How Many Days Do We Have?

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How Many Days Do We Have?

“We are all terminally ill.”

These words were not comforting when my husband was in his final days, but they were spoken by a nurse who had seen many people pass into eternity. She knew the truth of what she had said. Life has an ending 100% of the time. Watching someone journey to the place we call “death” brings this reality into sharp focus.

No one can deny that 2020 has been an alarming season in history, but the coronavirus was not the beginning of death. We aren’t keeping a tally of the people passing every moment from cancer, car accidents, or even old age.

People will continue to die after the pandemic is under control. We all have numbered days, and we don’t have the power to avoid the day of death.

“There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8)

Since we can’t “retain the spirit,” and since we have no “power in the day of death,” we will die with or without a pandemic. While people are watching the frantic news reports and tracking COVID-19 cases, souls are leaving their earthly tents for an eternity somewhere.

How many days do we have until we leave this earth?

Maybe you needed a pandemic to get you to pause and consider your own mortality. You know that there is more to life than mayhem, stress, aging, illness, and then death. You know.

There is more, and here’s a snapshot from Scripture to remind us of some important truths:

1. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Paraphrased: God proved how much He loved us by sending Christ to die for our sins.
2. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Paraphrased: We won’t find another means or method for salvation. God already determined that salvation would come through Jesus Christ.
3. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) Paraphrased: To “call upon the name of the Lord” is simply to pray. Ask Christ to forgive you and to be your Savior. Life is a vapor. Now is the time.

We have the past, the present, and our souls will have a future after this life. Your life has a purpose, and the satisfaction you’ve been seeking is found in Christ. The Bible calls the need of our lives “salvation.” This is not a manmade term. It is a Bible truth. We all needed a Savior, and Jesus took the form of man and died on a cross to pay for the sins of all humankind. He did this for me and for you.

You don’t need special words to speak with God, but here’s an example of a simple prayer:

“Dear Lord, thank you for sending your only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debt for my sins. I am sorry for the wrongdoing that I’ve committed. Please forgive me, and open my eyes to the truth of Your Word. I accept Your gift of salvation and eternal life. Please teach me how to live in the light of Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

The nurse was right: every person alive right now is “terminally ill.” The next funeral you attend will be a reminder that we are only here temporarily. This is just a beginning of an important conversation. For more information, click this link: https://fbcrosemount.org/salvation/