HOW WILL YOU DIE?

Here is a simple fact of life. Each of us has an appointment with death. No one can escape it because everyone eventually dies.

We all have an important decision to make before the day we die. You see we all get to choose how we will die.

Perhaps you are thinking that the way we die is out of our control. I mean who would want to choose to die of lung cancer and struggle to breathe? Who would choose to die through a tragic accident? If I get to choose the way I die then I want to avoid the hospital all together. For me I just want to go to sleep and not wake up. No suffering. No pain. When it is time for my life to be over then just let it end. That’s the way we would all want to die right?

Well you are right none of us can choose the way we die—that is the manner or means of our death. But we can all choose how we die—that is the eternal condition of our soul. You see when we think about death this way, then there are only two ways to die. We choose whether we will die in our sins, or forgiven and free from our sins.

• For unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.
  John 8:24 NLT

Jesus made some bold claims that upset many of the Jews. He claimed God as His Father. He further said that those who did not recognize Him did not know God because if they had really known God then they would know that He was who He claimed to be. Then Jesus told them that the time was coming when He would leave, but they would be unable to find Him because they would die in their sins. Their only hope of finding Him, and in turn knowing God, would be to believe that He is God’s Son, the savior of the world.

I find what happened next very interesting.

• Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
  John 8:30 NIV

John does not record that Jesus performed any miracles on this particular day. Jesus just simple spoke the truth—God’s Word. Faith comes by the hearing the word of God. Jesus pointed to the final moments that each one listening to Him must one day face. What would happen when they died? Those who rejected Him would die in their sins. Ah but those who made the choice to believe in Jesus would be set free from their sins. So what do you think? How do you want to die?