I have often read about great Christians who wished for a longer life so that they could do more for Christ.
I don’t.
Life is a vapor and I would not have it otherwise. This is perhaps the greatest comfort I have when I am pushed toward any kind of depression: within the next 100 years, either I will die or Christ will return. And death is gain, and the return of Christ is even greater gain.
So praise Him for death, destruction, and the end of the world. Because after death is life; after destruction is regeneration; and after the end of the world is a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
September 22, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Hey Brian, great words. That is exactly what we were talking about today. We are currently reading “Don’t Waist Your Life” by John Piper. I thought it was very encouraging to come to your blog and read the same message: “TO LIVE IS CHRIST, AND TO DIE IS GAIN!”
I’ll get your e-mail from Laura on Wednesday and let you know how lessons with Bently are going.
-Jacob Kolb
April 30, 2009 at 10:41 am
Our life is a part of our existence and must be fulfilled in the manner that God’s will states is its unavoidable destiny. Meaning, God knows everyone’s destiny, and no one can change it, in the ultimate sense. It may be one’s destiny, in this sense, to commit suicide at 15 or live absent-minded of living as God states for 97 years and in either case burn in Hell for eternity! Or it may be one’s destiny to die at age 22 in a car wreck, but in a state of overall worship to God and go to Paradise. Or anything in-between, etc! Death is simply the commencement of eternity and the undeniable revealing of the ultimate truth for the one who died! Death is the greatest Blessing that God has for a person who is living a life pleasing to Him. Death is the worst punishment for a person who God is not pleased with. Its all about God. He created you, your purpose and your destiny. What most people fail to realize is that God is not just happenstance, but He is Almighty, and is the only and direct source of all things concerning your existence! Therefore if He had no Grace and wanted to just create you in Hell, with no prior life or chance, He could have done just that! Imagine, as powerful as God is, how it would be if he just used ALL of His Godly Ability to just cause Maximum pain, suffering, evil, to the Maximum extent of His Ability, in a way thats worse than even Hell! We don’t realize how fortunate we are that God is Gracious, Merciful, Loving, etc!
I look forward to death, more than I look forward to any day of my life! The greatest and happiest day of my life will be the day I die! Thank God, however, that He has enough Grace to make life comfortable to the extent that He does for His worshippers! The comfort that He gives people who he’s displeased with is actually an evil that deceives then and sets them up for dying in His displeasre. Although, I can hardly wait for death, lol, I do not want it until God, wants this for me. I actually would prefer to live to be 70 years old than to die at say 35, because I can worship more in life and the more worship you give in life, the greater your eternity will be. However, I’d rather, substantial worship until age 35 that God sees as greater, than medicore worship until 70 that God sees as acceptable, but less-than, know what I mean? But for me to live to be 100, ugh, that much of this evil-filled life makes me nauseous, unless its God’s will, just because I am so excited for the real-deal! However, I’d get by and continue to worship very strong, knowing the value of my worship, and being happy that I’m already old, lol! It’s just thinking about the fact that Im only 32 now. The happy thought is all I have to do is double my age (only 32 years) and I’ll be 65! yay! My grandma passed at 63, so I will have made it somewhere! However, God has blessed me with so much inner vitality/essence I strongly sense that I will live to be over 90 years old! My greatest request to God is, please Bless me to live a life that pleases you in the greatest way that my destiny could ever be, and please bless that to be even greater than the greatest way that I can envision myself serving You, and please bless the time to fly by as fast as You can possibly make it fly by! I so hope that request is in accordance with God’s Will! God’s Will is all I want, so if not, God, please make all of my essence be in aligment with Your Will! In all things, God, please make my will to be in complete alignment with Your Will! Thank You God, for Blessing me to know my destiny!