Eternal Life
By Moses R Cung
Christ said, " What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26) Although every Christian has heard these words, they do not care. The reason is that they really don't know the meaning - they just pretend to know it. Are you that kind of person? Now, I urge you to think very hard about the eternal life because after the death of your body, you will surely descend into the lake of hell fire. The Bible states that the life of the body is very short: A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)
God said man is like grass. He said grass withers when the Lord's wind blows. This means that if the Lord does not allow to live, the grass will die. Those under the age of 50 who are still in their prime cannot understand this at all. A person who is still strong, making good money, and could get anything if they wanted, would not be able to accept this reality. When a person is over 60, he will start to care a little. For people with poor health, those who are not satisfied with their jobs, and depressed people, human life is boring, meaningless and without hope.
God compares fame and fortune, having power over fellow men, honors and degrees, to flowers. The lifespan of a flower is much shorter than that of the plant. No matter how beautiful it may be, the flower doesn't last long. Likewise, no matter how famous one might have been, people eventually forget about that person. No matter how great the power one had massed in life, his power would eventually come to an end. Still, people do not come to their senses. Are you that kind of person? If you are such a person with unrealistic expectation of a brighter future, think again. Your arrogant self-glorification will not last long. Soon your glory will fade just like the flower relinquishes its beauty.
No one knows how long a person will live. Moses said, " Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10) Although Moses wrote that human lifespan is seventy years, one can die at any age. Therefore, while we are still breathing, our life should be spent for good use.
So how should one's life be spent for good use? In order to know the answer, you need to know the plan of the creator of life. God the Creator said, a person receives eternal life before the end of his physical life. Paul said, God "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4). John also said, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12) God said, Eternal life is freely given to everyone. However, People don't want that life. Why is that? It is because they don't understand it. If a person does not get eternal life then he will die forever. The actual meaning of eternal life is entering into the kingdom of heaven. Eternal dying means descending into the lake of fire or hell, which can only mean eternal suffering. Why are people not afraid of going down into the lake of fire? It is because they have not experience it now nor seen it with their own eyes yet. So, do you want to get the eternal life given by God, or want to suffer eternally in the lake of fire? The choice you make here will impact your future existence for eternity, so it is very important. Once in hell, there is no turning back. Therefore, before your spirit leaves your body, you would want to take the eternal life that God has given you.
Moses said to his people, "I swear by heaven and earth against you that I have set before you life, death, blessing, and cursing. 20 Therefore, you and your descendants will live, and love the Lord your God and listen to his voice, and live. Moses said to his people, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
I long for you and urge you to choose life and blessings instead of eternal death.
Blessed is the one who is freed from sin
Psalm 32:1-5
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
One who has been forgiven whose sins have been covered is blessed. That kind of forgiveness will only be appreciated by those who committed crime themselves and face disciplinary action by the legal system. There are people who know in advance what sort of punishment awaits them before committing the crime. And there are people who has no knowledge of the potential penalty ahead of time. In any case, everyone knows that they would be very happy if their sins are forgiven and let go without being punished.
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. (Isaiah 33:22). Not everyone knows who the judge would be beforehand. If there is a case against you, the police would bring you before the judge and you would be judged whether you acknowledge him as a judge or not. Take note that even if you do not acknowledge him as the judge, God will one day be judging you.
Human judges can only judge the living. But the living God is the highest judge of all. It is written that the Lord will judge those who have died. “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
No one can change judgment made by God. Therefore, his forgiveness is very important. God used the great flood to judge the people of Noah's time. When unbelievers are judged during the tribulation, "the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Revelation 6:15-17) Therefore, come to him for the forgiveness of your sins before the judgment of God. He himself is calling you like this; “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). "For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
It is human nature to have a desire to conceal sin as much as possible. When concealed, it’s human nature to want to reveal more of someone’s sin. On the other hand, if sin is not concealed, People lose interest in revealing. The psalmist said when he covered his sin, his bones wasted away through his groaning all day long. Therefore, when committing a sin, it is necessary to reveal it instead, without covering it.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Confessing sin to God is not actually revealing what he doesn’t already know. Even before you commit, he already knows you are about to commit a sin. God warns you not to commit sin by using other people, through the reading of the Bible, by someone else's preaching, and by your conscience. Even then, you still commit sin because you did not heed that warning. Therefore, revealing your sin to God is admitting that his warning is true.
God loves confessing of one’s sin. John said, " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). Even though a person is confessing and apologizing, there are people who do not want to forgive. But God is not like man. He promises to forgive those who confess and apologize. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
Anybody can commit sin either by letting it out verbaly; by contemplating inside their heart; or by displaying through their physical actions. When committing such a sin, let us not be defensive but be quick to confess and ask for forgiveness to the person we offended or to God. If there is sin, it will destroy our life like a disease. But if we confess our sin and ask for forgiveness, our spirit will be healthy just like sickness will leave after taking the appropriate medicine. By doing so, hope will return, our health gets restored, and our body will become strong again.
