Doctors can't tell you if, they only tell you when.

As I was riding back to the church the other day from visiting a very sick lady at the hospital I heard a Bible teacher on the radio share something I had never thought of before.  He said that when people go to the doctor and they get a diagnosis that sounds bad, they will regularly say "Am I dying?"  The answer to that question has always been and will always be yes.  He said that doctors can sometimes narrow down the "when" of our death but not the "if" of our death.  As I left the hospital last night from being called in for this sick lady's family I thought again about this Bible teacher's words.  Here I was with a family not expecting this lady to make it through the night and yet there was never a doubt that she, like the rest of us, will die it's only a matter of when.

The problem people generally have is not with the "if" but with the "when."  They do so much to find out when they'll die, especially if they are terminally ill, that the real question of death escapes them.  The real question about death that must be answered is "Are you prepared for death?"  That is the real question we have to answer.  For some they are prepared.  They have put their trust and faith in God through Jesus' death on the cross and they are ready for eternity.  Others are not.  Others have no hope after death.  No joy to look forward to.  No reunion with loved ones who went on before.  To many there is nothing about the moment after their last breath that they can look forward to.  But it doesn't have to be that way.

As I met with a family this morning who has a loved one who will probably pass away within the next week they talked about this person's readiness to go.  This person, like millions around the world, has put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  For those that do not have a hope after death, all they have to do to gain eternal life and hope for the next life is to do the same thing.  Simply trust that Jesus Christ is who the Bible says He is and that He did what the Bible said He did.  It's a matter of believing that He is the Son of God who lived a perfect and sinless life so that He could take away every sin we've ever committed.  Sin is simply man breaking God's rules.  We've all done it (Romans 3:23) and we all need forgiveness.  All we have to do is confess to God our need for Him to forgive us and be Lord of our life.  When we do that and believe in our hearts that Jesus was that perfect sacrifice for our sins then we can have the assurance of eternal life.  That means that we can rest easy knowing that after we breathe our last breath here on earth, our next will be in the presence of God in heaven.  As we face those last moments here on earth the words of the Apostle Paul will mean all the more to us.  "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, NIV).

If you have never put your faith in Christ until today I encourage you to let me know so I can help you with what you need to do next.  If you have questions about putting your faith in Christ I encourage you to let me answer those questions for you.  Feel free to email me at pastornick@northcatawbabaptist.com.  

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