12th November

For a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. John 5, 28 & 29

Is death the end of everything?

The first king of Israel, Saul, who was surrounded by ennemies in the battle, took his own sword and fell on it (1 Samuel 31, 4). Judas hanged himself because he was full of self reproaches after betraying Jesus (Matthew 27, 5). The Bible reports the tragic suicide of these two men. It also says that Cain could not forget his guiltiness after having killed his brother Abel. He was under a curse for the rest of his life (Genesis 4, 11).

However, God said: "You shall not kill" (Exodus 20, 13) because he considers every life as sacred. God is the only one who has right over life or death (1 Samuel 2, 6). To kill somebody or to kill oneself is a serious sin.

Besides, is death the end of everything, the end of hatred, of anguish of daily concerns? If you believe it, you are mistaken! Somebody continues to live after death of the body. It is one's soul. Death neither is destruction, neither emptiness where one floats in weightlessness, neither absolute rest. Death is condemnation of human acts done without God. "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9, 27). All those who will not have believed and obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ will go to a place of torments. They will be punished for eternity and definitely be separated from God. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6, 23).