Here We Are

Over the past weeks there has been a lot of things said about the end times. There is much conversation about it and especially about what comes next. I find that very interesting as someone living today, as a Christian and as a student of the Bible. Many great minds have considered Scripture and studied it for understandings, but there are still things we don’t know for certain. There are certainly those who do not consider the end times relative to any Biblical perspective.

It might be good today to simply take some time to consider some questions and consider possible answers to them. Now any conclusions I personally arrive at are based on my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. For any other conclusions it is what I can best determine is a reason for that conclusion.

Let me begin with where I unfortunately believe that there are many people worldwide find themselves. They have nothing that they can hold onto that provides them any confidence of what happens after this life. The world will come to an end at some point they conclude but have no idea of what happens to them. Their life comes to an end by death and that same truth is that they have no idea of what happens to them.

In that same group would be those who have put their faith in something. Faith is an interesting word. The word has the understanding of firm trust. Yet there are other definitions based upon use. Good faith would be faithfulness, loyalty, truthfulness; esp. honesty. Blind faith is defined as unquestioning belief in something, often without logical proof or evidence. I find it of interest that many would say they have good faith. By definition that may be true however in practice it is more of a blind faith. You see it as a combination of the two. Neither adequate for dealing with something we all have to deal with which is death and then the what question of what comes next.

With a variety of religious beliefs and cultural norms throughout the world there are a variety of thoughts as to an afterlife. I find that very interesting that in researching I found an estimate that 70-80% of the earth’s population likely believe in some form of afterlife (heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc.), based upon the numbers of peope who identify with a particular religious belief. While 15-20% lean toward death as final, with the rest uncertain or holding mixed views.

As astounding as that estimate is, it is probably pretty close to being true. My take on that is because if you consider the breakdown of major religions in the world, it breaks down as follows:

2.4 billion Christians

1.9 billion Islam

1.2 billion Hindu

520 million Buddhist

30 million Sikh

15 million Jewish

400-500 million of various smaller groups

1.2 billion Non-Religious/Atheist/Agnostic

There is belief in an afterlife of varying types in each. Yet the difference is in what the faith is based upon.

It is not hard to see that based on the faith we as Christians have is in our salvation through Jesus Christ there are few who will go to Heaven. If you are a Christian by definition you believe in Christ as the Son of God, His gift for internal life. That He was crucified, buried and rose from the dead. You confess Him as your Lord and Savior.

Although in Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said-

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

So, what is the Father’s will?

Some men came to Jesus once with a question about what God required of them:

“They asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:28–29).

God wants us to have faith in His Son:

“This is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23).

Those who are born again by faith in Christ will produce good works to the glory of God (Ephesians 2:10).

People have a lot that they can believe in or not believe in out there in the world. Yet, Scripture makes it clear that it is always about Jesus. So here we are, and it is always about Him.

In God’s Grace,