The four last things. Death. Judgment. Heaven. Hell. Hebrews 9, verse 27. It is appointed
for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. Death. The inescapable appointment.
Death is not a possibility. It is a divine certainty. It
is the wages of sin, the last enemy, and the doorway to eternity. No one escapes it. The rich and
the poor, the righteous and the wicked, the young and the old,
all must pass through its shadow. Yet for the believer, death is
not the end, but the beginning of glory. Christ has removed
the sting of death, and to die is now gain, but for the unrepentant,
death seals their eternal doom. So teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Judgment, the unavoidable reckoning. After death comes judgment, not
reincarnation, not annihilation, not a second chance. Every soul
will stand before the throne of Christ. The books will be
opened, and every thought, word, and deed will be weighed. For
the believer, Christ has borne the judgment. For the unbeliever,
every sin will be exposed and justly condemned. There will
be no appeals, no excuses, no escape. For God will bring every deed
into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. Heaven, the eternal home of the
redeemed. Heaven is not earned, it is purchased
by the blood of Christ. It is the home of righteousness,
the dwelling place of God, and the eternal inheritance of the
saints. There we shall see Christ face
to face, worship without sin, and rejoice without sorrow. No
more tears, no more death, only unending joy in the presence
of the Lamb. In your presence there is fullness
of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Hell, the eternal justice of
God. Hell is real. It is not a metaphor,
not a scare tactic, but a terrifying reality. It is the just punishment
for sin under God's righteous wrath. Jesus spoke more of hell
than anyone else in Scripture. The cross of Christ is the only
refuge from the fire of hell. Those who reject Christ will
be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels
and of the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will
rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night. There are many ways to enter
hell. There is only one way to avoid hell. There is no way to
escape hell. These will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. These four last things are not
distant abstractions. They are imminent realities.
You will die. You will be judged. You will
spend eternity in either heaven or hell. The only hope is Jesus
Christ, who died and rose again to save sinners. Repent and believe
the gospel. Cling to Christ. Live every moment
in light of eternity. Prepare to meet your God.