A man can ignore the end of his life which is death, but he can never escape it. As each day passes in a man's life, he is another step closer to his grave. But what comes next? Does a man just disappear? "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" - Hebrews 9:27
Man will not disappear after his death but will give account of all he did when he was alive. Everything will end in judgment where man will receive the final consequence of how he lived. There is something more fearful and terrifying than death. Judgment will come to those who have not accepted the gift of God, but not for those who believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ; they will rise and face God. They will be given a crown for what they did on Earth.
THE HOPE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION
After man's death, there is an appointed time when he shall rise up or be resurrected. There are many people who will be resurrected for eternal damnation, but there are those who are resurrected unto everlasting life.
"But the rest of the dead liveth not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." - Revelation 20:5-6
Those who will have part in the first resurrection, the second death shall have no more power over them. But to those who will be risen after the 1,000 years reign of Christ will receive eternal punishment for their evil works.
Christians are willing to endanger their lives, because they have hope in the first resurrection. This hope is the reason why there are believers who chose to live without fear. They have a living hope. Apostle Paul says that he faces death everyday (1 Corinthians 15:31 GNB). He did not think of the risks and dangers that had came his way when he is serving Christ, because he had hope in the first resurrection.
Are you in the side of people without hope in the resurrection? Some people live as if there is no resurrection and coming judgment. They live in constant fear of dying. A man who has no hope in the resurrection only knows one thing: tomorrow he will die.
"And deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." - Hebrews 2:15
Without the hope of resurrection, all are living in fear. Man hastes to get rich or to acquire more worldly possessions, because he is in fear of being ashamed when other people see that he has few worldly possessions. This is the mind of the world, because all they think of are the things of this world. It is in the world where the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life come from. Pride pushes us to fear that the world will think lowly of us.
We need faith to believe, and we need to act in order for us to be counted among those who God has blessed to be included in the first resurrection.
THE REASON FOR THE GOSPEL
This is the reason why we preach the Gospel. Let us read Acts 17:30-32;
"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (NIV)
The Gospel of Repentance is being preached, because God has appointed to time when He will judge the world. They judge is the One who has risen and overcome death. He is Christ the Lord. The Gospel is being preached, so that man may come to know that the only way to escape that judgment is by believing that Jesus is the Christ, and He must receive Him as his Lord and Saviour. In John 11:25, when a man believes that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life, even though he dies, he shall live again, and if he is alive when Christ returns, he will not see death.
Those that have no faith remain in their ignorance of God's words. We must believe and change our mind and the perceptions of our heart. God desires that this ignorance be removed from man.
An ignorant person is one who has no reason for and does not know what righteous and just is about.
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus's sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Our ignorance is removed when the light of the Gospel has shined in our hearts. Otherwise, we remain in darkness and in our ignorance. They Gospel proclaims that God has set a day when He shall judge the whole world through Jesus Christ.
BOLD WITNESS OF CHRIST HAVE HOPE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION
Let the Word of God once again brighten our minds so that we will not continue our life in ignorance. We must leave this worldly life of sin, and repent so that we may escape the coming judgment that God has appointed through His Son, JesusChrist.
Paul believes that he will be counted among those who will be resurrected. He desires the sufferings of Christ, so that he may have part in His resurrection. He boldly preached the Gospel of Christ during his time here on earth. In Acts 4:13, Apostle Peter and John boldly proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ. They did so in the midst of persecutions and even threats to their lives. Following the examples of the Apostle, the early Christians followed suit and preached the Good News with boldness.
In the End-time, God has placed an Apostle in His Church to lead us to boldly proclaim the Gospel. We shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit that will help us to become bold witnesses of Christ. In Christ, our losses will be our gains; our nothingness will mean everything; our death means life. We will not fear anything, and we shall receive power, and that power is from God, and we will be witnessing with power. We can accomplish all of this because was have hope in the first resurrection. - Bro. John Sentone IV,
