“Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death.” (Job 14:14 nlt)
The book of Job tells the story of a righteous, faithful man who suffers terribly because Satan wants to prove that his righteousness and faithfulness will last only as long as God’s obvious blessings in his life. With God’s permission, Satan takes away Job’s beloved children, his wealth and possessions, and his good health.
Job remains righteous and faithful through his suffering, even when his wife and friends turn on him. Yet he has no idea why any of these tragedies are befalling him. So, he begins a frank dialogue with God. And from the depths of his misery, he says, “Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death” (Job 14:14 nlt).
Can the dead live again?
Few questions are more important—or more consequential. In fact, everyone should ask it (or some variation of it). “What’s going to happen to me when I die? What is there beyond this place called earth?”
Before I became a Christian, I thought about death on a semiregular basis. It isn’t that I was obsessed with the subject or that I wanted to die. My belief at the time was that once people stopped living, they simply ceased to exist. I wasn’t certain that there was a place called Heaven. And I hoped that there wasn’t a place called Hell. My conclusion was that when you’re gone, you’re gone. It’s all over with.
Needless to say, I’ve never been so glad to be wrong about something in my life.
We all know that death is coming, but that is far from the end of the story. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24 nlt).
Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, and because He rose from the dead three days later, we as Christians have the hope that when we die, we will go immediately into the presence of God and into a wonderful placecalled Heaven.
That’s why the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the most important biblical truths there is. Theresurrection of Christ from the dead, next to the crucifixion itself, is the most significant event in church history. It isn’t aperipheral issue; it’s foundational. It’s bedrock. It’s the bottom line.
If you’ve placed your faith in Christ, you can rejoice and look forward to what awaits you beyond this life. But you also have a responsibility to share the Good News with others. Everyone who calls on Jesus will receive eternal life. But, as the apostle Paul wrote, “How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14 nlt).
Reflection question: Who in your life needs to hear about the eternal life that Jesus offers?
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Greg Laurie is the pastor and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. He is an evangelist, best-selling author, and movie producer. His latest film ‘Jesus Revolution,’ from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is now available on-demand worldwide.
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God used the Jesus Movement to reach an entire generation with the hope of the gospel. In Jesus Revolution, Greg Laurie shares the true story behind this spiritual awakening and the people God used to change countless lives. Written with Ellen Vaughn, this book offers an inspiring look at how revival spread during one of America’s most turbulent decades.
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