Over the last few weeks, the world has been buzzing with news of many notable deaths. The truth is, people die every day – it just so happens that several famous celebrities, sports figures, and entertainers have made the headlines.
One pattern I have noticed in the secular media is that for some reason, they feel compelled to spotlight all the “good” these people have done in their life, and sweep any “bad” they have done under the carpet. Understandably, our Western culture believes that it is disrespectful to speak ill of the dead when they are not around to defend themselves. But while I should not be shocked at this revelation, I still find it both disturbing and saddening how opposite the world is, to the way God operates.
Revelation 20:12 says, “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.”
At the end of a person’s mortal life, when they transition from this world to the life after, there is no heavenly memorial service for those who have rejected Jesus. In fact, the only thing on the agenda is judgment. God will review the actions of a person’s life based on everything they have done. If they have lived their entire life without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they will be “thrown into the lake of fire.” (v.15).
Sounds a little harsh, right? It’s not the side of Christianity that will attract sinners or fill churches, right? But it is the truth. So we must live holy lives. We must intentionally seek out those who have unlimited access to the Gospel, and tell them that they need a Savior. We need to go now.
