Day 13 - Hope for Eternity

Child of Hope: An Advent Devotional

Friday, December 12, 2008

Hope for Eternity

The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous (has) hope in his death.
Proverbs 14:32 (KJV)

The latest fad in some quarters, particularly among the anti-establishment brigade, is something called “annihilationalism.” Basically, it is the belief that there is nothing after death. Some call it “angry annihilationalism.” We can get angry about the nature of the universe; we can rage, like Dylan Thomas, against the waning of the light; we can rant about anarchy and complain about the corruption of politics; but in the end we all turn back to dust. Of course this is not a new belief. Repackaged, in slightly different forms, it has been around for thousands of years. At its best it is a call to live life to the fullest while you have it; at its worst it is an invitation to do whatever you like, because there are no consequences beyond the grave.

Christians have, on occasion, gone to the other extreme. Visions of heaven (and hell) have been graphic. Sermons have come close to being guided tours to the celestial city (or the other place). We have pretended that we know everything there is to know about the life that is to come. We do not know everything. What we do know is, that if we place our hands , in faith, into the hands of Jesus Christ, then we shall spend an eternity with Him. Repentance and faith are the human responses to the grace of God that enable us to claim the promise of eternal life. So, Christians cannot be annihilationists, angry or otherwise. Instead, we are people of hope.

Those who proclaim, loudly, that we creatures of the dust, and that there is nothing beyond death, are expressing their beliefs. They have faith in their opinions. Fair enough. We also have faith, but ours is fixed on Jesus – who came among us, died for us, and rose again for us. He is the firstfruit of the dead, and the reason for our hope.

Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus,
we know that we are mortal,
and that our days are numbered here on earth.
Yet we also believe that You have called us
to live with You forever.
Help us to place all of our trust in You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.