Death. It sounds so final – but is it? People, down through the centuries, have tried everything to extend life. While eating right and reducing stress in our lives may add a few more years to our physical bodies, we all will one day have to face the reality of death.
The quest for immortality is something all of us think about but only the Christian can claim with certainty that he has found the way into converting death into eternal life. Christianity not only promises us a life full of peace, joy and meaning, but also immortality – for only Jesus is the antidote for death. No wonder the most translated sentence in history is (John 3:16): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In this amazing Bible verse, we see that believing in Jesus is the gateway to immortality.
My friends, since I started my daily apologetics devotional website back in June 2020, I have posted over 500 devotions – all designed to strengthen your faith in Jesus and the Bible. I don’t know about you but I can only imagine how depressing life can be as we get old and have to live with the uncertainty of not knowing what happens to us when we die – and without knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior, that’s the appropriate word, “uncertainty.” My prayer, for all of you that regularly read my devotions, is that you fall more in love with Jesus and the Bible, and as you age, get more excited about your eternal destiny with God.
At 68, I know my life is fast approaching my date with physical death, but the certainty I have of spending eternity with Jesus makes getting old so much more enjoyable knowing that physical death is just a portal to eternal life.
For years I was involved in several nursing home ministries and I loved ministering to the seniors because I was able to share with those who didn’t know Jesus that even though they might not have many more years left to live in their frail bodies, they could put on immortality and spend eternity with Jesus. I was able to offer tangible hope to many who had very little hope left in life.
Many other religions talk about an afterlife and immortality but they are based on fables and religious writings that are clearly not divinely inspired. Putting one’s faith in them is dangerous business because they are based on man-made stories and not God-given truth. Only the Bible has withstood the test of time and proven not only a faithful book of divine wisdom and promises but life transformative to those who embrace its teachings.
One more exciting thing about being a Christian is that eternal life doesn’t just begin when we die but we can experience it right now too. (John 17:3)
tells us: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Knowing Jesus is the beginning of experiencing immortality and we get a foretaste of what eternal life is right now by just spending time in His presence.
In closing I would like to share with you a little about my friend Rich, who lives in Florida. He has one of the most difficult and yet exciting jobs imaginable. He is a hospice chaplain. I pray for him daily. He gets to share Jesus with those dying Christians preparing them for their promotion to glory and immortality. What a joy to let them know that one day very soon they will be absent from the body and present with the Lord. And for those who don’t know Jesus he gets to share the most wonderful news imaginable that they can also obtain immortality by accepting Jesus into their hearts. What an awesome responsibility his job entails. If you get a chance please remember Rich in your prayers.
And always remember that Jesus not only forgives us of our sins but is our pathway to immortality!