LIFE AFTER DEATH – LIVE WISELY

In Luke 12:19-21, Jesus tells a story about eternity — a man who worked hard, became successful, and decided to 'eat, drink, and be merry.' However, God rebukes this foolishness with an unexpected truth—the man will die that night, leaving everything behind. Many people today live for the temporal, ignoring thoughts of eternity. Death respects no one. Sooner or later, we will all die. Where are we going to spend it?

In 2 Samuel 13, Amnon, David's heir, desires his half-sister Tamar and, with a deceitful plan, rapes her. Despite Tamar's pleas, Amnon ignores her, leading to devastating consequences. Tamar was left shattered, and Absalom, fueled by anger, later kills Amnon. This story illustrates the consequences of unguarded desires, the lack of self-control, and the destructive impact of sin.

In 1 Corinthians 15:19-24, Paul writes on about eternity, explaining that because of Adam, all of us died, and it is through Christ that we are entitled to the same resurrection He had. He mentions how all those who are dead will come back to life (resurrection of the dead.) Knowing this great plan, we must indeed be wise with how we live our lives now!

LORDSHIP OF JESUS – LIVE TO PLEASE HIM

1 Corinthians 15:25-28 talks about the last enemy that will be abolished: DEATH. Because of the resurrection of Christ, He has the authority to subject everything under God’s control. Someday, Jesus is coming back to reign and He will subject everyone to judgment.

Revelation 20:11-15 says that there will be judgment, and we cannot hide it! Many evil things may be perpetuated by the rich and powerful, but we must remember this: in His time, God will carry out righteousness and justice, as He promised. We can rest assured that Jesus judges fairly and that we can surrender to Him.

GLORIOUS FUTURE – LIVE WITH HOPE

1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us that nothing compares to what God has in store for us, and this is something we can look forward to. Paul wrote so much about the indescribable. 1 Corinthians 15:35-44 illustrates the reality of DEATH through the seed as well as the different forms of heavenly bodies. Then, it mentions the “glorified bodies” we gain in resurrection when we are raised in power and glory! In 1 Corinthians 15:45-47, there is a comparison between Adam, the first man created in the biblical narrative, and the second man, who is identified as Christ. Adam, as the representative of humanity, brought sin and death into the world. In contrast, Christ, the second man, brings life and resurrection. This highlights the redemptive work of Christ and His role in reversing the effects of sin and death.

While our eternity in Christ may be unthinkable, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 tells us that we will all be changed in an instant at the sound of the last trumpet. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 describes how we, along with those who died, will meet the Lord in the air. The best is yet to come!

1 Corinthians 15:55-58 comforts us that we have a great victory “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Someday, death will lose its sting or power so we must “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” – our labor is not in vain. Following Jesus will never be a waste of time. We look forward to the glorious future that was promised (Revelation 21:1-5), and we can continue to hope for this as we live our lives for eternity NOW. What we do for the Lord will truly count in eternity!