If Only On Earth, We Have Hope In Christ…

Mark 8: 36- 38: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37: Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38: Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

EVERY religion believes there is life after death, but there are variations on how to achieve that feat and where to spend it. There are religious faiths that believe that through certain prophets they will live again after death. Some faith- based groups believe they are not going anywhere rather the earth will be transformed for them to stay after they have died and resurrected. Christians believe in our Lord Jesus Christ as the only Son of God, who died for the salvation of our souls and resurrected so that those that believe in Him will resurrect and be raptured to be with Him forever.

Our Lord Jesus Christ having demonstrated the power of resurrection has the ability of invocation of the power to make His disciples resurrect at the appointed time when He comes to rapture the saints. We, therefore, have hope of life after death on Him. That is why the Bible laments in 1Corinthians 15: 19- 22 saying: “If in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. 21: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

If it is only for the things of this world we serve Christ and depend on Him, we are to be pitied; fortunately, our dependence on Christ is beyond this earth for resurrection and life after death. This will draw us into creation and in comparing and contrasting between Adam and our Lord Jesus Christ we discover Adam as a contrasting type of Christ ( 1Cor. 15: 45- 47).

The first man, Adam was made a living soul deriving life from another, God. The last Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ is a life- giving spirit. Far above deriving life, He is Himself the fountain of life and He gives that life to others ( Jn. 1: 4, 5: 21, 10: 10). In origin, the first man was of earth, while the second man is the Lord from heaven. However, each is the head of creation. It is also in contrast that in Adam all die, but in Christ all are made alive. The Adamic creation is flesh, while the new creation in Christ is spirit. Our confidence in Christ is that even if we die prior to the rapture of the saints, we will rise from the grave to make rapture and to be with the Lord forever. Since Christ rose from the dead and He is alive now in heaven, when He comes the second time He will make us to rise to be with Him forever. This is our hope in Christ and this should be our foremost reason for serving Him and being His disciple.

It is unfortunate some people are more interested in the earthly glory and wealth as benefits for serving God. Whosoever that has such focus has missed the priority. That is why the Bible queries in the lead scripture, “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?” Whosoever misses the rapture of the saints has lost all!

The Bible is clear to make us understand that serving God is for eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ. We will reign with Him not for earthly possessions and glory. However, the blessing of God will always flow to the people that serve Him in sincerity of heart with the hope of making rapture. That is why the Bible advises in Matthew 6: 33 saying: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Our first and only focus is the kingdom

of God and His righteousness. While we are in the kingdom, living the lifestyle of the kingdom, all the benefits of being a child of God will be supplied to us. Whosoever that is not yet in the kingdom should repent by giving his or her life to Christ, this will guarantee him or her the membership of the kingdom of God. There is no need for procrastination, for no one knows the day the trumpet shall sound for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to rapture the saints.

Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 7: 29- 31 warns all to act fast, saying: “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none. 30: And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not. 31: And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” There is no more time; nobody knows the time the trumpet shall sound for the second coming of the Lord. Whoever fails to make rapture will not be with the Lord. The time he spent on this earth is wasted. The essence of being on earth is to serve the Lord and to attain perfection, while preparing for the second coming of the Lord. The church, the outpost established by the Lord, is meant to prepare the saints for rapture. Anyone who fails to accept the teachings of the church has missed the focus. The person has been

carried away by the deceit of the pleasures of the world and he or she will regret it at the end when he or she will land in hellfire.

As long as you are alive, the grace for the salvation of your soul is still available for you. There is no sin that will not be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Spirit. Sins against human being and even God are forgivable. Apostle Paul was a terror to the early Christians; he supervised the killing of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. It was on his way to Damascus to arrest the disciples of the Lord that he encountered our Lord Jesus Christ and he repented. From that town he started his gospel campaigns. The Bible has record of his first and second missionary journeys. Out of 27 books of the New Testament in the Bible, he wrote 13. At the end, he was quoted in 2nd Timothy 4: 6- 8 congratulating himself thus: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 8: Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Every Christian should be hungry of this crown of life. It is a crown of righteousness, faith and service to the Lord. This should be our focus because it is immortal, ushering the receiver into immortality. We are to continue to work for this crown with fear and trembling until we see Jesus as our hope in Christ and by His grace we will make it in Jesus name.