Status?

Last week I wrote about a Roman centurion and his faith. I’d like to go back to that eighth chapter of Luke and look at one verse:

And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. (Luke 7:2 KJV)

This past year I met a couple who were preparing for their deaths. At first, her cancer diagnosis was their concern, until he was diagnosed, too. Different cancer, same prognosis.

Although I had seen them in our community, not until they came to our church did I learn more of their story. No, I can’t go into the story here, but there is a small connection, because they were sick, knew they would die and were ready to die. Not everyone alive today realizes that we will all die. That’s a given based on the totality of human experience. The question is, are we ready?

I’m not, looking at it in a physical way. My health is good for my age. While there are small problems, none have shown any indication of being serious. I regularly have those small problem checked by a doctor, too..

I am, however, ready in a spiritual way, which we all should consider. Unless there is absolute proof that there is nothing following death, as Sadducees believed, according to Matthew Henry:

There is no future state, no life after this; that, when the body dies, the soul is annihilated, and dies with it; that there is no state of rewards or punishments in the other world; no judgment to come in heaven or hell. They maintained, that, except God, there is not spirit, nothing but matter and motion. They would not own the divine inspiration of the prophets, nor any revelation from heaven.

Of course, that cannot be proven, any more than proof can be given that not only does God exist, but He has communicated with His creation.

Which scenario provides an individual comfort? For some, it is very comfortable believing when life ends, there is nothing more. For others, God is personal and active in their lives. Those two choices led to Blaise Pacal’s wager. The wager is rather wordy, and there are numerous equations and philosophical questions, but it really comes down my Ohio Sister-in-law’s one-sentence comment on her decision:

I’d rather live my life believing God exists, then die to find out He didn’t than to live my life not believing, and find out He does.

We can’t make this decision based on head or tails of coin toss. It should be done with prayerful consideration and study. It’s a life changing proposition, similar to the offer Joshua made to those who followed him across Jordan:

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15 KJV)

There are other things we might choose over the Lord, but we all make the choice, one way or another. I did not choose for my house, but I am eternally grateful those of my house have made the choice to serve the Lord! Ask us about it – we’re always happy to share.