Dear CCW family,
“He just died.” “She just died.” These are words I’ve heard nearly every year of my adult life. I heard them this week. One day these very words will be said about me.
When these words, sober and simple, are spoken, the report is not meant to say that death is all that happened. In other words, it isn’t supposed to convey that he merely died. No one just dies. There is so much more to it than physical death as monumental as that is. In fact, one cannot just die.
Bertrand Russell, the famous deceased atheistic philosopher, countered with these words: “I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive.” He had his opinion, which I am certain he now regrets. The Bible speaks contrarily to Russell’s all-too-common notion. If one dies, according to Scripture, something more happens. The door immediately opens to Hades or Heaven. To illustrate, Jesus told a striking story of Lazarus and a wealthy man who both died but were transported — one into Heaven, and the other to Hades (Luke 16). And note also that Paul said, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor 5). Who should I believe? As the “believer” that I am, I’ll take what Christ and his Apostles said over Russell’s view, no matter how articulately he crafted his words. I have plenty of reason to believe Jesus who was raised from the dead himself.
It is true that every person’s body dies (with the exception of believers alive at the coming of the Lord, 1 Th 4:13-18). Yet, even with that, Jesus clarified that not only does your spirit leave for a new place, but even the very dead bodies of both unbelievers and believers will one day be resurrected.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good [that is, the good that their new life in Christ displays] to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil [that is, who remain in their natural depravity] to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:27-29)
The first stage of this final existence for unbelievers will be in Hades, a place of torment according to Jesus. But later the unbelieving person will be brought to a further judgment of deeds (Rev 20:11-15) and cast into the final state of hell. The punishment after this judgment of deeds is augmented according to his or her deeds by differing intensities. All sins are not the same, all punishment for deeds is not the same, and knowledge makes people more culpable (i.e., “Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town,” Matthew 10:15). What an awful reality.
So, we don’t just die. Live now aware of that fact.
Can a Dying Person Become a Believer in Christ?
Suppose you prefer to wait to settle things with God. Is there such a possibility as a deathbed conversion? I can say “yes” emphatically for this one reason: the dying person’s salvation isn’t based on a record of obedience to Christ. No one is rewarded with eternal life for a life well lived. Yet, a life well lived will result from the Spirit who comes to reside in the new believer. We should not forget this remarkable truth, stated often in the Bible — salvation is by faith alone through the merits of Christ alone. It is entirely by grace. So . . . YES, a person like your mother or father, brother or sister, or friend may be given new life on his or her death bed. We should speak clearly to them even if they appear not to be able to hear or understand, in hopes that God, who can do anything he wishes, will open their hearts and heal their blindness to see and believe in him.
With this possibility comes a warning, however, which I will paraphrase from the pen of a Puritan whose name I can no longer remember: “God gave us one deathbed conversion [i.e. the thief on the cross] to give us hope, but only one, to keep us from presumption.”
How dangerous is it to decide that you will wait until the last days or moments of your life to put your faith in Christ for salvation? For one thing, who knows if you will have mental ability or even any inclination to make such a decision at that time? Who can say you will not be in a sudden fatal accident, or drugged for pain because of disease, or suffering dementia such that you cannot think or communicate cogently with the Lord or anyone else about your soul? Will you even want to come to Christ at that time? I hope you will not risk eternity on the supposition that it is even possible. Isn’t it so that the only moment you can be sure of is this one? And this one moment may be the one in which you are more inclined to come to him than you will ever be in the future. “Seek the Lord while he may be found,” the prophet Isaiah told us. Please don’t squander the one moment you can be sure of. Think clearly about these things for yourself, your family, and your friends.
[Note: If you are struggling with assurance of your salvation, read or listen to Wasted Faith at this link. You may order a free copy, read a free pdf copy, or listen to the audio presentation.]
__________________________
Our Trip West
When my son Bryan was about 6 or 7 years old, he and his friend Clayton were sitting in the van talking as I drove. “What are you going to do when you grow up?” one of them asked the other. The other replied, matter-of-factly, “I’m going to get a horse and go out West.” “Which West?” Reply: “The old West.”
That’s where Pam and I went by van, not horse, over a recent 26 day trip. We had a couple of significant engagements for ministry in California and Oregon, a siblings’ reunion in Oklahoma, a short stay with my son and his family in Los Angeles, a desire to see a dear friend in Montana who had lost her husband, and the hope of seeing other friends along with some amazing countryside on the way, including giant Redwoods and Yellowstone. We decided not to make numerous plane trips to accomplish all this, but to mix all this together, plus more, into one memorable trip. It was a great success. One important aspect was to be very intentional about sowing the seed of the gospel wherever we went. We experienced dozens of times doing that. While reaching out, we also met some eager believers who gave clear, encouraging testimonies of being Christ’s. What an amazing trip!
Here’s an update from Steve and Marco.
Steve Burchett — After ministry with Marco in Oklahoma, I returned to speak at our church’s men’s retreat, and two days after that ended, my son got married to a wonderful young lady in our church! I was privileged to officiate the Christ-honoring wedding. Now my focus is on speaking at a FIRE regional conference at the end of September, and then Marco and I will travel to Montana Bible College to lead a Bible Intensive for a couple of days in October. I also got word yesterday from a pastor friend in Tennessee that they are going to read my new book on the public reading of Scripture with over 20 men in their church. It’s a joy to serve God’s people!
Marco Scouvert — In answer to your prayers, the Lord helped during my time in Uganda. The Bible Intensive encouraged pastors in personal study, provided key instruction for their churches, and challenged their thinking in several areas. The Lord opened numerous doors to preach Christ in larger meetings and private conversations. Meaningful discussions took place with our host, an influential leader in his denomination. The trip to Muskogee also went well, full of timely and helpful discussion around the gospel and church-related matters. In October I’ll join Jim in southern Arkansas and Steve in Montana for a couple Bible Intensives.
Yours with joy,
Jim Elliff, Steve Burchett and Marco Scouvert