It has been said that there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. The Bible tells us in Hebrews, chapter nine and verse 27, “…it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment.” God has ordained that our earthly life begin at birth and end at death. God has also ordained that our life continue after this life on earth.
In the Bible, in the first epistle of John, chapter five, verses 9 through 13 we read,
09 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son.
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son.
11 And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.
13 These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.
Additional Information
We also have an account in the New Testament of the Bible, in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 19 through 25 that give us some insight about the existence of heaven and hell. Jesus prefaced His teaching on heaven and hell in this passage with these words, “And he said unto them (the Pharisees), Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts…” (Luke 16:15).
Jesus went on to say,
19 Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day:
20 and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table; yea, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried.
23 And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted and thou art in anguish.
We see that there is eternal life after life on this earth and we see that it can be lived in the presence of God or it can be lived apart from God in torment and punishment.
In reading the Bible, God’s book of redemption, we find a reference to a person Who will make it possible for us to spend our eternal life after our earthly life in the presence of God by taking the punishment we deserve.
In a book of the Old Testament in the Bible, Isaiah, chapter 53, verses 1 through 12, there is a prophetic description of Jesus Christ. Isaiah writes that Jesus was a very ordinary man with nothing exceptional to remember about him as far as his appearance was concerned. Isaiah goes on to say (seven hundred years before Christ was born) that Jesus Christ would be “despised and rejected by men” yet “He bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was smitten by God for our sins”. Isaiah goes on to say, “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.”
Were ever truer words spoken about our current generation? In short, we are self-centered. Yet, Isaiah says, Christ was “an offering for sin”. He, the sinless one, paid the penalty for you and me, the sinners. We should be punished for our own sin. Why would the sinless Lamb of God become a sin offering to God for your sin and mine?
We read in the New Testament of the Bible, in the Gospel of John, chapter three, verse 16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
It is God’s love for us that brought Jesus Christ to die on the cross, willingly, to pay the eternal price for my breaking God’s eternal moral laws so I would not be sent to Hell forever to pay for my own sin.
Knowing now why Jesus Christ went willingly to give His life at Calvary, because He loved you and me, let’s listen to the words of Isaiah.
The Bible / Old Testament (Isaiah 53:1-12)
1 Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The apostle John, the disciple Jesus loved, had a vision of heaven, the place where those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son will spend eternity. Listen to John’s description of heaven.
The Bible / New Testament (Revelation 21:1-8)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God:
4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.
5 And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true.
6 And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
We do not have a choice when it comes to whether or not we will live after our earthly life. God has ordained that we will live forever somewhere and, God has given us a choice about where we will live.
Joshua, in the Old Testament of the Bible spoke these words, “choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah (Joshua 24:15).
I have made my choice for my eternal home. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior from sin and I know that when I fold my earthly tent, I will walk through the gates of heaven; but not on any merit of my own. The apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, “For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.”
Have you made your choice for your eternal home?
Listen as Amy sings, “Some Day the Silver Cord Will Break”.
“Some day the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing.
But O the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King!”
Chorus
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
“Some day my earthly house will fall; I cannot tell how soon ‘twill be.
But this I know, my All in All has now a place in heav’n for me.”
Chorus
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
“Some day, when fades the golden sun beneath the rosy tinted west.
My blessed Lord will say, “Well done!” and I shall enter into rest.”
Chorus
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
“Some day, till then I’ll watch and wait, my lamp all trimmed and burning bright.
That when my Savior opes the gate, my soul to Him may take its flight.”
Chorus
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.
You can know today where you will spend eternity. John, the disciple Jesus loved, wrote these words, “But as many as received him (Jesus Christ), to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)
“Receiving Jesus Christ” is accepting His death on the cross of Calvary by faith as the payment to God for your sin and not trusting in any work of your own in an attempt to earn your way into heaven. Life in heaven with God is a gift from God and cannot be purchased or earned by you.
If you have never prayed the sinner’s prayer, telling God that you realize that you have sinned, that you have disobeyed His eternal moral laws and merit eternal punishment in Hell, that you are sorry for the sin you have committed, and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary as the only way for you to enter heaven’s gates, I urge you to prayerfully consider doing that right now. To delay praying that prayer right now may harden your heart and make you indifferent to the things of God.