There is but a step between me and death.
1 Samuel 20:3.
In 2006 six healthy men were given a dose of a medicine still undergoing trials in a London clinic. They had agreed to the experiment and been paid for their assistance. Experiments in the laboratory and on animals had shown no adverse effects. Within seconds of taking the medicine, the men suffered severe allergic reactions: swellings made them unrecognizable. They collapsed like dominos falling, an observer said, and developed very high temperatures. All had to be transferred to intensive care, where the staff were at a loss as to how to deal with such an unknown and unforeseen eventuality. Two of these human guinea pigs were still at death’s door long afterwards.
Doesn’t this demonstrate the truth of today’s text from the Bible? Referring to those who are seriously ill, people often say, “Where there is life, there is hope”. There is unless death sets in.
It is no different with God’s offer of salvation and eternal life. All can accept it, but their opportunity vanishes for ever at death – and how quickly that can overtake us! For this reason nobody can afford to neglect the question of eternity. God’s Word states emphatically: ‘It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). You may assert that with death all is over, or not even believe in God. But you cannot explain away the effect of the possession of eternal life in Jesus Christ that believers in Him experience. Their consciousness of sins forgiven, their desire and power to live righteously to glorify their Saviour and their assurance of eternity with Him in heaven are God-given blessings. Isn’t that a better prospect than the nagging uncertainty of what follows death? Accept Jesus as your Saviour before it is too late!