"Life Is Short and Death Is Real"

James 4:14, "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

The word "cancer" is a word which has touch the lives of many people in our society today. Both of my grandfathers died with cancer. I have ministered to hospice patients who has had cancer. I have had church members die from this dreaded disease. Cancer is a word when spoken causes us to cringe with fear and uncertainty. As believers in Christ we are reminded even when God allows cancer for our lot, we know He is working "all things together for good ( Rom.8:28)" As believers we know God is working for the good, but we also are reminded it is our sin which has placed us in our lot. Our sin has brought sickness, diseases, and death.
God's Word teaches us in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Because man has choose to sin against God, He has separated Himself from sinful man. God is holy, He is transcendent, "He's thoughts are above our thoughts and His ways are above our ways (Isa.55:9)." Because man has sinned, God's Word teaches us also we have earned a wage for our sin, Romans 6:23, "for the wages of sin is death..." Every man, woman, boy, and girl has earned a wage for their sin against God. It is DEATH.
We live in a society today which wants us to believe death is not real and death will not come. But I am here to tell you and promise you death is REAL. One preacher has said, "1 out of 1 will die." Every body will die physically because of their sin. When you trace back sin and evil in the world today, it has one source...SIN! Man has choose to freely sin against God and man will not (Rom.3:10-12)choose to do other wise unless God works in his heart to bring Him to repentance and faith. The only way for "fallen man" to be brought back to a Holy God is through a mediator, the Man Christ Jesus.
I am reminded as a pastor I too will face death soon because of the "wage" I have earned. But, I am also reminded through God's Word the is hope. Although I have earned the "wage of death" because of sin, I am reminded, "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom.6:23b)." What a blessed assurance, my physical body might die and be placed back into the earth but my soul will live for eternity because of the free gift of eternal life which is found only in Christ Jesus.
So, I ask you do you have eternal life? Do you believe you too will face death? I want to speak the truth in love, "you will die?" It is sooner today than yesterday! Do you know what your wage is? It is death. Have you received the "free gift of God?" I pray for you today who will read this that God would use this blog post to bring you to place where you have no rest or comfort in your soul until you come to know His Son Christ Jesus. "Life is short and death is real."