Articles
A Sure Thing
A local church has a questionable message on its sign that tells me someone didn’t put a lot of thought into it before putting it up: “Do you like to gamble? Bet on Jesus!” Friends and brethren, choosing Jesus is not a gamble; it is a sure thing! [I give the benefit of the doubt to whoever put the sign up that this is the message they intended to convey; still, it is poorly worded.] But this got me to thinking about this very fact — that what we know from God’s word is certain, and that there are some things that are certain and sure. These things give believers great comfort and confidence, but those who do not believe are either ignorant of these sure things, or would reject the idea that they are certain. Let us consider just a few.
The Word of God. The psalmist tells us, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psa. 19:7); he also writes, speaking to the Lord, “Your testimonies are very sure” (Psa. 93:5); the NASB renders this as “fully confirmed,” and the ESV as “very trustworthy.” These terms speak of the trustworthiness of God’s word, but there is not a word in the human language that could fully illustrate just how certain God’s word is. After all, we are considering the word of the God “who cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), and of whom it is said, “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18). You cannot get any more sure than that!
But this characteristic of God is further addressed by the psalmist when he wrote, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways” (Psa. 145:17), which would lead us to likewise conclude, “The entirety of Your word is truth” (Psa. 119:160). If everything the Lord does is righteous, then every word is also righteous, and a word can only be deemed righteous if it is true; thus, every word God speaks is truth. Every word God speaks can be believed. Every word God speaks is a sure thing, whether judgment, prophecy, or promise.
Our Hope. For the faithful disciple of Jesus, the great promise of God is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven” (1 Pet. 1:4). The hope of eternal life is quite often one of the few things that make living in this violent, selfish, sin-filled world tolerable! And the hope we have is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, for in His resurrection, He became “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” who will also be raised up “at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Having been raised and now ascended to heaven [where we seek to be], “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus” (Heb. 6:19, 20). Our hope is sure because our resurrection to life is sure, and that because Jesus was raised.
But this hope is sure also because it was God who promised it. As John put it very simply, “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25). Again, let us be reminded that we live “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). Our hope is sure not because we have some ability to live a sinless life or ‘earn’ such a reward [we can do neither], but because God’s word is sure.
We Can Take Nothing Out of This World. I am somewhat amused when I read about the ancient Egyptian practices of burying many inanimate and even living things with the great Pharaohs. Their belief was that they needed to provide ‘grave goods’ “to provide the dead with what they would need in the afterlife” and “food and drink offerings were expected to be made by one’s survivors daily.” [World History Encyclopedia] From the relatively recent discovery of the tombs of the Pharaohs, it is evident that the wealthiest and most powerful ones had many valuable material items buried with them, that they might enjoy a similar level of luxury in the afterlife. Sadly, every one of those who died and were buried with such material things would never see them, taste them, or use them after death.
God’s word reminds us of this certainty: “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7). This is certain because God knows and He has chosen to reveal this fact to us that we might have a proper understanding of what lies beyond this life. At death — or at the end of all things — “we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52) and there will be no need for any material thing, whether for comfort or sustenance. The Sadducees did not comprehend this when they put forward their ‘gotcha’ scenario to Jesus (Matt. 22:23-28), and He answered, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:29, 30). Simply put, the life after this will have no need for the material things of this world, and there is not only no need for those things, but it is not even possible to carry those things into the next life.
Death and Judgment. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin famously said, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Obviously, as we have shown, there are a few other “certain” things, but he was at least correct in saying that death was certain. God’s word again tells us, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). This is an appointment no man may escape, unless Christ comes again, and it could be argued even then that the spirit leaving the body behind would still be considered ‘death’ by all definitions (Jas. 2:26).
About three thousand years before Ben Franklin walked this earth, the psalmist asked a question still relevant today: “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” (Psa. 89:48); the questions are rhetorical, for no man will escape death!
And then there is that judgment that comes after death — let us not overlook this! Again, this is certain because God promised that, too (Rom. 14:10, 12; 2 Cor. 5:9; Eccl. 12:14). This is not some “scare tactic,” but a promise of God. Judgment is certain, so we would do well to prepare for it! Are you prepared?
Don’t gamble with your soul; don’t gamble with the uncertainties of life and the limited knowledge man has. Put your full faith in trust in what is true, what is sure, and what is certain. Following Jesus is the only way to heaven. — Steven Harper
