Wandering among the worn graves of the abandoned cemetery, I was confronted by the reality of my death. Join us in a healthy reflection on “The King of Terrors”
The abandoned cemetery is located at the southern end of Trough Creek State Park, a short walk from Paradise Furnace. At Paradise Furnace, cross the bridge and follow the trail up the hill.
After about 0.3 miles you will encounter the cemetery in a clearing with dozens of tooth-like gravestones.
Some of the stones are crudely carved, but the majority are simply upright stones where the markings have long since worn away. Most of the legible stones are for members of the Crum family, which was prominent in the area.
Looking at the graves I considered that someday this will be me. I am going to die and so are you. What do you think about that?
A wise person who devoted himself to studying the meaning of life once remarked that it is wise to consider your death because it is an absolute certainty we must all face:
“It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will lay it to heart….
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”1
The corollary is that it is foolish to avoid thinking about death. Another reason why it is important to consider your inevitable death is because life is so short.
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” 2
And then life is over. Forever. What do you think and feel when you consider your certain death?
People generally don’t like to think about death because even after the briefest consideration it refuses to remain abstract idea. But like an armed robber it breaks into your mind with swiftness and violence as an intensely personal reality. What will happen to me when I die?
I held varying opinions throughout my life but (foolishly) didn’t think much about death unless the subject or event intruded upon me. I didn’t know any more than anyone else about what happens after you die. How could I? So, my opinions weren’t based on facts. But let me tell you a secret, one I never would have admitted at the time: I chose to believe whatever allowed me to live how I wanted. So, any idea of being held accountable for my lifestyle was out. Unless of course the standard to which I would be judged aligned with my personal standard (which was pretty low).
But isn’t it funny that we aren’t even consistent with our own standard? Hence feelings of guilt. That’s why our personal standard changes all the time or we find ways to excuse ourselves. Can you relate?
So, what do you think happens after you die?
If you could know, would you want to?
By definition, what happens after you die can’t be studied scientifically, because it is unobservable. We can’t arrive at the answer philosophically; that’s just speculation. The only way we could know is if someone who did know told us.
The God who created the universe and everything in it has revealed what happens after this life. He wants you to know with certainty. And it makes sense that if there is a Supreme Being who had any interest in us, he would want us to know such critical information.
God is a moral being. He is perfectly good. He created you and I as moral beings in his image. And this makes sense: everyone has an innate, hard-wired understanding of the concepts of right and wrong, and of justice: that good should be rewarded and evil should be punished. Every society that has ever existed is built upon this concept. So how much more so should it be true that there will be ultimate justice for how you and I have lived our lives? And not just what we have done, but all our thoughts and motives:
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” 3
What standard will God use? Since God is perfectly good, he will use his own standard of moral perfection:
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 4
Although you may be “good” by a human standard, by God’s standard you and I are both guilty. If you are honest with yourself, you know this is true.
How many lies have you told in your life? We are liars.
Have you ever cheated anyone? We are cheaters.
Have you ever taken anything that doesn’t belong to you, regardless of value? We are thieves.
Have you ever been unjustly angry with someone, wished harm on, been glad when something bad happened to them? Have you ever said something for the purpose of hurting someone? That is hating in your heart. But it is even worse than that. God says that if you are unjustly angry you are a murderer. Although you did not carry out the act, you harbored the same hateful motive. We are murderers.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”5
What does your conscience say? God says of us:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”6
So then, we all by nature and choice are guilty and stand condemned for our crimes and rebellion (sin) against the infinitely just and righteous God. Because our crimes are against an infinite being, the sentence is infinite: we must be condemned to a very real place of endless suffering, misery, guilt, and hopelessness: Hell.
But isn’t God good? Isn’t God love? Yes, and that is exactly why he perfectly hates sin and must punish us who have persisted in rebellion against his goodness and love.
But God made a way. This is the Good News:
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”7
To display his greatness as a savior, God added to himself humanity (without ceasing to be God) and entered our world of time and space as a man: Jesus. God did this to be the substitute for sinners, to live on our behalf the life we could not and would not live. Jesus lived a morally perfect life without sin, perfectly loving God and man, perfectly fulfilling God’s law. Then Jesus freely offered himself as a substitute for sinners by sacrificing himself, dying on a cross, unjustly condemned as a criminal. Jesus took on himself the full guilt and punishment for the sin of those who would trust in him. Having satisfied God’s justice, God confirmed that Jesus paid for sin in full and authenticated all that Jesus said and did by raising him from the dead. This was all God’s plan that happened exactly as he said it would for centuries before in the Scripture.
After appearing to many of his followers and commissioning them to go tell the Good News, Jesus ascended to heaven until he returns to judge the world. As one of Jesus’ messengers, the Apostle Paul said:
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”8
The bad news is that you and I are sinners by nature and choice. But the Good News is that Jesus came to save sinners:
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
The unique thing about the Good News of Jesus is that of all the religions, worldviews, and philosophies, it is the only one where God can be both just and merciful. If God simply forgives sin it would be like a judge letting a guilty criminal off the hook. That judge would not be good or just; he would be corrupt. But because Jesus took on himself the punishment for sin as a substitute, God can forgive sinners while maintaining his justice because Jesus himself paid for their sin. Justice is served; there is no more penalty to be paid.
Jesus offers to be your substitute: to take your sin, and in exchange credit you with his perfect life, his righteousness. No matter what your background is, what you have done; this is his offer.
These are his terms:
- You must repent. That is, you must turn; turn from your sin and turn to him. Give up your rebellion and acknowledge him as your Lord.
- You must trust in him alone as your substitute: having lived the perfect life on your behalf, having died to pay for your sins, and rising from the dead.
“Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame’” 9
Trusting in Jesus alone for salvation is critical. God reveals in the Bible that Jesus is the one and only means of salvation.10 We by our good deeds or anything else contribute nothing to our salvation. Our righteousness before God is based entirely on Jesus’ merit alone.11 What can you or I add to Jesus’ perfection?
So what will you do?
God offers full pardon, reconciliation, and adoption as his child. God gives himself for the unworthy so that he may give himself to the unworthy. Run to Jesus and he will receive you.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.12
We welcome questions and comments.
