way or the other) or miss the opportunity of eternal happiness in Heaven and gain eternal loss in darkness of Hell. Proverbs 23:17-18 tells us, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.”
Romans 1:18-20 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” The undeniable irreducible complexity of life; the anthropomorphic composition of the Earth, bio-systems and it’s atmosphere, spin, tilt, position of the galaxy, universe, sun, planets and moon that sustains and maintains our impossibly perfect conditions have the fingerprints and signature of our sovereign Creator God all over them. James 1:14-17 tells us that “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 warns, “But you, believers, [all you who believe in Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as God’s Son] are not in spiritual darkness [nor held by its power], that the day [of Judgment] would overtake you [by surprise] like a thief; for you are all sons and daughters of light and sons and daughters of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the fallen world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise].” The grave is darkness, but Believers are all sons and daughters of light. Ephesians 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
1 John 5:12-15 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” Let there be light!
In God We Trust,
In Christ, Brian
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