by C. R. Stam
Is it not amazing that men who can produce intricate
electronic mechanisms, build giant sky-scrapers, fly men to the
moon and back -- is it not amazing that such men often do not
even know what will finally become of themselves! And what is
more amazing still is that most of them do not even try
seriously to find out.
They are intelligent enough to plan carefully for the future
where temporal affairs are concerned, but foolish enough to
neglect their eternal welfare. They make plans for themselves in
case they become ill and need additional funds for surgery,
medicine and hospital care. They even make plans for their loved
ones in case of death and bereavement, but fail to ask
themselves: "What will become of me after death?"
Daily "the wise of this world" witness the truth of Hebrews
9:27, that "it is appointed unto men once to die", and most of
them know that the Bible adds: "after this the judgment". They
may hope that this is but a false alarm, but they do not know.
They can only wonder and worry. Hebrews 2:15 declares that
"through fear of death" they are "all their lifetime subject to
bondage". Like Adam, they run and hide from God instead of
running to Him and asking: "What must I do to be saved?" Too
cowardly to face up to their own grave, no hope beyond the tomb
-- too afraid, generally, to even discuss death.
The believer in the Word of God is not left thus in the dark. He
glories in the truth of the passages from which we have quoted
in part above. We quote them now in full:
Hebrews 2:14,15: "Forasmuch then as the children [of Adam] are
partakers of flesh and blood, He [Christ] also Himself likewise
took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."
Hebrews 9:27,28: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment.
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without
[lit., "apart from"] sin unto salvation."
"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has
no point."
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