While strolling through a local cemetery, I noticed the following epitaph on a tombstone:

“If Love Could Have Saved You
You Would Have Lived Forever”

I had to stop and ponder that for a minute. I was struck not only by how well it declared the survivor’s affection for the person buried beneath, but also punctuated the sadness and impotence we feel when faced with our mortality.

Then I remembered how, as followers of Jesus, the Scriptures lead us to a far different conclusion. There is a person in whom both perfect love and life-giving power are found. There is someone whose love is so powerful that he can save us so we can live forever. His name is Jesus, and he came to earth to die for this very purpose.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Your ability to receive this gift of eternal life is conditional, however, on two things. 1. You must believe that it is true.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

2. And you must reject sin and commit to holy living.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord… (Acts 3:19)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

The fulfilment of the promise of eternal life is a physical, bodily resurrection. This is the great cause for hope possessed by all who have placed their trust in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 declares it plainly:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

And, as the angels in Acts 1:11 declared:

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

In future posts, we’ll explore other good reasons for followers of Jesus to rise above the circumstances and challenges we face. Jesus himself said:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)