Text - Hebrews 9:27-28
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 9:27-28
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE - That’s the motto for those who want to enjoy life to the ‘fullest’ and in their bid to enjoy life, go off the grid to do all sorts of despicable things… After all, you only live once, right? Why take caution?
I find it ironic that people live dangerously when they have only one life to live. Won’t you want to protect that life at all costs? I would have understood if we were cats with nine lives - then we could live as dangerously as we could with eight lives and cherish the one life left. If it were me, I would begin to be more careful when I have three more to go. Now I am not advocating that we live our lives inside a shell. You will get my point as you read along.
The truth is we only live once, but at the same time, we don’t live only once. The Bible says according to the scripture above, that after death is judgement. Now, this life after death is not a different life but a continuation of the life lived here on earth. If a person decides to live recklessly, throwing all caution out the window, that person will end up in a reckless place - the same quality as the life he lived here on earth.
On the other hand, if a person lives cautiously and with wisdom, that person will find himself in a place of that same quality.
So, what is recklessness according to the Bible and what is wisdom?
18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. John 3:18 AMP
It is evident from the above scripture that the fate of a person is already decided on earth by the decision the person makes about Christ Jesus.
A person who believes in Jesus is saved and this salvation begins to be evident on earth by the life that the person lives.
The Bible teaches that the person who believes in Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit and begins to bear the fruits of the Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc. (Gal. 5:22-23). For the one who does not believe in Jesus Christ, that person remains in his unsaved nature and continues to live in sin thereby condemning him to a life of sin now and forever unless the person repents.
Now, what does that mean for us who are alive and want to live wisely in this age?
We only live once and that is true, but there are some choices we make that cannot be undone after we die.
Why not make the right choices while there is still time?