There are no exclamation points in what I write, but we need to exclaim. I am. I exist. I am here and I think. I communicate and love life. I don't want it to end. Where do I go from here?
Some people believe in annihilationism. Those who believe that we're reduced to non-existence when we die. These folks believe in total destruction rather than everlasting punishment. It's a Christian heretical belief, unfortunately. That's what I thought on last night. Rather than going to heaven or even hell, do I get off easy if I'm a sinner, by just ceasing to exist? Is that a good thing? Is there comfort in that?
I looked at me last night. Right now let's look at you. You're no different than the trillions before you. You like to think you're special, but outside God, you're not! (I use an exclamation point here to draw your attention. You're no more special than any other human and your end will be in accordance to those before you).
Soloman said in Ecclesiastes1:9 "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
Almost no one before you has received special treatment and neither will you. Let's take an example. The Bible mentions King Sargon in Isaiah 20:1. History at one time made no mention of this king. The Bible was alleged to be in error because it spoke of a king who never existed. However, later archeology found that King Sargon really existed and not only existed, but was one of the greatest kings ever!
Gale Encyclopedia of Biography says "The Assyrian king Sargon II (reigned 722-705 B.C.) was one of the chief architects of the late Assyrian Empire and the founder of its greatest line of kings."
Wouldn't you know it. God was right all along! That's not the point, though. You are the point. If the greatest of the greatest was long forgotten, what about your legacy? Will you be forgotten? I say that you and I will be lost to history. You and I will be annihilated in a few years. It will be as if we never existed! Think about the world without ___________ (your name here). Think about eternity without you. You enjoy life now, but if you're no longer, that's profound! Space and time is never ending.
Let's suppose that you cease to exist, but you have awareness that you once existed and while your soul and mind floats around in eternal darkness without end, you contemplate your situation. You were once, but now you're not! There is no more fellowship, no love, no emotion of any type, no happiness and certainly no joy. ________ (insert your name) no longer exists. It's unbearable to think about an eternity without you. That's what I was thinking last night. It's depressing, even frightening, to think of eternal non-existence. Some Christians believe that's all there is!
For awhile King Solomon thought what I thought last night:
Ecclesiastes 9:5 "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
Maybe Solomon is right! Let's look at the alternatives in the afterlife: 1) annihilation, 2) damnation and 3) salvation. Solomon said (when he was in apostasy) that the dead are annihilated. They cease to exist. Rather than for eternity knowing that they existed, the dead don't know anything. It's as if they never were! He thought that there shall be no reward, no afterlife and all memory of them will be erased by time. Not only will there be no reward in death, but there will not be negative rewards either. There will be no damnation for there is nothing after death. He thought that about himself and he was the wisest king ever! Annihilation is a profound idea, is depressing and fatalistic! How can anyone live with eternal non-existence facing them. There is no hope for eternity. Close your eyes right now and imagine yourself never existing again. Your years, even days, are numbered:
Psalm 90:10 says "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
Let me examine myself. Where am I? If I'm normal my days are 70 years. I'm 65. My life is 93% over as long as I continue on. If I'm blessed my life may be longer. I may live to be 80 years old. I then have 19% of my time left. That's not long! Eighty years out of the 6000 years man has lived is only 1.3% of my life out of all known time. My lifespan is insignificant!
I take comfort in knowing that I have 15 more years to live! I can enjoy that. But what if! Guy de Maupassant said “The only certainty is death.” (He forgot taxes!). However, he's right! The only thing certain is that we won't live forever. Death comes upon all mortals and always has (except for Elijah and Enoch who were special cases). From the moment we die man lives with the anxiety of eminent death. Believing in death without reward is hopelessness. Believing in death with the fear of punishment is unbearable and fearing annihilation is mind-boggling and frightening. Let's look at eternal punishment now.
I don't like the thought of non-existence. Thinking those thoughts are suicidal thinking in themselves. I couldn't enjoy life, even live life, if I thought that all would soon end! But what if there really is a hell?
Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
The Book of Life are the names of those who believe in and accept Jesus as their savior. That entails a personal belief and decision. We decide our own fate! We're not Christians because our parents were or because we go to church faithfully. It's loving Jesus and knowing that he died for ______ (your name). If you haven't personally made this decision and have faith, your name is not in the Book of Life. Your destiny is a lake of fire! That's your negative reward. You get what you deserve because believing is so easy and believing is our salvation!
Do you fear death? That's the easy one! But, you should fear the second death because it's worst than the first and horrible:
Revelation 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched..."
Have you ever had unbearable pain? Perhaps a stove burn or a severe toothache or migraine headache? You endure the pain in anticipation that it will soon end. In hell, not only is the pain unbearable, but it is eternal and unquenchable. As bad as non-existence is and how bad it frightened me, eternal damnation in hell is thought shattering. "Please, Lord, have mercy on me and save me from that!" says the sinner! That's what we're saved from when we're saved! We're saved from eternal destruction and it's our choice to make:
Matthew 25:46 "And these (unbelievers, the unsaved) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Our choice is then, heaven or hell. Annihilation is a fantasy. It's a false hope. That's what those damned think so they can live life! Even though there is fear in damnation, neither is there any hope at all in annihilation!
John 6:40 "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
This verse is comforting. It allows me to put away thoughts of eternity. Although, just as those who knew their civilization was dying, put away all thoughts of death and partied on, is a way to cope, it offers no hope. It's just existing and is futile! Those on the Titanic partied as they sank. They ignored the onset of certain death because that's the easy way. That's the road most traveled. However, by not thinking on things doesn't change reality! I need hope and you need hope, so think now on eternity without ________ (your name here).
How about that hope?
Romans 15:13 "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
After thinking of annihilation last night, I thought of hope: Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
My faith gives me hope and I'm saved by faith in Jesus! Therefore, my faith is in the Lord and his grace to save me, although I'm a sinner and deserve eternal death, gives me hope! I can cope with life because my hope is in the unseen! My hope is confidence in the resurrection. I may die and surely will, but I will die only once! There will be no second death for me. Nor will I lie moldering in the grave. I know that since Jesus lives I too will live for eternity. There is hope in eternal life, but defeat in non-existence or damnation!
How do you get this hope? You consider your choices. "Fire and brimstone" preaching may only scare you to make a short run to the altar for "fire insurance", but if you think about grace and how Jesus loved you, even in rebellion, you'll come to love the One who paid for your hope! Hell scared me to consider Jesus and the choice I had to make. Even if I just cease to exist there's got to be more to eternity than that! For me and my household for which I pray, we choose life; we choose salvation; we choose Jesus!
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