Jump Start # 229

Hebrews 9:27-28 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

  The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we all have a divine appointment. It is an appointment with death. This is the punishment that God placed upon mankind for Adam’s sin.  Paul told the Corinthians, “through one man came death…” It’s easy to say, that’s not fair, but the reality is by the time we reach adulthood, all have sinned.

  So we have this divine appointment. We know this, everyone dies sooner or later. A few reach 100 but sooner or later they keep that divine appointment.

  This passage does not tell us when that appointment will be. If you knew, you’d most likely be a mess just thinking about that date. In the back of our minds we know this appointment is coming, but we go on and do not worry about it much.

  This passage also tells us that death isn’t the end of the journey. After death, comes judgment. The judgment is before God. He is a righteous judge. The final chapters of Revelation show us the judgment scene. The dead stand before the white throne. The book of life is opened and God judges.

  An appointment with death…followed by a judgment by God. No one escapes this. You can’t opt out. You can say, “I didn’t ask for this,” but it will still happen. Now you can be obsessed with these thoughts and stay in bed with a blanket over your head and it will still happen. You can live recklessly and say, “I don’t care…” and it will still happen. Or, you can live in Christ! That is the answer. Death isn’t the end, because of the resurrection. Judgment takes a different look when one stands forgiven.

  The end of our passage today affirms that. Christ bore our sins. He will appear a second time. Those that eagerly await Him will find eternal peace in Heaven (the salvation without reference to sin).

  God tells us what will happen. It’s not an adventure into the dark. It’s not a surprise. We know. Christ is coming. I have an appointment with death. I will be judged. Those three statements help define my life. I live realizing life is precious. You only get one. I live responsibly towards God, He will judge me. I live with Christ, He is my Savior.

  These things are revealed not to scare us but to inform us and to motivate us to live in Christ. The journey doesn’t end at the cemetery, it takes us to God. There may be some who get away with murder, they will stand before God. There may be some things that don’t seem right, God will take care of it in His time.

  Why is it that some die young…some middle aged…and some very old? It must be that divine appointment with God. Life isn’t measured in how long you live but by how you live it. Each day is a blessing and a gift from God. Each day should be lived to the glory of God. Some day I will be out of days and what will matter is how I lived.

  This passage puts all in perspective. We need that. We tend to forget.

Roger