Are You Really Looking Forward to Eternal Life?

"Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." Boxing legend Joe Lewis is generally given the credit for being the source of this saying. It's a somewhat humorous observation about the mystery of death that we all face, but it nevertheless contains an element of truth for many Christians.

We live in a material world in which we are inclined to focus on the "here and now" and on earthly things that are known to us through our senses. We are content to live in our comfort zone of family and friends and don't want to leave it. We tend to fear death, however, because it is a great unknown for us that is outside of our comfort zone. Our loving God chose to give us insight into the mystery of death when He came to live among us in the person of Jesus. Jesus experienced suffering, temptation, and ultimately death, just as we do. But by His resurrection, Jesus revealed to us that there is life after death and that we need not fear death. Speaking about the children of God, the author of Hebrews says, "Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Hebrews 2:14-15). The disciples were among those who were eyewitnesses of the risen Christ, as is documented for us in the four Gospels. Jesus appeared to them multiple times over a forty-day period after His resurrection (Acts 1:3, Acts 2:32). He did, in fact, rise from the dead, and we should not be doubters.

God's purpose, that we might have eternal life with Him, is literally embodied in Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9-10, John 12:50). Jesus offers us new and better life after death. But if we wish to experience that purpose, we must believe in and trust in Him above all earthly things. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). God has chosen not to reveal to believers all that there is to know about life after death, but He has revealed just enough through Jesus so that they can have the hope of eternal life. Paul likens our limited knowledge of things eternal to a person who looks in a mirror and sees only a dim, blurry reflection of what will later become perfectly clear (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Jesus' followers, then, have the hope of everlasting life after death, wherein they will find perfect peace and see the glory of God fully revealed. This should be a cause for joy, not fear! It all depends, however, on our faith in Jesus (Colossians 1:22-23, 1 Peter 1:3-5). Our faith gives us this hope. And faith has the power to lift our spirits and to give us a proper sense of perspective, so that we don't become overwhelmed by the temporary cares of our lives and by the temptation to automatically fear death. We can choose to face death with an attitude of calm submission to God's purpose, knowing that He has prepared the ultimate comfort zone for us!

The Disciple Group suggests that you stop and think about your attitude towards death. If you are a true follower of Christ, you should be able to reject fear and "see" beyond the reality of your own death and the death of loved ones. By the grace of God, our faith in Jesus can dispel fear and give us a glimpse of new life and great, unseen things that lie ahead. Be encouraged and also challenged in your faith by what Jesus said to Martha, the sister of Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26).