REST IN PEACE MENTALITY
Lately I have noticed that when a death occurs….expected, unexpected, tragic or timely…the response from young and old alike has been “Rest in Peace.”
I am somewhat taken back by this. I really believe we are living now in a “Rest in Peace” world and we have a "rest in peace" mentality.
This expression is used to wish eternal rest and peace to someone who has died.
Let’s think about some things for just a few minutes.
1.Can one really “rest in peace” if one was never saved?
2.Are we so out of touch with the need of someone’s salvation that we can just glibly say “rest in peace?”
3.Is there any peace outside of Christ?
Let’s look at death for a few moments.
The Bible says that we must live somewhere forever after death. Those two places are Heaven or hell. There is no peace or rest in hell. hell is a place of constant torment..beyond anything we could even imagine. Heaven on the other hand is a place of rest and peace in the very presence of Jesus. What qualifies one to "rest in peace?"
The only way we can be sure of a home in Heaven is if sometime during our life we asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. We acknowledge that we are a sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus paid that price for us on the cross. We repent of our sins and ask Jesus to save us and be our very life.John 3:16,17 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Unless a person has done what the Bible says to do, they cannot go to Heaven,therefore they cannot "rest in peace."
True peace and rest are only found in Christ.
There is a saying that says, “Know God, Know peace…
No God, No peace.
My question is this: Are we "resting peacefully" while others are around us who will not rest in peace in the next life?
We have been given the most sacred of all opportunities and that is to share with others how they may “rest in peace” after this life is over.
If you say this statement, I am not condemning you…I just believe we need to think deeply about what we are really saying and the person we are saying it about.
Are you busy telling others about Jesus and how they can "rest in peace" after this life.
All of us know precious people who have passed from this life and we are not sure where they are spending eternity. If you are like me, that grieves my heart. So what do we do? I believe we need to be caring and concerned for the families and friends of those people who are still here on earth. People we might still have an opportunity to reach for Christ. Just because we have some or many that we have not reached out to does not mean we wallow in our guilt of not sharing but instead be about God's business and tell their loved ones. We cannot reach everyone but I really believe that God has given us all a sphere of influence. What are you doing with yours?
Maybe you are reading this and you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior. Please make this most important decision and you too may enjoy "resting in peace" for all eternity.
John 14:27
